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Subaru To Partner With Toyota

August 13, 2007

Toyota has a share in Japanese automaker Subaru. With the continuing increase of popularity of Subaru vehicles in the North American auto market, it was speculated that Subaru will greatly benefit from its tie-up with Toyota in the near future. And with the report from Japanese publication Asahi, it appears that the near future is very near indeed.
The second most circulated newspaper in Japan recently reported that Subaru will be working with Toyota in the development of a new sports car. And true to the evolving focus of Toyota in marketing, the two companies are reported to be planning the development of a sports car aimed towards younger auto buyers.
Speculations surrounding this tie-up between the two Japanese automakers have placed the sports car in the $17,000 or less segment. This is consistent with the reports that the new sports car will be designed for younger auto buyers. The Subaru Impreza WRX has been a favorite of automotive enthusiasts in the United States and with the coming of the new sports car, Subaru is expanding their presence in the global auto market.
But the new sports car will be badged as a Toyota. That does not mean though that Subaru's contribution to the sports car will go unnoticed. Subaru has been known for two things when it comes to the drivetrain of its vehicles. These are the all-wheel drive configuration and the use of boxer engines. These two Subaru attributes will be present on the new sports car thus its contribution to the new nameplate will be recognized instantly by auto enthusiasts.
Aside from having the Subaru trademark all wheel drive and boxer engines, it can also be expected that the new sports car will also be equipped with reliable parts like the Subaru oxygen sensor that is used by many Subaru vehicles already out in the market today.
According to reports, the new sports car will have an engine not larger than a 2.0-liter powerplant. The said powerplant will be a boxer engine with four cylinders. According to Asahi Shimbun, the new sports car will be expected to hit showrooms by the turn of the decade. But the newspaper though did not cite any sources and both the Japanese automakers declined to comment on the matter.
The newspaper went on to report that the sports car will be the first vehicle that Toyota and Subaru will be both working on. This is despite the fact that Toyota has acquired 8.7 percent of the fellow Japanese automaker in 1995. Meanwhile, Edmunds reported that although the possibility of a new sports car being developed jointly by the two Japanese automakers is certainly “intriguing”, it will be more interesting if the sports car will be released in the United States where Subaru already has a loyal buyer base and so does Toyota.
Meanwhile, Subaru announced that they will be unveiling a vehicle that will usher in a new era in the World Rally Championship in terms of the designing of cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show.