Toyota establishes "Committee to create interesting cars"

FATMOUSE said:
Alright.
1. Small RWD AE86 update
2. New MR2
3. Midsize Sports Car - like a 350Z competitor
4. Halo Car (new Supra, please badge the damn thing as a Toyota and not a fucking Lexus)
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1 and 2 are squarely in the market of the MX-5. Toyota would rightly be nervous about delving into that, unless their offerings are significantly better, or significantly cheaper.
The new "AE86 car", really, does need to be substantially cheaper than an MX-5. Here, they're shooting for under $40 000, clear of the MX-5. I'm all for cheap RWD thrills without an Australian car's fuel bill, so I hope they pull it off.

The MR2 needs to more of a purist's car than the MX-5, the MX-5 has a brand loyalty based around it, so the MR2 would need to be a more hard edged machine than the Mazda. It'd also need a proper gearbox, that sequential was amusing. A 6 speed manual, please Toyota.

Number 3? You're up against the 350Z and the Mazda RX-8. I'm not sure there's room in the market for another coupe at this price point. I'm guessing though that something Celica-ish would be in order here.

Number 4. Return of the Japanese Supercar. There have been half-baked rumors floating around the internet(s) that Mazda is getting the RX-7 back on line, as a counter to Nissan's GTR. A Supra would make things rather interesting, and prehaps prompt the other makers into action... And apparently Honda has something special in the pipes too...
 
'CruiserMan said:
1 and 2 are squarely in the market of the MX-5. Toyota would rightly be nervous about delving into that, unless their offerings are significantly better, or significantly cheaper.
The new "AE86 car", really, does need to be substantially cheaper than an MX-5. Here, they're shooting for under $40 000, clear of the MX-5. I'm all for cheap RWD thrills without an Australian car's fuel bill, so I hope they pull it off.

The MR2 needs to more of a purist's car than the MX-5, the MX-5 has a brand loyalty based around it, so the MR2 would need to be a more hard edged machine than the Mazda. It'd also need a proper gearbox, that sequential was amusing. A 6 speed manual, please Toyota.
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A combo of the two:

"Base Model" (AE86) is generally an all-market appeal car; cheap enough to cater to budget racers or people seeking a platform to build on while lending some decent gas mileage and HP for regular folks.

"Sports Level" (MR2) entails offering a basic racing package of sorts that is customizable. Priced enough to be cheap weekend racer, but not ridiculous enough to kill it.
 
petarkb said:
You don't even remember the episode, do you? :p
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Of course I do; although it's really "one man's vision", it's the first thing I thought of when I think of committees -- something that tries to do everything and fails at every single one ;)

Some abominations that probably were designed by committee:

Pontiac-Aztek-2002.jpg

300px-TCRT_PCC_streetcar.jpg
 
FATMOUSE said:
Alright.
1. Small RWD AE86 update
2. New MR2
3. Midsize Sports Car - like a 350Z competitor
4. Halo Car (new Supra, please badge the damn thing as a Toyota and not a fucking Lexus)
Click to expand...

I'd agree with that as long as they done it right;

1. Should be light, simple and cheap! No 8 airbags, no electric windows or mirrors, no sat-nav, deliver it for at most ?8000 with RWD with a solid engine with room for improvement, and you have a tinkerer/tuner/track racers dream, as well as something that's fun enough for normal people that are bored of samey hatch backs.

2. This is a viable alternative to the MX-5, having mid-engined-ness as it's party-piece. Just take it back from the cutesy frog eye to something more like the mark2. 220-280hp and the same principles as number 1 on lightness please.

3. The Supra used to fall in just above this market but yes, i'd say give this a new car (as someone mentioned maybe a proper celica again, no FWD) and kick the Supra up a level

4. With the new GT-R Nissan are moving it up a gear, from 320hp last generation to 520. This is where the new Supra should go, but keep it's GT-ness (heavy, comfortable, loaded with gear) to counter the GT-R's outright track ability. A cut-price DB9, like the Supra was described as a cut price DB7 GT.

You've been told, Toyota. Go do it.
 
janstett said:
Of course I do; although it's really "one man's vision", it's the first thing I thought of when I think of committees -- something that tries to do everything and fails at every single one ;)

Some abominations that probably were designed by committee:
300px-TCRT_PCC_streetcar.jpg
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Actually contrary to what you think, the PCC streetcar was very well designed. It is indeed designed by a committee. As a streetcar probably still one of the best, they were only retired in favour of buses. For a pre-WW2 vehicle, Toronto managed to use them in full service into the mid 90s, well beyond 30 year life expectancy.
 
'CruiserMan said:
There have been half-baked rumors floating around the internet(s) that Mazda is getting the RX-7 back on line, as a counter to Nissan's GTR.
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Those rumors have been making the rounds since the 7 ceased to be exported, as much of a rotary fanboy as I am(and I own a 7) I wouldn't hold your breath.

all they'd really need to do is make a "Yaris D-sport edition" or something and take a Yaris, put a 3ZR in it facing the proper direction and call it a day.
 
I recall a litle while back Toyota were testing a Corolla powered by a 2GR-FE and IRS. Wonder where that went.........

Also heard a rumor that there was another Corolla getting around Japan with a 2AZ-FE, IRS, AWD and CVT gearbox.
 
WellsieTRD said:
I recall a litle while back Toyota were testing a Corolla powered by a 2GR-FE and IRS. Wonder where that went.........

Also heard a rumor that there was another Corolla getting around Japan with a 2AZ-FE, IRS, AWD and CVT gearbox.
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I've been hearing speculation that it'll be using the 3ZR-FAE instead. It makes nearly the same power as the 2AZ-FE, but is lighter and more fuel efficient. The engine is already available in the Voxy and Noah in Japan.
 
Dear toyota committee:
-Bring back the Toyota Celica , the one with 4WD!
-the MR2 is fine , still it could do with more power , 200bhp and the same weight will do the trick
-Oh and a new supra but without the hybrid thing!
-and why not a hot hatchback with 4WD to compete with the R32, S3 or 130i
 
GraemeH said:
I'd agree with that as long as they done it right;

1. Should be light, simple and cheap! No 8 airbags, no electric windows or mirrors, no sat-nav, deliver it for at most ?8000 with RWD with a solid engine with room for improvement, and you have a tinkerer/tuner/track racers dream, as well as something that's fun enough for normal people that are bored of samey hatch backs.
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They won't! You have to realise that to have any sort of volume to make money on a product like that they have to offer all these "goodies"

You can dream on about another AE-86.....it ain't gunna happen, tho if it does it will have all this extra "crap"

If Toyota does go all sporty, it will compromise their core business as building solid reliable un-inspiring bombs. If I was in management I'd know what I'd choose....

IceBone said:
But a committee designed the rx8, it's brilliant!
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And yet it aged style wise as fast as a safe accelerates dropped off a 40 story building ;) Look at it again, and it really does look terrible. The only reason you'd buy one is if you where a Rotor freak......even thats a bit iffy if you live in a place where you can purchase a later RX-7 cheaply...

triumph said:
Dear toyota committee:
-Bring back the Toyota Celica , the one with 4WD!
-the MR2 is fine , still it could do with more power , 200bhp and the same weight will do the trick
-Oh and a new supra but without the hybrid thing!
-and why not a hot hatchback with 4WD to compete with the R32, S3 or 130i
Click to expand...

The only one of those I can see as happening is the last one. Toyota have a pretty flakey reputation on Rally circles after getting busted for cheating with the Celica GT4 (air restrictors) so thats out....MR2 is dead and gone. The only way to show the public that Toyota "care" (sarcasm) is to make the Supra a Hybrid.


-------------------

Sorry guys deal with it.....:p;)
 
kaBOOMn said:
And yet it aged style wise as fast as a safe accelerates dropped off a 40 story building ;) Look at it again, and it really does look terrible. The only reason you'd buy one is if you where a Rotor freak......even thats a bit iffy if you live in a place where you can purchase a later RX-7 cheaply...
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9.8 m/s or 32.2 ft/s...the same as any other object dropped from any other height. So basically, the styling on the RX-8, according to you aged at the same rate as most other cars' styling.

So rather than convince me that the RX-8's styling is old, you've convinced me that you suck at physics.
 
kaBOOMn said:
They won't! You have to realise that to have any sort of volume to make money on a product like that they have to offer all these "goodies"

You can dream on about another AE-86.....it ain't gunna happen, tho if it does it will have all this extra "crap"

If Toyota does go all sporty, it will compromise their core business as building solid reliable un-inspiring bombs. If I was in management I'd know what I'd choose....
Click to expand...

There is no reason Toyota couldn't offer all those "goodies" as options. Considering it would allow them to offer a really low base price at that point, I don't see that being a bad thing.

All I would want in a new car is decent looks, comfortable seats, decent power and fuel economy, AC and a radio, and perhaps a side and front air bag.
 
Labcoatguy said:
All Toyota needs is to bring back its cheap RWD lineup again. Is that too hard to ask, expecting the answer yes?
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Ditto. Build a RWD Celica, and build a Supra as the upscale model of it. Idk, something like ST, GT, GTS, Supra. A RWD Corolla could be fun too, but I wouldn't expect anything like an AE86 (I also don't know why you'd want one :p ), not with all the electronic sensor airbag nanny crap that has to be on cars today.
 
tigger said:
A RWD Corolla could be fun too, but I wouldn't expect anything like an AE86 (I also don't know why you'd want one :p ), not with all the electronic sensor airbag nanny crap that has to be on cars today.
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Pffft, make it dirt cheap with the safety crap, and all tuners will have to do is just sell the extra crap they remove on eBay. Trickle-down economics baby!! :lol:
 
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