If Toyota Were To Revive The MR2, It’d Rather Do It With Porsche

[cawimmer430]

If Toyota Were To Revive The MR2, It'd Rather Do It With Porsche

Could Toyota follow up the recent launch of the 2020 Supra with the resurrection of yet another iconic sports car from its stable?

For years, there have been reports that Toyota could revive the iconic MR2, but there has never been any type of confirmation from the company that it is indeed working on such a project.



However, Auto Industriya had the opportunity to ask Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada about the possibility of a modern-day MR2 and which automaker they would want to work with to make it happen.

"Porsche!", In response, Tada-san exclaimed. Which, we think, would really make the perfect partner for a mid-engined compact sports car.

The Japanese automaker famously partnered with Subaru to bring the 86 to life and then with BMW to make the fifth-gen Supra. As the market for sports cars has slowly declined in recent years, Toyota has shown that one way to still produce such vehicles is to collaborate with another car manufacturer to share research, development, and production costs. In theory, it could do just that with Porsche to create a new MR2.

Tada stopped short of saying anything more about a new MR2, but it did get us thinking. The previous model featured a mid-engined layout, and so do both the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. It would, therefore, make for an ideal match – but we don't know what Weissach thinks about that, so for now, that's all wishful thinking.



Link: https://www.carscoops.com/2019/08/if-toyota-were-to-revive-the-mr2-itd-rather-do-it-with-porsche/

[giant_mtb]

Make your own damn car.  It'll be better that way.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Make your own damn car.  It'll be better that way.

Yeah......

[SJ_GTI]

Working with Porsche seems like it would be too expensive for the market on this type of car, unless they wanted to position the MR2 above the Supra? But that seems backwards.

[12,000 RPM]

To me it would be much better for them to spend this money on making their sedans more fun. Corolla 2.0T + AWD + 6MT, Camry V6 with AWD + torque vectoring. I think that would yield better ROI and more enjoyment for a broader audience.

[NomisR]

Do fun cars actually sell though?

[12,000 RPM]

Fun sedans/hatchbacks sell more than sports cars.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Fun sedans/hatchbacks sell more than sports cars.

Waaaaaaaaat!? No wai!


Maybe that's because sports cars are made intentionally impractical. Give me a sports car wagon that gets 30+ MPG and doesn't cost $59929827 in maintenence every 7,000 miles.

[NomisR]

Fun sedans/hatchbacks sell more than sports cars.

Right, but practical cars sells more than fun cars.  Does making a car fun actually help it sell other than to enthusiasts?  It doesn't seem like car magazines are really worth much now a days.

[12,000 RPM]

Right, but practical cars sells more than fun cars.  Does making a car fun actually help it sell other than to enthusiasts?  It doesn't seem like car magazines are really worth much now a days.

Fun cars and practical cars aren't mutually exclusive. No it doesn't help to sell to other than enthusiasts but there are still enthusiasts and we still buy cars. The rising tide of car performance and dynamics has made sports cars a little redundant for many enthusiasts. Most people can only have 1 car.... makes no sense for most to put up with sports car life when a hot hatch or sports sedan provides ~90% of the fun (especially in the context of the daily grind) with 0% of the hassle

[Payman]

Make your own damn car.  It'll be better that way.

Yes, but the financials aren't there for a company to go it alone on a small niche sportscar.

[giant_mtb]

Yes, but the financials aren't there for a company to go it alone on a small niche sportscar.

A quick Googling suggests Toyota has about $53 billion cash on hand.

[NomisR]

Fun cars and practical cars aren't mutually exclusive. No it doesn't help to sell to other than enthusiasts but there are still enthusiasts and we still buy cars. The rising tide of car performance and dynamics has made sports cars a little redundant for many enthusiasts. Most people can only have 1 car.... makes no sense for most to put up with sports car life when a hot hatch or sports sedan provides ~90% of the fun (especially in the context of the daily grind) with 0% of the hassle

True.  I'm more thinking about the fact that majority of the drivers out there prefers comfortable, cushy and removes them from actual driving rather than engaging and loud.  They want a car that looks sporty and fun, but they don't really care about actually being sporty and fun.  We're more of an exception rather than the norm for drivers.  Most today, especially the younger generations treats cars as appliances. 

[12,000 RPM]

A quick Googling suggests Toyota has about $53 billion cash on hand.

Not only that, but Toyota has a whole library of parts and expertise to draw on.

I mean FFS, Lotus whole' lineup is built around the V6 in a Toyota Sienna minivan. However Lotus has also been on death's door for like 30 years

The more I think about it the more I feel like there are X sports car drivers and maybe 3-4X sports cars already on the road. I don't know that there's really a need for more

[r0tor]

The key of making a fun or sports car today is making it with practical limits at an affordable price  and having a bit of an attitude that stands out - see miata and pony cars.

The pool of people willing to break the speed limit in under 4 sec and spend $60k+ to do it just isn't there in large numbers. It's equally not there for something with 400hp and the sedatedness of a camcord.

[12,000 RPM]

Sports cars just can't succeed today. If you force people to choose between driving fun and practicality they will always choose practicality, especially since it's clear that you can have both.

The freeze breeze twins for example are amazing, but they are loud and impractical. I think those bones would still translate to big driving fun in a RWD sedan with more power and noise insulation and actually have a chance of selling

I feel like management and product planners at these companies are a little out of touch. They keep trying to recall the past instead of looking at what people actually want today. The Rustang, Supra, MR-2 etc were once new ideas that succeeded because they were what the market needed at that time.... it's a different time now

[r0tor]

The GT86 failed for the same reason as the RX8... Not enough power for spec sheet shoppers.  Just fine in the real world though for those that took the time to test drive them.

and I loathe spec sheet shoppers... Same bastards that made cell phones too f'in big

[12,000 RPM]

Naw... it does need a good 30HP/50lb-ft that 500cc would provide... and it's too loud for long commutes/trips

But the same could be said about a Mirage. The difference is a Mirage is practical. That's all it is. Same reason a WRX that costs the same. It's not a better driving car. But it's fun enough and way easier to live with

[Raza]

Make your own damn car.  It'll be better that way.

Car companies can't afford to make sporty cars unless they share costs through a JV anymore.  You want them to make their own car?  It'll be a plug-in RAV4.  Enjoy.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Car companies can't afford to make sporty cars unless they share costs through a JV anymore.  You want them to make their own car?  It'll be a plug-in RAV4.  Enjoy.

[12,000 RPM]

One day we will have an honest + judgment free discussion about why consumers have moved away from sports cars and coupes

[AutobahnSHO]

I think there are fine lines between those working stiffs who are juggling house payment, family, job, and life- and those who finally break out and can afford to buy the cars they've always wanted- and those who are getting old enough they value comfort and luxury over "fun".

Sports cars were always in the middle. And many of those (mostly men) are now drawn into the faux "manly" kingdom- big truck or Jeep, "mancave", and other things to be "cool". In the 70s it was cool to have a powerful muscle car, nowadays Bimmers are still looked at as "snobby" (same with Porsche or Ferrari), the American muscle cars are kinda meh, so there really isn't a ton of market for them.

Also take away the runaway financial success of the nation in the 1950s and 1960s, nowadays people have to deeply finance their toys and the younger generations are starting to shun that (and millenials aren't in love with driving anyway).

[12,000 RPM]

I have to push back on millennials not loving driving- we absolutely do; we generally just cannot afford new cars.

There seems to be something else at play though, but I can't understand what it is. For example my dad's first car was a 1982 Toyota Celica ST. A small RWD coupe in Brooklyn, NY for a family of 3. I have a single buddy w/no kids who just bought a Mazda CX-5 But he lives in CT and legitimately needs AWD + ground clearance.

So part of it might just be that people are making smarter car decisions in the context of their needs.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Could it also be people want one vehicle to do EVERYTHING!? Most Sports Cars will need a Support Vehicle (Especially if you live where it snows) and most people don't want the extra expense of a second car/truck.

[Payman]

All the above, plus you just can't speed anymore without massive fines, jail time, loss of license, and social media backlash.  It's no longer like the 70's-80's, where you could open up on a back road, or wind it out a bit on the highway where the worst case scenario was a small speeding ticket.

[FoMoJo]

All the above, plus you just can't speed anymore without massive fines, jail time, loss of license, and social media backlash.  It's no longer like the 70's-80's, where you could open up on a back road, or wind it out a bit on the highway where the worst case scenario was a small speeding ticket.

No redo of the golden era.  I'm glad I was around then.  Sports cars, to me, will always be lightweight roadsters with moderate power and perfect balance; and no nanny gizmos.  My '70 Alfa Spider was perfect, but my Mark II Tiger was a lot more fun.  With modern sports cars, the only way to really experience them is on a track and even then, you have to have real skill to push them to the limit.

[MX793]

I have a single buddy w/no kids who just bought a Mazda CX-5 But he lives in CT and legitimately needs AWD + ground clearance.

Bullshit.  Nobody in CT needs AWD or ground clearance to make it through winter.  It is snowier here than anywhere in CT by a factor of at least 2.  I've never had AWD.  Never owned a vehicle with significant ground clearance.  I've only even used snow tires for 3 out of 20 some odd seasons.

[SJ_GTI]

Bullshit.  Nobody in CT needs AWD or ground clearance to make it through winter.  It is snowier here than anywhere in CT by a factor of at least 2.  I've never had AWD.  Never owned a vehicle with significant ground clearance.  I've only even used snow tires for 3 out of 20 some odd seasons.

To be fair, if you're from NYC then living out in the boondocks of CT seems like it is basically the same as living in Alaska.   

[Eye of the Tiger]

Bullshit.  Nobody in CT needs AWD or ground clearance to make it through winter.  It is snowier here than anywhere in CT by a factor of at least 2.  I've never had AWD.  Never owned a vehicle with significant ground clearance.  I've only even used snow tires for 3 out of 20 some odd seasons.

You haven't seen where my mother lives in CT.

[CaminoRacer]

CUVs are faster and handle better than sports cars in the 70s. Back then you had to get a sports car if you wanted decent speed and handling. It was either a floaty boat or a 2 door sports car/coupe. Now you can have your cake and eat it too.