Miata sized Toyota Sports Car in development

[Tornado]

He said a successful international rally car and a Lotus sucked and were slow. I suspect the extent of his thought on the matter started and stopped with the drive wheels, to the extent that if Slip had posted 3 RWD cars I6lexus wouldn't have actually known.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

My B16a powered EJ1 Civic (170+hp @ 2300lbs) was arguably more fun than my Porsche Boxster. A fast front wheel drive car is an intense, physical driving experience.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

All suck and are slow, i said sports car not super slow cars.

Enlightening. I look forward to the follow-up post explaining how cars regularly referred to as some of the best-handling and most entertaining cars of their eras (full stop, no qualifiers) by numerous professionals are in fact the opposite.

Don't forget to liberally sprinkle the terms "wrong-wheel drive" and "sheeple" in there.

 

[bremics]

Enlightening. I look forward to the follow-up post explaining how cars regularly referred to as some of the best-handling and most entertaining cars of their eras (full stop, no qualifiers) by numerous professionals are in fact the opposite.

Don't forget to liberally sprinkle the terms "wrong-wheel drive" and "sheeple" in there.

I prefer "poor-wheel drive" myself.

 

[Switcher]

All suck and are slow, i said sports car not super slow cars.

You must be fun at track days.

 

[VXR]

The I6 Lexus, that pinnacle of E36 aping me-too-ism or its follow up, the 16 foot of existence that didn't really rival anything? Oh that was a Vee wasn't it?

 

[CSMDuty11]

All suck and are slow, i said sports car not super slow cars.

I'll do you one better.

 

[mustafur]

I'll do you one better.

Your kind of proving his point lol.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Your kind of proving his point lol.

Not really.

 

[mustafur]

Not really.

Take a joke.

 

[I6sexus]

You must be fun at track days.

Last one i was at had a bunch of Supras Bmimmers 911s Scubis and Lambos running.

Do you mean those parking lot with cones events ?

I'll do you one better.

Nice pr stunt.

Enlightening. I look forward to the follow-up post explaining how cars regularly referred to as some of the best-handling and most entertaining cars of their eras (full stop, no qualifiers) by numerous professionals are in fact the opposite.

Don't forget to liberally sprinkle the terms "wrong-wheel drive" and "sheeple" in there.

one day you may experience a real sports car and you will understand.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Do you mean those parking lot with cones events ?

You mean autocross which is infinitely harder than driving on a track?

Nice pr stunt.

 

[ImaRobot]

one day you may experience a real sports car and you will understand.

One day you will learn that outright power and speed is just one of the things that make a car a sports car.

 

[Switcher]

one day you may experience a real sports car and you will understand.

Define "real sports car," please, because as far as I'm seeing this your tunnel vision game is going pretty strong right now.

 

[Grandea GTR]

one day you may experience a real sports car and you will understand.

A real sports car doesn't need power to be a real sports car.

Case in point, the Lotus Elise.

It has a Corolla Engine.

 

[catamount39]

A real sports car doesn't need power to be a real sports car.

Case in point, the Lotus Elise.

It has a Corolla Engine.

Because it weighs as much as a twig. Ergo, power/weight ratio.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Because it weighs as much as a twig. Ergo, power/weight ratio.

That's kind of the point I'm going across. A car that doesn't have the greatest power can handle like a rat on steroids and will still be considered a real sports car, like a BRZ or 86.

 

[Aki Ko]

one day you may experience a real sports car and you will understand.

Define a real sports car. What makes a car "sporty" in the first place?

 

[catamount39]

That's kind of the point I'm going across. A car that doesn't have the greatest power can handle like a rat on steroids and will still be considered a real sports car, like a BRZ or 86.

Right and your bang on. It's the performance that matters. Sports car is a broad term. Though in my mind the only real requirement for a sports car is that it be RWD or 4WD. Not set in stone just a preference. But I digress, as long as it's a 2 door coupe, fun to drive (read as not sluggish) car, it is a sports car.

 

[Taegon Lewis]

Ok, this tread is going off-topic now. My opinion of Toyota's new Miata-rivaling sports car is that, maybe they will bring back the Sports 800, inspired by the SF-R concept. Price: (probably, around $25,000 or lower than the Miata)

 

[bremics]

Ok, this tread is going off-topic now. My opinion of Toyota's new Miata-rivaling sports car is that, maybe they will bring back the Sports 800, inspired by the SF-R concept. Price: (probably, around $25,000 or lower than the Miata)

I thought they already said they planned to make the SF-R and have it starting at under $15?

 

[Taegon Lewis]

I thought they already said they planned to make the SF-R and have it starting at under $15?

It was my own guess, because of it's size, the SF-R would go around the Miata's price range. But, lower, like a compact sedan.

 

[bremics]

It was my own guess, because of it's size, the SF-R would go around the Miata's price range. But, lower, like a compact sedan.

Toyota S-FR II to be shown Tokyo auto show

In an attempt to show that Toyota means business with its effort to create a stronger sports-car range—one that encompasses small, medium and large sports cars—Japan’s number-one automaker also will unveil a purist coupe called the S-FR II concept, an evolution of the concept seen at the 2015 Tokyo auto show. With its huge grille, funky proportions, and short overhangs, the tiny rear-wheel-drive coupe will slot in at the bottom of Toyota’s sports-car lineup. It’s powered by a 116-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine or a 130-hp naturally aspirated 1.5-liter inline-four, with both versions expected to be offered with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Toyota’s “Mr. 86,” Tetsuya Tada, father of the Scion FR-S (now the Toyota 86), has been tasked with bringing the S-FR to global markets at a starting price under $15,000—and, yes, that potentially could include the United States.

Car and Driver

Wouldn't make sense for Toyota to have to sports cars at identical price points IMHO.

 

[Taegon Lewis]

Wouldn't make sense for Toyota to have to sports cars at identical price points IMHO.

Yeah, you're right... The SF-R does deserve to have a specific price point, instead of Toyota copying another company's model price.

 

[niky]

one day you may experience a real sports car and you will understand.

Having experienced dozens of real sports cars/sedans and even a handful of supercars... on track... no, I really don't.

There's a thrilling abandon to flinging a mildly warm or hot hatch at a twisty mountain road that you can't match in a bigger, heavier, twitchier rear wheel drive sports car. While I do enjoy occasionally sliding around like a loon on track in a six hundred horsepower rear-driver, you can't really utilize that performance in the real world like you can with a good hot hatch.

-

On topic, slightly, I'm digging the S-FR, and I hope that they do bring that thing to market. Hopefully with an eye to keeping weight to under a ton.

We could use another nimble little runabout on the market. The MX-5 is the bomb (despite the steering) but the packaging issues limit its appeal. Something like the S-FR would be an easier sell, though I do hope they include a naturally aspirated motor.

Given that Toyota has a deal with Mazda for the 2, I wouldn't be unhappy with the S-FR getting the 1.5 from the MX-5. (Finally got a go in one at Hiroshima... now I understand why the UK folk are raving about it. Fantastically peppy little thing).

The more the merrier.

 

[GTboyz]

one day you may experience a real sports car and you will understand.

Right back at you.

 

[VXR]

@niky I hear the 1.5 is the keener to rev out of the two engines, is that your experience? Love the idea of the lesser engine being the sweeter drive. Revving is fun, it's certainly making my time with the Swift Sport a lot more special than a modern turbo four would've.

 

[niky]

@niky I hear the 1.5 is the keener to rev out of the two engines, is that your experience? Love the idea of the lesser engine being the sweeter drive. Revving is fun, it's certainly making my time with the Swift Sport a lot more special than a modern turbo four would've.

It does feel like it, though I only got to drive the automatic. Had the same observation in the Mazda 3. The less potent 1.5 has more instant pickup and feels sprightlier at low revs than the 2.0.

 

[homeforsummer]

It does feel like it, though I only got to drive the automatic. Had the same observation in the Mazda 3. The less potent 1.5 has more instant pickup and feels sprightlier at low revs than the 2.0.

Has to actually be the one from the MX-5 though. After that, the one in the Mazda 2 feels a little flat.

Not sure they'd use it though - Toyota has its own 1.5-litre four-pot, in the refreshed Yaris. With a bit of tweaking that'd probably work quite nicely too.

 

[I6sexus]

Right back at you.

i used daily it.

Iv ran my Supra with no aids at all, no rev limit no speed limit at tracks.

While I do enjoy occasionally sliding around like a loon on track in a six hundred horsepower rear-driver, you can't really utilize that performance in the real world like you can with a good hot hatch.


The more the merrier.

Sure you can if you have the ability, seems to me many like the fwd cause their skills are not up to snuff of a powerful rwd. You can get all loony and its as fun as anything you can name but that same car can be handled and pushed to its limits and achieve great performance.

To be fair i learned to control rwd's in a few brutal winters at the start of my driving life. I may have a different perspective them most. 90% of my life i drove rwd, and hate the hell out of my xdrive. Will be trading it in this year even though i will lose 6/7k on taxes. But happiness > money.