All-new Toyota 86 & Subaru BRZ confirmed

MANILA: Thanks to the fresh business and capital alliance, Toyota Motor Corporation and Subaru Corporation, two of the largest automobile manufacturers from Japan, will now be closer to each other than ever before and work in tandem in developing various vehicles and tech.

The news comes as a sigh of relief especially for the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ devotees as the automakers confirm the arrival of the next-generation models of both the performance-oriented sedans. Moreover, the partnership will not only help the two automakers in coming up with better cars but also pave the way for a longer and stronger partnership.

According to the new agreement, Toyota Motor Corporation will now hold 20% share or shall we say voting rights in Subaru from the previous 16.83%. Furthermore, Subaru Corporation will also procure more shares worth JPY 80 billion (~ Php 33.674 billion) in Toyota Motor Corporation.

"I, myself, am a rallyist, and, through my experience of training hard in an Impreza, I have felt in my veins the wonders of Subaru's AWD technologies. Meanwhile, we at Toyota have been going all out to hone our all-wheel-drive technologies by participating in the World Rally Championship, among other activities. Our companies, both of which have long pursued driving enjoyment, now want to pursue the possibilities of making ever-better cars suitable for the CASE era by bringing together our strengths and by further deepening our relationship", said Akio Toyoda, Toyota Motor Corporation president.

The new deal will allow Toyota and Subaru to work in conjunction in developing autonomous driving tech. In addition, it'll make use of the Toyota Hybrid System in cars apart from the Crosstrek (XV) Hybrid, enhance all-wheel-drive models, and make amends to the partnership to expand and strengthen it as and when required.

"This new step in our alliance with Toyota will lead to enhancing 'Enjoyment and Peace of Mind' that Subaru is committed to deliver; and I am confident that our customers will love what we offer through these efforts", said Nakamura, Subaru president.

As we mentioned in our previous story regarding the Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ, not much is known about the next-generation models of the performance-oriented coupes from Japan. However, the newer models may come housing the Ascent's 2.4-litre Boxer engine, albeit in a naturally-aspirated guise. We expect a preview of the all-new Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ in the form of a prototype or concept at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

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