The companies have been collaborating on a new platform that could underpin new models from both brands, however Toyota now cautions that it has made no final decision on whether to move forward with the project beyond a design study.
“The whole study before that, on what kind of platform, on what kind of architecture, that’s been progressing quite well,” a spokesperson told Reuters. “We haven’t yet decided to give the green light to the project, but it’s coming up.”
A broad range of rumors have focused on what each company might build upon the jointly-developed platform. BMW is widely believed to be working on a next-generation Z4, which could borrow design cues from the 3.0 CSL Hommage R concept. Toyota, meanwhile, could stretch the wheelbase for a revived Supra, or offer an entirely new model to slot above the GT86 ( Scion FR-S) and take styling inspiration from the FT-1 concepts (pictured) that appeared last year.
The platform is rumored to be powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder engine with a hybrid all-wheel-drive system, delivering a combined output of over 400 horsepower. Such a proposition likely won’t come cheap, and unconfirmed reports suggest the production cars would likely cost at least $60,000 and potentially approach the six-figure threshold.
Both companies may be discouraged from investing too much on the roadster and small sports car segments, both of which have continued to slowly contract in recent years. Sales of the current Z4 are down by more than nine percent for the year, while FR-S deliveries have declined by approximately 24 percent during the same period.
The Japanese and German automakers still plan to partner on several different technologies, including composite materials and hydrogen fuel cells, even if the sports-car plans fall through.
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