Expect Hybrid-Assisted Power, Different Sheetmetal, Tokyo Show Concept Debut

A source close to Toyota tells us that by the time of the official announcement in January, the two companies had already conducted feasibility studies and development was well underway.

"When BMW announced in December 2011 that it would supply a new clean diesel engine to Toyota, the jointly developed sports car project had already begun," says our insider. The person who green-lighted this project? You guessed it: Toyoda, the same exec responsible for green-lighting the Lexus LFA and Toyota 86/Scion FR-S. The man loves his sports cars.

We also hear the engineer charged with spearheading this new coupe is none other than 86/FR-S chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. According to our sources, Tada has already visited BMW multiple times in the past year or so. He said in a March interview on Toyota's official U.K. blog that he was planning to head to Munich after the 2013 Geneva Motor Show to sit down with BMW execs over some beer and bratwurst.

"I am hoping for a synergy effect with BMW that will result in a product that none of us could have imagined; something more than anyone expects. I would like that to be something like a sports car," Tada said in the interview. "I would even go so far as to say that for the collaboration to work we have to bring a product which exceeds all these expectations."

We don't expect the BMW-Toyota sports car to use the 2.0-liter flat-four found in the 86/FR-S (and their Subaru BRZ sibling). A BMW I-4 engine is more likely (though a Toyota-sourced I-4 is possible) and would necessitate significant modifications to the 86/FR-S platform expected to underpin the car -- a task that would fall to BMW. The platform would also likely have to be stretched to bring it into the midsize category. There's an outside chance a BMW platform is being used, but given Tada's extensive involvement in the project, it's a long shot.

Naturally aspirated, supercharged, and turbocharged versions are reportedly being considered, but atmospheric induction is the most likely because it probably will be paired with electric motors. Our source tells us Toyota has been working on an all-wheel-drive 86 equipped with front in-wheel motors and that this setup could make it into the new BMW-Toyota sports car. Additionally, we hear the BMW and Toyota products will have significantly different sheetmetal, unlike the 86/FR-S/BRZ. A speculative artist rendering of what the Toyota version could look like is depicted here. A concept (or concepts) is expected to be shown later this year at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The 86 took two years to go from concept to production, but with the basic platform already finished, the time to market for this BMW-Toyota sports car could be shorter.

Earlier this year, BMW and Toyota announced they will jointly develop a midsize sports car. The move is part of the partnership initiated by the two companies in late 2011, which also includes the joint development of diesels, fuel cells and the latest lithium battery and hybrid technology.

Of course, most car enthusiasts are more interested in the sports car project, which will fill empty spaces in both Toyota’s and BMW’s ranges. For Toyota, this could mean the return of the Supra, while for BMW it could be a standalone coupe (8-Series or i6) positioned in a different segment (both in terms of dimensions and concept) than the 4-Series and the upcoming i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

According to a report from Motor Trend magazine, at the time of the announcement in January, BMW and Toyota had already conducted feasibility studies and development was well underway. "When BMW announced in December 2011 that it would supply a new clean diesel engine to Toyota, the jointly developed sports car project had already begun," an unnamed source told the magazine.

The project was green-lighted by Toyota’s boss Akio Toyoda, who also signed off the Lexus LFA and Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S.

The report says the engineer leading the project is Tetsuya Tada, who was also chief engineer for the GT86/FR-S. He has reportedly visited BMW multiple times in the past year. The BMW-Toyota sports-car could be powered by a BMW-sourced inline-four engine and would sit on a stretched GT86/FR-S/BRZ platform, which will be modified by the German carmaker.

The magazine reported that the two automakers are considering naturally aspirated, supercharged and turbocharged version, but atmospheric induction is the most likely because it probably will be paired with electric motors.

The same source told Motor Trend that Toyota has been working on an all-wheel drive GT86 with front in-wheel motors, a setup that could make it into the new BMW-Toyota sports car. Unlike the GT86/FR-S/BRZ project, the BMW and Toyota products will have significantly different bodies. A concept previewing the sports car is expected to be shown later this year at the Tokyo Motor Show.

In late 2011, BMW and Toyota signed a memorandum of understanding for collaboration on a number of projects ranging from the development of a new sports car platform to research into next-generation battery technology and even hydrogen fuel cell powertrains. Of most interest to performance car fans is the sports car platform, which last we heard would be for a mid-size sports car that leveraged the best technology and knowledge of each automaker.

This led to speculation that the new sports car platform would be used to develop a Supra-like model for Toyota and a next-generation Z4 for BMW. However, a new report suggests the platform will spawn a car positioned much higher.

Following the conclusion of a feasibility study, BMW and Toyota have reportedly decided on their first joint venture: a high-end coupe for Lexus packing hybrid technology. The information was reported by Motoring, citing a source close to both automakers.

The car will reportedly fill the halo role for Lexus now that the LFA has bowed out of the market, but will cost less than half that of the cost of the LFA, suggesting a final sticker of around $150k. This suggests the high-end coupe will be the production version of 2012’s LF-LC concept, which was also a hybrid and said to be production-bound.

Part of the reason for Toyota’s desire to hook up with BMW is the need to get the car to market soon. The LFA’s gestation period lasted almost 10 years, causing much of its technology to be outdated by the time it finally hit showrooms.

What parts of the car will be from Toyota and what will come from BMW is yet to be determined. The chassis and hybrid drivetrain is likely to come from Toyota, leveraging knowledge gained from the ultra-expensive LFA project. BMW, meanwhile, is likely to work on the suspension and fine-tuning of the handling. It's not clear if BMW will launch its own car based on the platform, though it's more likely the German automaker will simply utilize some of the technology.

Expect the new Lexus coupe to ride on a lightweight aluminum chassis, feature a carbon fiber body and have around 500 horsepower on tap. The LF-LC concept was said to be packing more than 500 horsepower from an unspecified hybrid drivetrain.

Unfortunately, a launch date is likely to be years away still. In the meantime, anyone looking for a sexy Lexus coupe will have to be satisfied by the all-new 2015 RC.

Stay tuned for an update.

Lexus LFA to be totally rethought and hybridized as part of BMW-Toyota joint venture
It's been nearly two years since Toyota and BMW announced an agreement to co-develop sports cars using state-of-the-art hybrid technologies, and now a source close to the two companies says the pair has decided on its first joint-venture.

Sorry folks, but it won't be anything like a souped-up Toyota 86. No siree.

In all their wisdom, executives citing the high cost of developing a high-performance sports car with lightweight materials have opted for a $300,000-plus Lexus LFA-style package, but with a hybrid twist.

This new two-door flagship will pick up where the LFA left off, or should we say, where the LFA never went. The LFA spent far too long on the development table (nearly 10 years) with its naturally aspirated V10 engine, while many other car-makers were fitting hybrid and electric powertrains in their high-performance models.

Interestingly, Toyota was the first to commercialise hybrids with the original Prius in 1997, but it took many more years for it to apply that technology to V8s. Ironically, therefore, Toyota is now playing catch-up in the hybrid hyper-car segment.

Supercar makers are more conscious of CO2 emissions than ever before while at the same time delivering more power and performance, and powertrain electrification is the key to realising these opposing goals in the same vehicle.

Take for example the electrically assisted Ferrari La Ferrari and McLaren P1, for example, or the purely battery-powered Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive – the most powerful AMG ever made.

Porsche has its Panamera plug-in hybrid too, as well as the million-dollar 918 Spyder super-hybrid that recently set a new production car lap record at the Nurburgring of 6:57.

We weren't surprised when, during a recent trip to Toyota's proving ground near Mt Fuji, we saw a BMW i8 plug-in hybrid super-coupe sitting in the carpark. Our source tells us that in addition to emissions trials, Toyota is conducting durability testing of the i8's carbon-fibre frame in relation to the pair's jointly developed sports car.

So the obvious question is what will each company bring to the R&D table in this challenging collaboration? It goes without saying that Toyota will supply its hybrid technology, having already experimented with high-performance hybrid powertrains for the V8-powered Lexus LS 600h.

The Japanese car-maker can also offer more than a decade of carbon-fibre body and chassis lessons learned from the LFA, which also benefits from V10 engine expertise.

Toyota spent billions developing the LFA and its V10, just 500 examples of which were produced, so Toyota wants to leverage that technology to recoup some of those costs.

BMW, on the other hand, is an engine-producing powerhouse that may no longer have a V10 in its range, but the M5's 412kW 4.4-litre turbo V8 develops the same amount of power as the LFA's 4.8-litre V10 while consuming far less fuel and emitting less CO2.

So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduct that a BMW 4.4-litre turbo V8 married to a Toyota hybrid system may be the best powertrain solution for a joint-venture sportster.

Less clear are the origins of the co-developed supercar's chassis. Toyota has carbon-fibre expertise from its LFA journey, while BMW has perfected carbon-fibre reinforced plastic production on a mass scale, as evidenced by the launch of the i3.

There are other questions too, such as how the powertrain will transfer its performance to the road, and how good it will look doing it.

While BMW has a reputation for building "the ultimate driving machine" and its own brand of unique design, Toyota – through Lexus – must up its game in the sheetmetal department and perhaps borrow some on-road mastery from BMW in order to deliver a supercar that handles like a $300,000 car should.