When Toyota had balls.......
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,285
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From: A better place
Rumors are rumors, I will believe it when I see it. I'll be shocked if the FT-86 is branded as a Scion. The FT-86 concept is marketed as a Toyota. In Gran Turismo 5, the concept is a Toyota brand car.
Akio Toyoda has stated repeatedly that he is committed to change Toyota's image for the better and to bring more fun and sporty products to the lineup. IMHO Mr. Toyoda definitely wants the FT-86 to be branded as a Toyota worldwide, including in the US, and not as a Scion.
Akio Toyoda has stated repeatedly that he is committed to change Toyota's image for the better and to bring more fun and sporty products to the lineup. IMHO Mr. Toyoda definitely wants the FT-86 to be branded as a Toyota worldwide, including in the US, and not as a Scion.
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Toyota is not alone, with the exception of a handful of "performance" models (halo cars), most manufacturers have opted for building "appliances" that they can sell in volume. Look at the manufacturers that went broke producing high-end performance machines: Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston-Martin, and Lamborghini - most of which were gobbled up by larger companies seeking a halo marque, or have jacked the MSRP of their exotics into the stratosphere enabling them to survive on the sale of a few hundred examples per year. Porsche, Lancia, and Alfa are desperately seeking a sub $50K car they can sell to the masses that won't tarnish their upscale ultra-performance image without creating a sub-brand.
Maybe Ford has it right. The current Mustang coupe with a powerful 3.7L V6, 6-MT, Performance Package with a number of functional go-fast goodies, including springs, strut tower braces, brakes, and decent rubber, goes out the door for just a tick over $25K locally. There is a practical, well equipped car with a nice turn of performance for a reasonable price. The big plus here is that it is within reach of the masses, putting Ford solidly in line for some nice sales numbers. No, it's not a Supra, but it's no Camry either. Toyota, take note.
Maybe Ford has it right. The current Mustang coupe with a powerful 3.7L V6, 6-MT, Performance Package with a number of functional go-fast goodies, including springs, strut tower braces, brakes, and decent rubber, goes out the door for just a tick over $25K locally. There is a practical, well equipped car with a nice turn of performance for a reasonable price. The big plus here is that it is within reach of the masses, putting Ford solidly in line for some nice sales numbers. No, it's not a Supra, but it's no Camry either. Toyota, take note.
Yeah, they already have the tC. Makes no sense.
Lexus Connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,851
Likes: 583
From: USA
You can re-write the Constitution, the bottom line is you cannot sit here and talk about how bad Toyota is and on the other hand say how great Acura is. They both lack complete nuts.
I clearly state Toyota is complete blah for a mainstream compnay and Acura is complete blah for a luxury brand company. Toyota has no sports cars, Acura has no coupes and no V-8s and remains mostly FWD. Ironically, Toyota has V-8s and pretty much everything an Acura does.
Don't call out Toyota unless you call out Acura.
I clearly state Toyota is complete blah for a mainstream compnay and Acura is complete blah for a luxury brand company. Toyota has no sports cars, Acura has no coupes and no V-8s and remains mostly FWD. Ironically, Toyota has V-8s and pretty much everything an Acura does.
Don't call out Toyota unless you call out Acura.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,378
Likes: 1
From: CA
Lexus is mostly boring also with the exception of the LFA and you can say IS-F but IMO they need to make a manual version of it.
lexus is mostly boring now, but that's why i said they are heading the right direction with lfa and isf, and i am pretty sure more to come
I miss the good old days when Toyota didn't suck and made REAL cars. I honestly don't think they'll come out with a serious sports car unless Honda comes out with something that sells well. They also Need to make a new Lexus SC.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,285
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From: A better place
Wouldn't the FT-86 count as a "serious" sports car, or do you mean something more along the lines of a Supra replacement?
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It says Toyota.
Shall I post pics of lovely unsporting 3 door 1 series cars and 150hp 5 series sedans with plump 60 series tires? Or maybe that 80% of 1 series drivers think their cars are FWD?
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,378
Likes: 1
From: CA
"but seems like lexus is heading in the right direction, i can only pray"
I didn't post anything comparing BMW. But if you want to, the steering feel makes their cars feel much more sporty than their "disconnected" counterparts. Not to mention most of those low hp cars come in manual.
Pole Position
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 270
Likes: 0
From: PA
For those that want the Supra back, well I'm guessing that nothing short of a GT-R contender will do. And to this I say: don't hold your breath! It would have to be priced out of the Toyota line-up, and moved into the Lexus stable. Lexus already has a halo car in the LF-A, so it's kind of a moot point at the moment. Would be nice, but don't see this happening.
Now a "sport-oriented" car, on the other hand, would be IMHO, much more realistic. The Celica had this nailed down. Fun to drive, competent performance, usable as a daily driver, relatively economical, and a price point that made it affordable for the majority of car buyers. And there were trim levels, and performance packages that gave it a broad appeal. Your sister could buy a base model, and have a 'cute' sportscar, and you could buy a GTS, and go auto-x'ing or do track days. If Toyota plays it's hand right, the FT-86 could be just that.
THIS is what is truly missing from Toyota's line-up. A sporty platform that can pull double duty, that people actually want and can afford. This is what made the Japanese classics of the late 80's and early 90's so successful. It wasn't high HP monsters, it was affordable daily-drivers that were extraordinary cars to drive. Everyone was happy - the enthusiasts had affordable fun, the general public had reliable cars, and the corporate bean counters saw profits - all from the same basic platforms.
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Toyota and Lexus are pretty synonymous to me. Why does everything need to be BMW vs Lexus here? Don't pick on me for saying Lexus, I was replying to Rominl who mentioned them first.
"but seems like lexus is heading in the right direction, i can only pray"
I didn't post anything comparing BMW. But if you want to, the steering feel makes their cars feel much more sporty than their "disconnected" counterparts. Not to mention most of those low hp cars come in manual.
"but seems like lexus is heading in the right direction, i can only pray"
I didn't post anything comparing BMW. But if you want to, the steering feel makes their cars feel much more sporty than their "disconnected" counterparts. Not to mention most of those low hp cars come in manual.
Rumors are rumors, I will believe it when I see it. I'll be shocked if the FT-86 is branded as a Scion. The FT-86 concept is marketed as a Toyota. In Gran Turismo 5, the concept is a Toyota brand car.
Akio Toyoda has stated repeatedly that he is committed to change Toyota's image for the better and to bring more fun and sporty products to the lineup. IMHO Mr. Toyoda definitely wants the FT-86 to be branded as a Toyota worldwide, including in the US, and not as a Scion.
Akio Toyoda has stated repeatedly that he is committed to change Toyota's image for the better and to bring more fun and sporty products to the lineup. IMHO Mr. Toyoda definitely wants the FT-86 to be branded as a Toyota worldwide, including in the US, and not as a Scion.
Or we might a 2 door Avalon
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