Recently it emerged that Toyota and BMW had agreed upon a platform they would use for their upcoming joint sports cars. Now additional information about the two sports cars have been released and if true, they point towards a very exciting couple of years from the duo!
First off, it is speculated that both cars will be front-engined and rear wheel drive. No surprises there. It is also being suggested that both cars could utilise a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine courtesy of BMW currently used in the M235i and soon, the BMW M2. In addition to this engine, entry-level variants may be offered with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
To help keep weight down, BMW will draw on its experience with carbon fiber from the new i3 and i8 and incorporate the lightweight material with aluminium. A 50:50 weight distribution across the two axles is reportedly in sight with a very low profile and low seating position both expected.
Interestingly, much of the work according to these rumours comes from BMW. So what exactly is Toyota bringing to the table? Well apart from their wealth of experience making small sports cars, a hybrid version of either of both cars doesn’t seem out the question.
Currently, it is believed that both could hit dealerships in early 2017 with the Toyota costing jus under the 35,000 euro mark while the BMW could be up to 10,000 euro more.
[Via Autozeitung]
