The Future Automotive Thread

[WILDACEX187]

though the engine that will be used on the gt-4 is legal here in the US i doubt they'll bring it over. toyota is VERY conservative, specially here in the states

[exitspeed]

Originally Posted by Kn1ves

So the real news is, Subaru is making a 2 door version of its STI and badging it as a Toyota.

22B revival?

Actually Subaru will have their own model and Toyota will have it's model.

[Dutchmalmiss]

Originally Posted by Kn1ves

22B revival?

Good god. If that ever happens, I'd pee myself just a little every time I'd see one.

[exitspeed]

More rumblings from the General regarding the new "baby Caddy".



Cadillac knows its future lies in small cars, especially if it wants to be considered a global player, but for now officials are being coy about what they have in store. What we do know is that Cadillac will be replacing the poor selling BLS range with a new model around 2010. This won’t be the new RWD baby Caddy that’s been hyped in recent months but will instead be a low cost model based on GM’s Epsilon II architecture, and could potentially be built in the U.S. or Mexico. Unlike the current Europe-only model, the next-gen version will be a global model according to GM product czar Bob Lutz.

Following the launch of the new BLS will be the Mexican-built BRX midsized crossover also due in 2010 as well as the replacement for the STS. One year later will see the launch of the larger SRX crossover and next-gen Escalade SUV. Officials are doubtful of a replacement for the XLR luxury sports convertible but the option hasn’t been ruled out.

The car on everybody’s lips, however, is the new Alpha-based Cadillac 1-series rival. Likely to be called the ‘ATS,’ the entry-level Cadillac is scheduled to arrive in late 2011 and will feature a RWD powertrain developed by Holden. The platform was first displayed in the Torana Concept (pictured) by the Aussie division back in 2004. Speaking with GoAuto, Bob Lutz described the car as being “about the size of a BMW 1 Series – maybe just a tiny bit bigger to enable larger wheels.” He was also quick to note that design work and engineering are still in the early stages as developers are waiting to see how the new CAFE standards pan out.

[98s14inaz]

Originally Posted by OptionZero

yes, an internet car forum for the owners of used decade old cars is going to motivate a major car company

if u want nissan to build a RWD entry level coupe, buy lots of Kaburas and Soltice coupes

money talks, especially when its going to the competition

I was just thinking that and you took the words right off my keyboard. Money talks, give it to the competition and it will get their attention.

[ByeByeSti]

damn, new cars are getting so complex compared to our fairly simple s-chassis. but that "silvia" looks pretty badass, they even kept the front end style with the brick style headlights almost the same. compared with the gtr where it loooks like a cracked out 350z and celica

[exitspeed]

Originally Posted by 98s14inaz

I was just thinking that and you took the words right off my keyboard. Money talks, give it to the competition and it will get their attention.

Pssst, to both you and OptionZero...the BMW One Series is selling out. Shhhhhh, don't tell anyone.

It's happening folks. They're coming. Be patient.

[soreballz]

Originally Posted by Kn1ves

So the real news is, Subaru is making a 2 door version of its STI and badging it as a Toyota.

22B revival?

Basically.
I've been praying for this sort of thing ever since I heard about Toyota buying out the controlling stake of Fuji Heavy a few years back. Now, let's just all hope that Toyota doesn't find a way to fuck this up...

[OptionZero]

Originally Posted by exitspeed

Pssst, to both you and OptionZero...the BMW One Series is selling out. Shhhhhh, don't tell anyone.

It's happening folks. They're coming. Be patient.

So as predicted, Nissan isn't going to set the market by releasing a "neo Silvia" and forcing Toyota + World to respond.

They've let BMW, in this case, set the market and following up on that market?

I don't know that the BMW is the same market anyways. You buy a 1-series because you want that BMW badge to justify being a deuschebag. The natural corollary is that you don't think a Nissan badge is worth $30k...

[OMGYO]

Originally Posted by Tops*

The Concept Genesis Coupe is......an IS350 with 350Z tail lights.

Hyundai...what bitches.

i think that is tyte...i mean...is350 ias a sick front end...and the 350z has a sick arse back end...
if i had the money...i think i would build an is350z lol

[Taniguchi_Is_#1]

Originally Posted by exitspeed

That's a good idea. But I wonder if they can produce that chassis cheap enough to put it into a $25k car?

Last I heard, Subby and Toyota were in cahoots and making a new RWD chassis for this car as well as Subby's version.

yeah, i guess that's the real question. theoretically, they could be like nissan and underpin everything with an FM chassis derivative and stick a VQ derivative in it and make money, but they've never been much into doing that. i'm not sure how toyota and subaru could play nice with the same chassis, though. it's kinda like the matrix vs. vibe here in the US. i'm wondering if the car would be sold in the home market, though. it makes for an interesting showdown..... like an evo vs. sti battle, except that the evo and sti are the same car now. haha. i imagine that if they made these cars, they wouldn't both end up in WRC and i'm not sure how subaru would like that.

[WILDACEX187]

according to best motoring the sti out everything the new evo, but i see your point

[02BRB20]

the BMW 1 series is going to be the new MB C280.

Poor people will eat it up bc theyll lease the shit out of it.

[SimpleS14]

I can see the "baby caddy" happening and sold as the replacement for the BLS...which can share its platform with Holden and Saab.

Now if Toyota and Subby will have their own variant of a car....does that mean the Subby will be AWD?! Also, can't the current Scion tC be redesigned as a RWD car?

[exitspeed]

Originally Posted by OptionZero

They've let BMW, in this case, set the market and following up on that market?

I don't know that the BMW is the same market anyways. You buy a 1-series because you want that BMW badge to justify being a deuschebag. The natural corollary is that you don't think a Nissan badge is worth $30k...

It's the same segment, just the luxury upmarket version. The fact that it's selling so well already, just makes it a better case for Nissan and Toyota to produce a lower end competitor.

Originally Posted by WILDACEX187

according to best motoring the sti out everything the new evo, but i see your point

It's funny, how things differ on different shores. C&D, and other mags are easily handing trophy's over to the Evo.

Originally Posted by SimpleS14

Now if Toyota and Subby will have their own variant of a car....does that mean the Subby will be AWD?!

Yea, they are saying the Celica version will be RWD and AWD. The Subby will be AWD only to slightly differentiate itself from it's Yota cousin.

Originally Posted by SimpleS14

Also, can't the current Scion tC be redesigned as a RWD car?

Well it Toyota sticks with their plan with Scion, the TC won't exist in a couple more years. They said they plan to release new models in place of old models every few years. The reason they haven't replaced the TC quit yet is because it's been such a great seller.

But, no I don't think they'll replace the FWD formula. I think they'll add a model to the lineup. They have plenty of space to grow the line.

[Yuri]

The biggest problem with the 1-series is that in the States, BMW is viewed as a luxury brand.
This means that many enthusiests who were looking forward to buying a reincarnation of the 2002 got left out in the cold, while the car they really want is sold in europe.
Over there you can leave off a bunch of stuff that comes standard on the US version, buying a 135i with manual everything and a cloth interior.
Over here, you can only buy a; a high content medium performance model, or b; a high content high performance model.

This is leaving a gap open in the market for someone like Hyundai with the Genesis coupe to swoop in and grab everyone that wanted a low-content high-performance 1-series, i.e. those people who weren't buying a BMW based solely on the cache of the brand name.

Imo, BMW has really been messing up lately, compared to how they've conducted business in the past.

[exitspeed]

More speculation. Mazda Miata COUPE may be coming to the states!


here are a handful of vehicles that we've been forced to do without here in the States, but the one that hurts just a little bit more than the rest is the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe. Back in 2003, Mazda manufactured a handful of the hardtop MX-5s based on the last generation NB platform and kept them on the shores of automaker's homeland. For those of us not particularly partial to convertibles, it was manna from the automotive Gods and we've been praying for years that Mazda would finally see the light and offer a fixed roof variant of the MX-5 in the U.S.

According to Japan's Best Car, Mazda might be considering a comeback based on the current generation (NC) platform, as shown in the rendering above. While it might only be informed speculation on Best Car's part, they maintain that a launch of the coupe could come as early as 2010, which is right before the MX-5 is due for another refresh. It would be a fitting send off for the current car and would finally give those of us who crave a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive coupe a viable alternative to the more expensive offerings from other automakers.

[kingkilburn]

Wasn't there a coupe version of the miata in the early 90s? The mx-9 or something like that.

[soreballz]

^^MX-3, MX-5, MX-6... Only one was a Miata.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by kingkilburn

Wasn't there a coupe version of the miata in the early 90s? The mx-9 or something like that.

You're thinking of the MX-7, It was based off the Miata wagon.
It had a 4 cylinder/rotary motor, with a rotor situated between each cylinder.
The exhaust had auxillary dump into the intake manifold to pressurize it like turbocharging without losing efficiency.
The transmission was a shifter-less manual. It had a foot clutch, but would change gears automatically whenever you'd push in the clutch.
It also had speed sensitive steering that would loosen the faster you'd go, as to make the car more stable. At about 120mph, you'd be able to spin the wheel 360 degrees without leaving your lane.
It was such a hardcore performance car, the instrument cluster consisted of only the following: a shift light, an exhaust temp gauge, and the indicator for the left turn signal.
The body panels were constructed of carbon fiber, which was then covered with a sheetmetal veneer, and then painted with a special lightweight paint, mixed from crushed dragonflies, the blood of baby seals, and the tears of children from Leeds, England.
The seats were made from real tigers. By that I mean there were actual live tigers were the seats would go, and under hard cornering, the tigers would hold the occupants in place with their claws.
Unfortunately, it is really hard to find an MX-7, since the entire production run was built by magical gnomes and sentient Mopeds on February 29th, 1997 in Mazda's secret factory in a dormant Volcano in the Galapogas islands.

[kingkilburn]

Was any of that really necessary? I was just asking a question.

Edit
I think I was thinking of the mx-6. That is definitely not a coupe miata. It's more of a less ugly probe.

[Antihero983]

bring back the mr2. nuff said. make it small like the 80's and the spyder, give it around 200hp, and done.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by kingkilburn

Was any of that really necessary? I was just asking a question.

Edit
I think I was thinking of the mx-6. That is definitely not a coupe miata. It's more of a less ugly probe.

Do you have a sense of humor? You could just laugh along.
The opportunity presented itself, so I took it.
It wasn't a personal assault aimed at you or anything, I would have answered the question that way no matter who asked it, even exitspeed. In fact I wish exitspeed would have asked that question come to think of it, that stoopid intraweb monkey boy is always stealing the good car industry scoops and making threads about them......

Teh interwebz is not sirius biznes.

[soreballz]

Originally Posted by Yuri

The exhaust had auxillary dump into the intake manifold to pressurize it like turbocharging without losing efficiency.

ZOMG, Direct Exhaust Injection DOES exist!!!!11!!1!

[SimpleS14]

I like the previous gen Miata coupe more than this rendering. If GM makes a Sky or Solstice coupe with a similar design...that would be my new toy car.

Funny post Yuri.

[exitspeed]

Originally Posted by SimpleS14

I like the previous gen Miata coupe more than this rendering. If GM makes a Sky or Solstice coupe with a similar design...that would be my new toy car.

Funny post Yuri.

Lutz said last year we'll see a Solstice Coupe "Concept" in 08. The word concept being used very loosely. It'll be a near production ready version.

[SimpleS14]

Originally Posted by exitspeed

Lutz said last year we'll see a Solstice Coupe "Concept" in 08. The word concept being used very loosely. It'll be a near production ready version.

I hope its not going to be similar to the shooting brake (wagon) concept.

[exitspeed]

Originally Posted by SimpleS14

I hope its not going to be similar to the shooting brake (wagon) concept.

You and me both. I just want a traditional coupe version of both of those cars.

[exitspeed]

Wow, this is awesome. Makes me kinda jealous Nissan engineers haven't mosied on over to our forum for input.

Toyota turns to forum for input on new sports car

Posted Feb 20th 2008 2:27PM by Damon Lavrinc
Filed under: Coupes, Toyota

Photo: David Guimaraes

If you're an automaker and want to tap into the knowledge base of your most fervent fans, what better place to go for input than one of the many model-specific forums on the 'Net. Supposedly, that's exactly what happened over at Club4AG.

The site's founder, Moto Miwa, has been in contact with one of the chief engineers tasked by Toyota to begin developing the oft-rumored sports car that's been making the rounds on the Web. The unnamed engineer worked on the original AE86 Corolla, along with a host of other projects including the 2nd generation Prius. While Toyota's ubiquitous hybrid isn't what anyone would consider sporty, the man behind its development, who's now working on the coupe, is apparently quite the petrolhead.

In preparation for a meeting with Toyota's engineer, Miwa asked the Club4AG crew with what they want the new coupe to come equipped. Naturally, the consensus involved repeated pleas for something lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, a DOHC four-cylinder that trades big power for responsiveness, and a chassis and engine that's designed for modification.

Here's hoping that Miwa's Man on the Inside heeds the advice and brings an entertaining whip to those of us with shallow pockets and a penchant for wrenching.

[SimpleSexy180]

wow...i am jealous of club4ag