The following was printed in the Detroit Free Press yesterday:
Quote:
The sporty compact car Subaru and Toyota were developing together has been put on hold because of the worldwide economic slowdown, both companies confirm.
The program had been developing a pair of sporty small cars for sale by both automakers in 2011. The 2+2 compact sporty car had been slated to use a version of the Subaru Impreza's platform, horizontally opposed boxer engine and transmission. It reportedly modified Subaru's all-wheel drive drivetrain to a rear-drive setup and moved the engine slightly rearward in the chassis to improve weight distribution.
The car would have filled one of the few obvious gaps in Toyota's lineup, a small and affordable sporty car. It would also have given Subaru a performance model priced below the $24,995 all-wheel drive Impreza WRX. The Toyota and Subaru models reportedly had different exterior designs.
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Wonder when (if ever) we will see these now. Just think: smaller than Impreza; boxer engine (hopefully turbo'd); RWD;*better weight distribution, could be a real flyer...