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Soldato
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Doesn't top the 370z for me though, unless its a shed load cheaper.
370z is from £26k, this will be sub-£20k
Lastly, 1360kg really isn't good. I know it's got a roof, but that puts it at 200kg more than an MX5, which is going to be an obvious car to compare it to (both have 2 seats, rwd, similar power outputs and estimated prices).
This is a 2+2 though, MX5 is just a 2 seater.
The target set by Toyota is SUB 1360kg, and I think they've tried to cut even more fat recently to get it even lighter than their original target
 
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Soldato
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I was thinking about this on the way to work.
I know that it's being co-developed with Subaru, but was that the deciding factor in engine choice? If not, then why not use the 190hp 1.8 that's in the Celica? That would be far more in keeping with it's heritage. Failing that, are they lining up to offer a US version with 140hp and hopefully a Japanese/UK version with a sodding big turbo and well over 200hp?
Lastly, 1360kg really isn't good. I know it's got a roof, but that puts it at 200kg more than an MX5, which is going to be an obvious car to compare it to (both have 2 seats, rwd, similar power outputs and estimated prices).

I don't think even the 190 1.8 celica engine would be enough to keep this car competitive with the rest of the jap crowd, I own a current celica with that engine, it isn't slow by any means but it could do with being a bit beefier, especially with the extra weight the new car will undoubtedly carry.

If Toyota are serious about coming back to the sports coupe market then they need to have another, more powerful flagship model alongside this. It would be nice to see a powerful NA engine but I doubt that will happen, more likely a turbocharged boxer.
 
Caporegime
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I don't think even the 190 1.8 celica engine would be enough to keep this car competitive with the rest of the jap crowd, I own a current celica with that engine, it isn't slow by any means but it could do with being a bit beefier, especially with the extra weight the new car will undoubtedly carry.

If Toyota are serious about coming back to the sports coupe market then they need to have another, more powerful flagship model alongside this. It would be nice to see a powerful NA engine but I doubt that will happen, more likely a turbocharged boxer.

It won't happen under the Toyota brand, as I said they are to conscious about emissions and the penalties for not achieving these targets.

This is the reason why there are no performance cars currently across the Toyota range.
 
Soldato
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No to the turbo idea, more power yes, but nice high revving NA OR Supercharger power please :)

Sub 1360Kg could mean anything, although I would've preferred sub 1150Kg really, then even with 140bhp I'd be interested...
 
Man of Honour
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I don't think even the 190 1.8 celica engine would be enough to keep this car competitive with the rest of the jap crowd, I own a current celica with that engine, it isn't slow by any means but it could do with being a bit beefier, especially with the extra weight the new car will undoubtedly carry.

If Toyota are serious about coming back to the sports coupe market then they need to have another, more powerful flagship model alongside this. It would be nice to see a powerful NA engine but I doubt that will happen, more likely a turbocharged boxer.

It depends upon where Toyota are trying to pitch the car. The existing Celica "only" has that engine, and it's far from a bad car.
Once you start strapping turbos onto one, you need to then look at bigger brakes etc etc, all of which will add to the weight, and you end up with a competitor to the 370Z.
Personally I'd rather prefer them to look at something with something like the 190 1.8 and a whole lot less weight.
As for 1360kg being the maximum target weight, doesn't exactly strike me as being a particularly ambitious target. That's like saying to the average american that he must get down to 22 stones.
 
Soldato
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As for 1360kg being the maximum target weight, doesn't exactly strike me as being a particularly ambitious target. That's like saying to the average american that he must get down to 22 stones.

Um ...
RX8 is in that weight area, and Mazda tried pretty hard to minimise the weight of it during design.
The 370z is 1466kg, and it is still N/A.

My personal view is that this will come in somewhere around the FD3S weight of 1280kg, which is pretty good with modern crash structures.
 
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