FT86 / BRZ convertible?

http://autos.yahoo.com/photos/toyota-ft-86-open-concept-slideshow/toyota-ft-86-open-concept-photo-643363096.html

Might this be the answer to those in need of a 4 seater Miata?

I was worried before clicking the link, but that actually looks pretty nice.

Depends how tall the driver is, as I recall from the auto show, the backseat in a frisbee nearly touches the front if you move the front all the way back. Its a padded storage area/folding trunk divider more than its a seat.

mainlandboy wrote: I was worried before clicking the link, but that actually looks pretty nice.

Yeah I was all braced up for the ugly but it's not bad, at least with the top down.

The rear seats are really only there to lower insurance costs though and I think they should lose them on a convertible Toyobaru and shorten the roof, or I'm pretty sure it will be ugly with the top up, and not only will there be no room for the rear passengers' legs but also none for their heads.

It's not bad, but I don't need one.

The Miata was designed as a rag top... the structure is there...

The Toyoburu took GREAT pains to make this as light, and yet as strong as possible... I'd like to know HOW this can even compete with its hardtop brother... never the less a decently set-up Miata..........

oldeskewltoy wrote: The Miata was designed as a rag top... the structure is there... The Toyoburu took GREAT pains to make this as light, and yet as strong as possible... I'd like to know HOW this can even compete with its hardtop brother... never the less a decently set-up Miata..........

You don't think they they figured they'd make a soft top from the outset and designed accordingly?

Gearheadotaku wrote: Might this be the answer to those in need of a 4 seater Miata?

No, the answer is two miatas....

m4ff3w wrote:

oldeskewltoy wrote: The Miata was designed as a rag top... the structure is there... The Toyoburu took GREAT pains to make this as light, and yet as strong as possible... I'd like to know HOW this can even compete with its hardtop brother... never the less a decently set-up Miata..........

You don't think they they figured they'd make a soft top from the outset and designed accordingly?

No... not if you believe all the hype

I can't explain why, but I really hate it for some reason. I think they should've dropped the rear seats. They've taken mini-supercar styling and made something that looks like you'd pick it up from Hertz on the way out of the airport, and I can only imagine what that top looks like when it's up.

Looks pretty fantastic to my eyes, and I've been trying to figure out how to justify selling my Mustang and getting one of these. Then I remember I have almost no trade-in value and an allergy monthly payments...

I am a big fan of convertibles, but my wallet would vote NO.

What the Miata has going for it that no other convertible does is a "Spontaneously Useable" drop top. Undue two latches and shove the top back and you are done. If it rains, same thing. You can actually do this at a stoplight. If your commute to work is only ten minutes, it is still worth doing.

On any car with a backseat, this wont be the case. The Toplessbaru will need a motorised contraption to make this work. Operation will be a series of steps involving putting the shifter in some designated positon, performing some maneuvers and waiting for the event to happen. After a while this becomes like married sex where rather than a spontaneous event, you have to put it on the "To do list" or you just don't bother. This was one of the reasons I walked from the Mustang convertible; I drove one for a week and found the after the first two days, the top was staying up even though the weather was beautiful.

The other concern is the long term ownership cost.Convertible tops tend to need replacing anywhere after year 7 or so. Miata tops are cheap and easy enough to do on your own. I get the feeling that a 7 year old Twin will be worth about the same as you will pay to have a new roof installed. Who knows what the reliability of the up/down mechanicals will be?

A final point to consider is that the Twins, in their hardtop configuration are not the most weathertight contraptions on the road. Certainly inferior to a Miata as far as wet weather and winter management is considered. You would have to go a long ways to convince me that the same design team could get a convertible right.

Other than that, I think it will make a fine boutique car.

There were 9 frisbee cars out of 120 drivers at our local autocross yesterday. By the end of the year it wouldn't surprise me if over 10% of the cars are Frisbees. They're popular. The convertibles will be too.

I like it simply because it will make the Mazda/Alfa designers pay attention. The Miata's been it's own market segment for quite a while and the competition should make for a better product.

mazdeuce wrote: There were 9 frisbee cars out of 120 drivers at our local autocross yesterday. By the end of the year it wouldn't surprise me if over 10% of the cars are Frisbees. They're popular. The convertibles will be too.

How did they do on track? While undeniably fun to drive, I'm still not sure they would be fast.

frisbee cars?

I love it (though the nautica color scheme is show-car-out-there). And the 2+ 2 seating is much like my Fiat 124 Spider was, with near useless back seats, but good for carrying groceries. Hell, they really aren't much worse than my Mustang convertible was, so really, why should it matter if they left them in?

As for being ugly with the top up, may convertibles are. Who cares? The point is to put the top down!

FRS+BRZ=Frisbee if you squint and switch around a few letters. Sounds better than Toyoburu.
I sat in the back of one yesterday too. I'm 5'10". If I put the passenger seat far enough forward that I've got a couple inches between my knees and the dash then I can pretty comfortably sit in back. My biggest complaint about the back seat is that there is very little room under the seats to shove your toes. In the fine tradition of sports cars, these are very acceptable back seats for children.

NOHOME wrote:

mazdeuce wrote: There were 9 frisbee cars out of 120 drivers at our local autocross yesterday. By the end of the year it wouldn't surprise me if over 10% of the cars are Frisbees. They're popular. The convertibles will be too.

How did they do on track? While undeniably fun to drive, I'm still not sure they would be fast.

Since they've been showing up it's rare that we don't have one in the top 10 for pax. They seem to do best in the street tire classes so far. It's interesting to note that people are buying these cars new to autocross. There's not much else that has people spending new dollars to go play with.

My Scion friends have been drooling over the FR-S since the first concept was unveiled. My concern is they took a lightweight RWD cheap sporty car and weighed it down to make a convertible out of it.

then again maybe I just don't like convertibles.

I love the look, I'm just wondering if they will sell.

Convertibles are usually $3-5k more expensive. I'm curious if enough people are going to pay $33k for that car.

I'm all for it. Competition is good. I've always thought convertibles with more than two seats are a bit goofy, especially with little 2+2 seats like this - so I'd prefer to see a pure 2-seater. But still, light, RWD, good handling, drop-top: can't complain about that.

I lust after a hardtop Frisbee, but I don't see why anyone would buy this over a Miata or Mustang.

ReverendDexter wrote: I lust after a hardtop Frisbee, but I don't see why anyone would buy this over a Miata or Mustang.

Because it's not a Miata or Mustang? Or if you were a fan of Toyotas?

Remember the days of the British roadster explosion, when you coudl buy MGBs, Midgets, Austin Healeys, Fiat 124s, Tirumphs, Alfa Spiders, Honda S800s, Datsun roadsters, etc? Why would anyone buy one over the other? CHoice, my friend, choice.

Competition is GOOD. Why let only one company build any given type of vehicle?

Chris_V wrote: Competition is GOOD. Why let only one company build any given type of vehicle?

Yes, competition is good, but I don't see this as being a real competitor. This just seems like the bean-counters finally getting their mitts on the Frisbee and trying to make it into their idea of "what sells".