Gentlemen, behold: The Toyobaru FT-86 Concept!

The boxer 4 is SHORT! With offset front a-arms it could be totally behind the front suspension.

Woody wrote: I'd love a rear wheel drive coupe with a Subaru engine in front. Just keep it light and around $25k. I don't even need power windows and locks, cruise control, subwoofer or other nonsense. Gimme airbags, A/C, Sirius and a limited slip and I'll be happy.

+1.

Jay wrote: If they fit that with a properly sporty black,-black,-and-more-black-with-black-trim leather interior, it'd just about be perfect. None of this white or "airy" light grey crap.

And it should have black controls, labelled in black on a black background, a little black indicator lights that light up black to let me know things.

you get points for quoting douglas adams.

I want a button that lights up when you push it that tells you not to push this button

Anyone else catch these pics of a disguised one testing on the 'Ring?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/243484/toyota_ft86_takes_to_the_track.html

ae86andkp61 wrote: Anyone else catch these pics of a disguised one testing on the 'Ring? http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/243484/toyota_ft86_takes_to_the_track.html

saw that, but many sources are calling that the subaru version, in which case, Toyota has my vote on styling...

Here's the FT-86 concept's dimensions to scale compared to the heavyweight Genesis Coupe:

and compared to another heavyweight:

Interesting, it seems a lot bigger than that in the photos by itself.

Hmm, encouraging...

MCarp22 wrote: Here's the FT-86 concept's dimensions to scale compared to the heavyweight Genesis Coupe: and compared to another heavyweight:

CRIKEYS!

Wow-that Mini comes on 30" wheels!

MrJoshua wrote: Wow-that Mini comes on 30" wheels!

MrJoshua wrote: Wow-that Mini comes on 30" wheels!

Yes, if you use the wheels for scale reference, it's obvious that the above overlays just don't make any sense. I'm going out on a limb (since I haven't read the specifics) and guessing the Toybaru doesn't come on 14 inch wheels. It's almost as if the above pictures were a joke.

Bryce

Nashco wrote:

MrJoshua wrote: Wow-that Mini comes on 30" wheels!

Yes, if you use the wheels for scale reference, it's obvious that the above overlays just don't make any sense. I'm going out on a limb (since I haven't read the specifics) and guessing the Toybaru doesn't come on 14 inch wheels. It's almost as if the above pictures were a joke. Bryce

The base mini has 15" wheels and the toyota concept has 19" wheels. 19" wheels look a whole heck of a lot bigger than 15" wheels. If you look at the photo above it with the Genesis coupe (where both cars have 19" wheels), the 19" wheels are to the correct scale.

Doh! I was getting the wheel overlays mixed up...you're right, I'm looking at it wrong.

Bryce

My statement was halfway a joke, halfway serious. The problem is scale and a crappy photoshop. The Mini wheels are somehow solid while the rest of the Mini is see thru, giving the impression that the Toyobaru has the Minis pint sized wheels. If you assume those are 19" (because they appear to be on the Toyobaru), then the wheels on the Mini would be HUGE! Then of course I still say the scale is slightly off. Nothing quite makes a lousy joke work like explaining it!

I'm looking at the scale of driver-to-car in the top pic and thinking the same guy in the Toyobaru is gonna be really cramped - but only if the overlay pic is the same scale for both cars.

Depending on seat bottom height. The BEON sits rather upright.

If the seat bottom is low and the position a little more reclined, I imagine it could be fine for most people who fall under the big part of the bell curve. The external dimensions are about the same as the original AE86, which has low seat bottoms and works pretty well for most folks...I'm 6'2" and fit with room to spare without a sunroof or without a helmet. In the car with a sunroof and stock seat my head touches if I have a helmet on.

That Subaru engine allows for a nice low hoodline.

Hopefully Subaru will have solved their rod bearing problems.....I'm a 4-time owner, but my '09 will be my last based on how S of A has mis-handled their growing list of WRX engine failures. Word to the wise ----

forgive my ignorance but i've heard that subaru engines are a PITA to work on because of the horizontally opposed layout, any internal work requires the engine to be dropped/removed.... is that true?

I hope the actual car is designed around 15 or 16 inch wheels. 19s are for larger vehicles imo

jcanracer wrote: forgive my ignorance but i've heard that subaru engines are a PITA to work on because of the horizontally opposed layout, any internal work requires the engine to be dropped/removed.... is that true?

Internal work is pretty much a PITA anyhow, ya know? Doesn't one have to drop / remove a rotary to do internal work as well?

If you are doing internal work on a rotary you have bigger problems than removing it.