We think people are getting back into convertibles, based purely on what we see on the streets. More and more of our friends are taking to Facebook to share the second-hand NC MX-5 that they've just bought and have always wanted.
Last month, Mazda shocked us all with a folding hardtop design that's out of this world, borrowing cues from the sexy Porsche 911 Targa. But we are still hoping Toyota will see the wisdom of having a convertible in the range, and start collaborating with Subaru on such a project.
Speaking of Subaru, the car company that's going to rename FHI just revealed the 2017 model year BRZ coupe. While the original model that came out about four years ago was all about driving fun and letting the tail slide out, updates have been made to give the coupe more focus. There are even track setups available.
However, just like the NSX Type R and all those special editions of the RX-8 or S2000, the Japanese sportscar makers are reluctant to give us what we want. Instead of a turbo, the BRZ just has some minor tuning to give to give it 205 horsepower.
So if we can't get more power, why can't we have a convertible BRZ, like the one X-Tomi Design came up with today? There are several reasons, including Subaru's reluctance to produce a vehicle that won't get the Top Safety Pick+ score.
According to an Automotive News report, Scion executives have confirmed there will not be a FR-S/BRZ convertible for this generation. According to Doug Murtha, Scion brand’s vice president, the plans were axed after completing a feasibility study in June 2014. That's why we have a study from Toyota, but no production car.
Markets like Europe and China were also taken into consideration. But even though demand there was supposedly high, it was still not enough to make the plan profitable.
Of course, Scion is now gone, so three different models have become just two, meaning the development and marketing costs are going to be lower from now on. At the beginning of this year, Toyota presented an even smaller sportscar that's as short as the new Miata. They are going to put that one into production as well, offering it only with a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine.
Speaking of Subaru, the car company that's going to rename FHI just revealed the 2017 model year BRZ coupe. While the original model that came out about four years ago was all about driving fun and letting the tail slide out, updates have been made to give the coupe more focus. There are even track setups available.
However, just like the NSX Type R and all those special editions of the RX-8 or S2000, the Japanese sportscar makers are reluctant to give us what we want. Instead of a turbo, the BRZ just has some minor tuning to give to give it 205 horsepower.
So if we can't get more power, why can't we have a convertible BRZ, like the one X-Tomi Design came up with today? There are several reasons, including Subaru's reluctance to produce a vehicle that won't get the Top Safety Pick+ score.
According to an Automotive News report, Scion executives have confirmed there will not be a FR-S/BRZ convertible for this generation. According to Doug Murtha, Scion brand’s vice president, the plans were axed after completing a feasibility study in June 2014. That's why we have a study from Toyota, but no production car.
Markets like Europe and China were also taken into consideration. But even though demand there was supposedly high, it was still not enough to make the plan profitable.
Of course, Scion is now gone, so three different models have become just two, meaning the development and marketing costs are going to be lower from now on. At the beginning of this year, Toyota presented an even smaller sportscar that's as short as the new Miata. They are going to put that one into production as well, offering it only with a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine.
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