If they put awd and the STI engine in there this car could still come in under 3000 lbs.

 

pretty close. i bet you're right.

 

Wow, its surprising how much their media material is targeting the RX-8 as a competitor. It just seems weird to me that at this point that two manufacturer's would work on a new car with the same exact design goals as the RX-8 (pure driving experience yet practical). Through the entire life of the RX-8, this is the most similar car to be released, and its right after the RX-8 gets canned. And the 8 is pretty much viewed as a commercial failure. I'm curious to how successful this car is going to be when its targeting the same niche market.

This will be a good case study for all those that said the RX-8 would have been more successful if it had a few more MPG's. Or maybe a higher percieved reliability will make this car more successful?

 

The perception that the rotary is not reliable is a killer. It was already pretty bad before the RX-8 so the engine issues with the Series I's really did damage. It's sad too considering they seemed to have got it right with the Series II. I have faith the rotary will redeem itself though.

 

Low fuel economy, 0-60 times, and a bad reputation are the kiss of death in this market. When the mass public's view of a car is "slower than a V6, burns more gas than a V8, engine will probably die," then that car is doomed. Even though the reliability part was fixed, it lasted for 5 model years, and that's too long.

Dear Mazda: Miata coupe.

 

That really made me laugh out loud... And still we love them and rebuild them

 

Actually it will have more torque than the RX8s 159 ft/lb....somewhere in the 170 ft/lb range. This + the ligheter weight is why it is quicker to 60mph at 6 seconds.

 

As the title to this thread states, the FR-S/BRZ will make 151 lb/ft torque.

Paul.

 

Cool LA show Subaru concept promo vid >>> http://www.subaru-global.com/11la/

 

Not intending to be negative but I don't like their marketing company's approach with that at all. The beginning was like the cheapest video game stuff possible. The end was good with the sideways slide and forward acceleration with white screen background followed by a rear view departing.

It's below Scion level child marketing to me although I want this car to be successful.

Paul.

 

First official video teaser just posted by Toyota

Video Teaser - http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2315

Reveal coming in just over a week but it's great to be able to see some peeks at the full production car. Plus accessories.

White one looks very nice (much better than red/orange).

 

Agreed. I have high hopes for this car, but that video was almost completely boring. Someone could make a more interesting video using a video game. I'm not even sure I would call the end good... it was just better by comparison.

 

2600 pounds is very impressive. I'm a big fan of this car, and hopefully this'll edge Mazda to put something similar in production, like the Kabura concept. Very excited!

 

The above Toyota teaser is quite impressive by comparison.

Paul.

 

Weak.

 

^ weak (although I disagree) is far far better than non-existent.

Toyota has had a very staged progression of 'leaks' of info, spec, pictures, vids, concepts, and now finally fuzzy pics/vids of the actual car preceeding the reveal in a week. IMO that's the way to market a car. Get peps pumped up w/different media appeals to different ages/demographic groups.

Recently Toyota put up a website of a FT-86 art billboard on a Tokyo street that you could tweet to and then view with a webcam it as it scrolled across. Lame and pointless for me, but some folks were all gaga over it, "Look!!! I can see me there!!!. WoW!!!". Strange. Different strokes.

However, I do seem to have fuszzy remberences that Mazda once had us all waiting for the RX-8 with concepts, etc. many, many, many ... many moons ago though..... (sigh).

 

and I clearly remember there being 3!! people online here waiting for the pre-order to go live at Midnight do you remember who those 3 were?

 

It could have been me for all I remember. I was a noob here, like you, but my memory fails me on that one

 

yeah it was you me and Hercules

 

Holy $hit How could I have forgotten that!

I gotta get my head examined

 

If the price for the FR-S/BRZ is kept to a reasonable level $20-24k its light weight/balance/low power approach will probably net a good amount of sales. A dime more than that range and most people will just get a WRX instead. If they have an STi version of the BRZ with a turbo 2.5L boxer putting out ~300 bhp... now we are talking. It's ludicrously easy to make 300+whp with stage 1 mods on a GRB/GVB chassis WRX/STi and 300 whp with a 2600 lb car is no joke.

 

And now we find that the Euro spec GT86 makes 197 hp. No big difference, just interesting. Perhaps we can install a renny in one of these the moment it comes out .

Paul.