A source told Motoring that Subaru's global AWD platform was a no-go.
The Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform has already proven its worth by breathing new life into all manner of new Toyota vehicles, from the 2019 RAV4 to the 2020 Corolla . In the future, it might even become the platform for the second generation of Toyota's small joint-venture sports car.
A source told Australia's Motoring that the upcoming replacements for the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 might move to the TNGA platform. The choices are, according to the information, moving to TNGA or staying on the current platform, which also underpins the latest Subaru Impreza .
There is reportedly a third option, but it's been nixed. Subaru also has a new platform on its hands, the Subaru Global Platform, but it's engineered with all-wheel-drive cars in mind, since that's Subaru's forte. Motoring's source said that AWD is not being considered for the sports-car twins' successors, and since SGP cannot handle rear-wheel drive, that's the end of that conversation.
Representatives for both Subaru and Toyota did not immediately return requests for comment, but automakers routinely decline to discuss vehicles that have not been formally announced yet. We'll have to let the rumors keep swirling around until either automaker deems the public worthy of learning more.
Other reports have already popped up regarding future iterations of the rear-wheel-drive BRZ and 86. Earlier in April, The Japanese Times reported that the next generation of both cars will receive a 2.4-liter engine. That's the same displacement as the four-cylinder in the Subaru Ascent , and its 260-horsepower output would be a huge boost for the twins, as they only top out at 205 horsepower from their shared 2.0-liter flat-four.