Listen up Toyota... Options

[creamed_corn]

Get up off your conservative butts and make something fun. Right now you're the only car company out there with nothing even remotely sporty in your lineup.

There's a huge HUGE gap in the fun category between the $15,000 tC and the $35,000 IS.

What they need:

-proper two door, rear wheel drive sports car
-starting around $25,500
-2GR-FE plant to the tune of 300-320 horsepower (they'll wanna stay a little bit ahead of the Z and Mustang, knowing them).
-six speed close ratio gearbox, LSD standard, TCS optional
-Keep the weight reasonable at around 3300-3400lbs.
-I'd like to see gas mileage at around 22 city/30 highway. I'm gonna have a hard enough time keeping my foot off the gas as it is.

This is well within their reach and they need to do it. I've been living off my celica for too long. Ever since I got my new job I've been saving my money, just waiting for a car like this. I just can't bring myself to defect to another company, and if this doesn't happen soon, I'm going to be picking up an MR Sypder next summer.

[neoklis]

Why be in F1 if they do not want to have a sports car or be in that market anyway? Why are they so keen on the sporty look and performance of the lexus and try to attack the BMWs. How difficult would it be to offer a coupe IS or GS?

Why do they offer a sport package for Prius now?

No Company ever made money from sports cars. Not Ferreari (now FIAT) not Porche (now VW) not Jaguar (now ford) etc. The sports cars are more an R&D thing and also a way of promotion. Will BMW make money on the M6. I dont think so.

And What about Subaru. The majority of their cars is sports cars. And Mitsubishi, their high selling items are the Montero/Pajero with the a history of winning in Paris/Dakar Rally and the Lancers (EVO anyone)

And what about Nissan. Their latest models are all crap. They have made though the Z and survive.

In my opinion, Toyota has replaced its image making activities from the making of sports car to sponsoring tennis and track events for promotion and there may be a time in the near future when Toyos become cars with no identity. As long as the Europeans and Americans cannot make dependable cars due to shortcommings in Electronics Toyota will have no problems. But what will happen when they catch up? And dont forget the competion from the Chinese and korean manufactures. There will be a time when quality will not be an issue. I know for sure that in Greece Hyunday and Scoda (Cheh subsidiary of VW) is making extraordinary high sales as the price is attractive and the started not having serious issues with quality. And they have excellent service for when such troubles arise.

Being in the Financial analysis business for quite some time I have only one thing to tell you. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Toyota consider your self warned.