Why Doesn't Toyota Use It's Own Powerplants In Joint Venture Vehicles?

After nearly a decade of buildup, the 2020 Toyota Supra is finally here. And the question that usually comes when you talk about it is this: Why? Why the BMW 3.0-liter turbo inline-six engine and platform? Why not an all-Toyota setup to headline this famous car&rsquo;s comeback story? I talked to Tetsuya Tada, the car&rsquo;s chief engineer and Toyota&rsquo;s performance boss, and got some illuminating answers about car packaging, noise regulations and even why the other Toyota sports car has a Subaru motor.<br /><br />And by &ldquo;talked to&rdquo; I mean &ldquo;cornered at dinner while the poor man was just trying to eat some soup&rdquo; ahead of driving the new Supra at Summit Point Motorsports Park<strong> </strong>for the car&rsquo;s American launch.
Read Article

dlin - 5/6/2019 10:50:54 AM

+2 Boost

Why make one when you can simply buy one?

malba2367 - 5/6/2019 10:52:05 AM

+2 Boost

Chassis was probably designed to handle inline 6....there may be packaging considerations making it difficult to fit a 3.5L V6

dlin - 5/6/2019 5:05:53 PM

+2 Boost

V6 is in fact easier to pack. People put in V8 in a small sports car all the time

I6 was chosen mainly to keep up with Supra's tradition

TomM - 5/6/2019 4:21:34 PM

+3 Boost

Toyota is not set up for low volume - and it is easier to add to already existing production of another engine than to produce a FEW engines for the cars.

Bach24 - 5/6/2019 6:04:04 PM

-1 Boost

BMW makes better engines than Toyota.

MDarringer - 5/6/2019 6:24:06 PM

-1 Boost

Toyota does it because they are lazy and opportunistic.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 5/7/2019 9:58:54 PM

+1 Boost

@MD- Bingo. You can't call something an icon or an old friend and then have no part in actually making it. The is the accounting department "special" and nothing more.