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The automotive rumor mill is churning once more, with Japanese journal Finest Automotive reporting that Toyota and Mazda could be teaming as much as create a brand new sports activities automotive. If true, it could be one other chapter within the lengthy historical past of carmakers becoming a member of forces to create one thing particular. When automakers pool their assets, share expertise, and mix their experience, the outcomes may be fairly exceptional.
Generally these partnerships produce automobiles that neither firm might have constructed alone, mixing one of the best traits of each manufacturers into one thing that fans keep in mind for many years.
Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ (2012-Current)
Toyota and Subaru created one of the crucial driver-focused inexpensive sports activities vehicles available on the market with this collaboration. Subaru supplied its flat-four boxer engine whereas Toyota dealt with a lot of the design and improvement, leading to a light-weight rear-wheel-drive coupe that begins round $29,000.
The partnership gave each manufacturers a halo sports activities automotive with out the huge funding required to develop one independently.
BMW Z4/Toyota GR Supra (2019-Current)
BMW and Toyota appeared like unlikely companions, however their collaboration produced two distinct sports activities vehicles from the identical platform. The Z4 is a conventional roadster whereas the Supra is a fixed-roof coupe with Toyota’s personal tuning philosophy, providing 382 horsepower in prime spec.
Each firms obtained world-class sports activities vehicles whereas sharing improvement prices for the chassis and BMW’s turbocharged inline-six engine.
Aston Martin Cygnet (2011-2013)
This collaboration was born out of necessity when Aston Martin wanted to decrease its fleet emissions to fulfill European rules. They took Toyota’s tiny iQ metropolis automotive and gave it a full Aston Martin inside therapy with hand-stitched leather-based and luxurious facilities, promoting it for round $45,000.
Whereas commercially unsuccessful, it stays one of many strangest and most fascinating badge-engineering workout routines in automotive historical past. It’s a uncommon metropolis automotive that hasn’t been forgotten.
Mazda MX-5 Miata/Fiat 124 Spider (2016-2020)
Mazda’s fourth-generation Miata platform grew to become the inspiration for Fiat’s revival of the 124 Spider nameplate. Fiat contributed its turbocharged 1.4-liter engine whereas Mazda supplied the chassis, suspension, and most mechanical parts, giving the 124 a special character with extra low-end torque.
The partnership allowed Fiat to reenter the roadster market with out creating a wholly new platform.
Ford GT40 (Sixties)
Ford’s legendary Le Mans winner truly started as a collaboration with Lola Vehicles, with Ford buying the Lola GT prototype as the inspiration for its racing program. Lola’s Eric Broadley was introduced on as a advisor to assist develop what grew to become the GT40, contributing essential engineering experience.
The consequence was a automotive that gained Le Mans 4 consecutive occasions from 1966 to 1969, cementing its place in racing historical past.
Alfa Romeo 8C/Maserati GranTurismo (2007-2011)
These Italian beauties shared a Ferrari-derived 4.7-liter V8 engine and related platform parts, although they expressed very completely different personalities. The limited-production Alfa Romeo 8C was a carbon-fiber unique with solely 500 coupes made, whereas the Maserati GranTurismo was positioned as a extra accessible grand tourer.
Each provided beautiful Pininfarina styling and an unforgettable exhaust observe from that Ferrari V8.
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (2003-2010)
Mercedes-Benz and McLaren mixed forces to create a supercar that blended German luxurious with British racing experience. The 617-horsepower supercharged V8 might push the SLR to 207 mph, whereas the inside featured Mercedes’ signature luxurious appointments.
McLaren’s Components 1 expertise influenced the automotive’s aerodynamics and carbon fiber development, creating a novel grand touring supercar. Talking of, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren additionally teamed up for Components 1 in 2023.
Volkswagen Touareg/Porsche Cayenne/Audi Q7 (2002-Current)
This three-way collaboration throughout the Volkswagen Group created a shared platform for luxurious SUVs that helped save Porsche financially whereas giving all three manufacturers aggressive entries within the rising SUV market. Every car was engineered to replicate its model’s character, from the Touareg’s practicality to the Cayenne’s sports activities automotive dealing with.
The platform-sharing technique proved so profitable that it’s now in its third technology and has expanded to incorporate the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus.
Dodge Stealth/Mitsubishi 3000GT (1990-2000)
Chrysler’s partnership with Mitsubishi within the Nineteen Nineties produced this technologically superior sports activities automotive that was bought beneath each manufacturers. The highest-spec VR-4 model featured all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, twin turbos, and lively aerodynamics, pushing 320 horsepower.
Whereas the Dodge Stealth was extra subdued in styling, each variations showcased Japanese engineering with American advertising. And each are Nineteen Nineties vehicles that we nonetheless dream about.
Pagani Huayra (2011-Current)
Whereas Pagani builds the vehicles, the Huayra’s twin-turbo V12 engine comes from a collaboration with Mercedes-AMG. This partnership provides the small Italian hypercar producer entry to a world-class powertrain producing as much as 827 horsepower within the Huayra R, one thing that will be unimaginable for Pagani to develop independently.
The AMG engine’s reliability and efficiency have been essential to Pagani’s success as a producer.
Saab 9-2X (2005-2006)
Nicknamed the “Saabaru,” this collaboration introduced collectively Saab’s Scandinavian design sensibility with Subaru’s all-wheel-drive experience. Based mostly closely on the Subaru Impreza wagon, the 9-2X Aero featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer engine making 227 horsepower and Saab’s distinctive inside touches.
Although short-lived, it stays a unusual collector’s merchandise that blended Swedish and Japanese engineering.
McLaren F1 (1992-1998)
Gordon Murray’s legendary supercar was constructed by McLaren however relied on BMW to create its naturally aspirated 6.1-liter V12 engine, which produced 627 horsepower. BMW M Division developed the engine particularly for the F1, and it helped the automotive obtain its record-breaking 240 mph prime pace that stood because the manufacturing automotive report for over a decade.
This collaboration between a racing constructor and a premium engine producer created what many take into account the best supercar ever constructed.
Conclusion
These collaborations show that when automakers test their egos on the door and mix their strengths, everyone wins. Whether or not it’s sharing improvement prices, accessing specialised expertise, or mixing completely different engineering philosophies, partnerships have given us a number of the most fascinating and succesful automobiles on the highway. If Toyota and Mazda do crew up for a brand new sports activities automotive, they’ll be becoming a member of a practice that’s produced every little thing from inexpensive driver’s vehicles to record-breaking supercars.
The most effective collaborations don’t simply break up prices; they create one thing neither firm might have achieved alone.
