Toyota, Suzuki and Daihatsu to combine on new mid-engine platform.

Industry rumours from Japan suggest that Toyota wants to reengage with a mid-engine sports car project.

Best Car Web reports that the rumoured vehicle will be built on a new platform and is scheduled for 2025. Even more interesting is that Toyota is not doing it alone, but with the help of Suzuki and Daihatsu.

Cooperation is a reality for most automakers, as R&D costs have surged. Despite its size and standing in the industry, Toyota is not indifferent to pooling resources. Especially when the goal is to create niche products outside its traditional bakkie, SUV and crossover competencies.

The Supra is an excellent example of this. A car with true Toyota sportscar heritage, which would not have happened without the assistance of BMW.

Suzuki has successfully partnered with Toyota on a raft of recent badge-engineered products, some of which have been launched in the South African market.

But the issue of a new mid-engine sports car, would appear almost fanciful. With many brands promising to be full-electric by 2030 (including Lexus) the idea of Toyota bringing a new petrol performance car to market by 2025, on a dedicated mid-engine platform, seems odd.

Chances are, it won’t be a pure ICE vehicle but rather a hybrid. That said, the cost of engineering a mid-engine hybrid, would be high.

Toyota has announced incredibly ambitious electrification plans for 2030, with a flood of new models and vehicle platforms being promised. Among this future product matrix, the probability of a mid-engine petrol-hybrid sports car, could be entirely reasonable.

And how does Suzuki and Daihatsu factor into all of this? Well, it might have some cute Suzuki Cappuccino or Daihatsu Copen legacy styling influences. Although most Toyota performance car followers, are probably hoping for a new MR2.

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