Rumor: Lexus And Toyota Will Use Mazda Rear-Drive Platform, Inline Six
#1
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https://www-motor1-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.motor1.com/news/355606/lexus-rc-mazda-engine-rumor/amp/?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQA#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motor1.com%2Fnews%2F355606%2Flexus-rc-mazda-engine-rumor%2F
https://www.motor1.com/news/355606/lexus-rc-mazda-engine-rumor/
https://www.motor1.com/news/355606/lexus-rc-mazda-engine-rumor/
#2
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Is it just me or are these partnership seem backward?!? With the exceptional reputation and reliability record that Toyota/Lexus has, shouldn't they be the one building/outsourcing for other brands rather than the other way around?! I think of the Supra which is basically a BMW, the Yaris which is really a Mazda, the 86 … All these cars wear the Toyota Logo but are anything but, and now they want to use Mazda to underpin their Lexus image?! Seems like this is heading in the wrong direction and they should be rather be trying to build cars for other companies rather than the other way around. With some of the known glitches that BMW have, I am still shocked that they would let so much of BMW's DNA wear their logo.
But hey, what do I know about running a car business....
But hey, what do I know about running a car business....
#4
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^^ I don't dispute the strength that Mazda brings to the table, but it seems strange to rely of them for underpinning the soul of the vehicle such as the plateform and the engine. But I hear ya, if you are going to partner with one, Mazda is a good choice for sure.
#6
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Lexus has a number of plans for the components from Hiroshima. The next Lexus IS is said to evolve from the current sedan, using a Lexus V6 but migrating to Toyota's TNGA platform. Best Car says the IS after that, perhaps sometime around 2026, will hop onto Mazda's new platform and use the inline-six engine.
#7
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https://www.autoblog.com/2019/06/20/toyota-lexus-mazda-inline-six-engine-platform/
All-New Lexus RC Coupe Could Be Built on Mazda Platform, Have Mazda Engines - autoevolution https://www.autoevolution.com/news/all-new-lexus-rc-coupe-could-be-built-on-mazda-platform-have-mazda-engines-135323.html
All-New Lexus RC Coupe Could Be Built on Mazda Platform, Have Mazda Engines - autoevolution https://www.autoevolution.com/news/all-new-lexus-rc-coupe-could-be-built-on-mazda-platform-have-mazda-engines-135323.html
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#8
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The way of the world. Instead of each manufacturer spending millions to develop very similar engines and reap X amount of profit, why not have two manufacturers share the cost of development.
Like before... with some car brands. They used to make a different engine for each vehicle (like for example BMW M cars) now they just use the same engine across the lineups.
I think manufacturers are just now taking this a step further, especially given that car sales are way down. Manufacturers have to find new ways to maintain profit margins and keep shareholders happy. I think we'll see more and more sharing.
Like before... with some car brands. They used to make a different engine for each vehicle (like for example BMW M cars) now they just use the same engine across the lineups.
I think manufacturers are just now taking this a step further, especially given that car sales are way down. Manufacturers have to find new ways to maintain profit margins and keep shareholders happy. I think we'll see more and more sharing.
#9
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Lexus will introduce a new model to slot between the $64,750 RC and the $92,950 LC employing Mazda's architecture and engine. Best Car says the model will act as a "next car" for RC owners, but we can't tell if the magazine means a two-door or a four-door coupe; the article also says the Lexus model will compete with the Audi A7.
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/06/20/toyota-lexus-mazda-inline-six-engine-platform/
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/06/20/toyota-lexus-mazda-inline-six-engine-platform/
#12
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Personally, I think it is the other way around. Rather than Lexus using a Mazda RWD platform, it will be Mazda using the Toyota/Lexus RWD platform. Here is my reasoning.
Mazda is small, with very limited resources, especially now that it no longer has big brother Ford helping it out. Yet, Mazda is spending a lot developing new internal combustion engines, especially the compression-ignition SkyActiv-X (4-cylinder) engine. We have already heard that Mazda wants to build Inline-6 cylinder engines (for use in RWD cars), which is theoretically easy by adding 2 additional cylinders to an I4 engine. With some incremental costs, Mazda has an I6 engine.
But will Mazda have enough resources left to develop a brand-new RWD platform (which are very expensive to develop) for a relatively small fleet of vehicles? I am not sure. Giant Toyota, however, already has developed a new TNGA RWD platform. Toyota, acting as big brother to the small, independent Japanese automakers, including Mazda (which it is already doing by sharing EV technology with them), could share its TNGA RWD platform with Mazda (or help Mazda develop its RWD vehicles using Toyota's RWD platform).
This Mazda-Toyota/Lexus joint venture RWD vehicle using Mazda's I6 engine and Toyota's RWD platform could then be shared by Mazda and Toyota/Lexus.
Mazda is small, with very limited resources, especially now that it no longer has big brother Ford helping it out. Yet, Mazda is spending a lot developing new internal combustion engines, especially the compression-ignition SkyActiv-X (4-cylinder) engine. We have already heard that Mazda wants to build Inline-6 cylinder engines (for use in RWD cars), which is theoretically easy by adding 2 additional cylinders to an I4 engine. With some incremental costs, Mazda has an I6 engine.
But will Mazda have enough resources left to develop a brand-new RWD platform (which are very expensive to develop) for a relatively small fleet of vehicles? I am not sure. Giant Toyota, however, already has developed a new TNGA RWD platform. Toyota, acting as big brother to the small, independent Japanese automakers, including Mazda (which it is already doing by sharing EV technology with them), could share its TNGA RWD platform with Mazda (or help Mazda develop its RWD vehicles using Toyota's RWD platform).
This Mazda-Toyota/Lexus joint venture RWD vehicle using Mazda's I6 engine and Toyota's RWD platform could then be shared by Mazda and Toyota/Lexus.
#13
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#14
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Toyota is picking up all the tech it can from suitable sources so that it can continue to sell models that don't make sense to develop alone. If the side effect of that is getting big sporty Mazdas to go with it, well, so much the better.