Toyota planning V6 Auris/Corolla

dannyboy2 submitted on 05/23/2007 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 11:03 AM
from: www.motorauthority.com

Tags: Toyota

Toyota

Toyota planning V6 Auris/Corolla

Could the new Corolla really get a V6 powerplant? According to one of its developers, the engine bay can fit anything from a 1.4L four-banger to a 3.5L V6. Toyota technician Soichiro Okudaira revealed that execs are seriously considering launching a V6 powered Corolla with AWD but are yet to reach a final decision. AWD versions of the Corolla are already sold in Japan, in a vehicle labeled the Toyota Blade, and this is most likely the system that will feature in cars sold in other markets. Read Article

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Rupert - 5/23/2007 11:17:04 AMView My AgentSpace

+7 Boost

R32 rival I'm guessing.

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SupraNeverBack - 5/23/2007 12:27:39 PM

+1 Boost

Except that 270hp v6 AWD Corolla/Matrix will cost less than 23k instead of 32k.

TheSailor - 5/23/2007 2:25:15 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

23K? Sure...

Rupert - 5/23/2007 7:13:01 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

It won't cost less than 23k pounds for chrissakes..

SupraNeverBack - 5/23/2007 7:28:22 PM

0 Boost

Not pounds, but US dollars.

Rupert - 5/23/2007 7:52:22 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

Never.
It will be around the same as an R32.

TheSailor - 5/24/2007 8:42:19 AMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Let's be a little realistic here... It the car is going to have AWD, it is going to take a lot of money to develop, if the car will have a V6, possibly with turbos, that is going to be expensive to develop or adapt for the car... The MazdaSPEED3 has 260 hp with an I4 engine taken directly from it's big brother (the Mazda 6 MPS)and it only has FWD... That car is already 23k and every single Mazda3 is considerably cheaper than the comparable Auris... The Auris will under no circumstances be under 25k and probably alot closer (if not above) 30k... If it is ever sold in the US, that is!

dannyboy2 - 5/23/2007 11:22:13 AM

+2 Boost

More like R32 killer..Toyota's 3.5L V6 produces more than 275hp, but they'll never build it with that much power

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S4cabriofoxone - 5/24/2007 6:55:33 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

It's more powerful, but it's not more fun. Think about that. The 3.3L in our RX330 is smooth, easy and... characterless. The 3.5L has adopted the same formula, as Toyota does not want to alienate its core U.S. buyers.

LexusNumberOne4ever - 5/23/2007 12:07:58 PM

-4 Boost

Wow! twin-turbo V6. AWD. Electronically-controlled LSD. DSG-style gearbox. M3-chasing power. CL-style refinement.

And as expected, the Corolla will have non of these.

But still, I can't wait for the Corolla fans to come here and start babbling.

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kart1 - 5/23/2007 1:12:09 PM

+2 Boost

I'm sorry, are there really corolla fans?

TheSailor - 5/23/2007 2:07:17 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

^LOL^

Rupert - 5/23/2007 7:14:58 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

oh fanboy...poor you!

I think I hate your Corolla too lol. :P

Agent63 - 5/23/2007 7:46:05 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

Toyota/Lexus fans ARE corolla fans haha. It's funny that I've seen a Lexus GS have the same steering wheel as the one in the Corolla and as well as in the Celica. Funny how the parts were strikingly similar.

LexusNumberOne4ever - 5/24/2007 12:00:56 AM

0 Boost

Perhaps this is a spiritual successor to the AE86.

kart1 - 5/24/2007 12:26:45 PM

+2 Boost

Really I never knew those models existed. Here is the thing, those models are 20 years old and have fans specific to those Corollas and those Corollas only. Those guys buy the car to race, you cannot use the new ones to race (and especially not drift). So no the current and the past two generations of Corollas don't have any fans. Having some people like two or three old models doesn't mean that the new model is just as appreciated.

SupraNeverBack - 5/23/2007 12:30:41 PM

0 Boost

I think the idea makes perfect sense, 270hp AWD Matrix to battle Mazda Speed3, VW GTi, Civic Si etc.

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Bill - 5/23/2007 2:09:59 PM

+1 Boost

How do we know this Corolla will be AWD?

TheSailor - 5/23/2007 2:22:56 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

Because anything else would be complete lunacy! Ever driven a FWD car with 200+ horsepower? Mine has 240 and though it is definately one of the better FWD cars, it sometimes gives up and everything ends up in smoke and squelling tires. Adding another 30 horsepower but no AWD would make absolutely no sence... But then again, Mazda have done 260 hp with FWD... But the result isn't very good... So I think you can be pretty sure it will have AWD...

07mcs - 5/23/2007 3:18:07 PM

0 Boost

Sailor:

which fwd car do you have that has 240hp?

TheSailor - 5/23/2007 3:42:00 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

Seat Leon Cupra

http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/leon_cupra.asp

TheSailor - 5/24/2007 8:29:10 AMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Thanks...

Cupra R... That is the old one with the 225 hp 1.8T engine, right?
The Cupra drives very well... It goes in circles around both the Golf GTI and the Golf R32. It has a slightly harder ride than the GTI, but damn that harder setup does wonders for the handling! And I think that the car looks so good too!

S4cabriofoxone - 5/24/2007 6:58:31 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Sailor, it's a re-bodied GTI/R32 (like my A3), so can it really drive that much better? Suspension tuning is everything, I guess.

TheSailor - 5/24/2007 7:15:10 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

It's not just a rebodied GTI... The engine has gotten a complete over haul, it has larger brakes than any Golf (well not the W12 maybe but...), it has a completely redesigned suspension, a completely different exhaust system with more sound and it has a helluva lot of equipment... And it looks better... Anyway, if you don't believe me, feel free to come by, I'll let you have a go so you can be convinced that it is more than a simple reskin and badgejob... I considered a GTI instead, I even tested a special 220 hp special edition, but it still wasn't as fast and didn't handle as well as the Cupra (believe it or not)... The only thing the Golf has on the Cupra is an interior of slightly better quality...

no1listensanyway - 5/23/2007 12:43:02 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

So much for the "environmental" company.

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raikkonen - 5/23/2007 3:26:34 PM

+3 Boost

Yes, as if a limited production of AWD-V6 Corollas (which would be LEV classified anyway) will be detrimental to the environment.

Ignorance is bliss, eh? Grow some balls.

raikkonen - 5/23/2007 3:27:03 PM

+3 Boost

...and a brain.

no1listensanyway - 5/23/2007 8:22:25 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

Grow a sense of humor, your life will be less miserable.

TheSailor - 5/23/2007 12:48:02 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

This rumor have been around for so long and have been put to sleep but then revived time and time again!

If they choose to do this car, I seriously hope they are going to do something about the looks of the car, because that car looks SOOOOOOOOO BORING! It is just about the most boring car seen since the 80's...
That story about Toyota scraping the design after seeing the new Civic and then designing a new one from scratch seems to be nothing but that, a story!

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SupraNeverBack - 5/23/2007 1:05:07 PM

+2 Boost

What makes you think that story was true? The new Corolla has been out in other places for almost one year, and the 5 year old one is still outselling the new Civic here.

The new Corolla will come with dual vvt-i 1.8L and 2.0L, 20% FE increase. I think Civic may be in trouble after the new Corolla comes out.

TheSailor - 5/23/2007 2:06:56 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

Whoa whoa whoa... Down boy!

I didn't say that Toyota was affraid of the Civic running away with all the sales (the corolla easily outsells the civic in europe as well)... I am just refering to the rumors which began circulating after the new Civic came out and the Corolla Successor was suddenly delayed. The rumors said that Toyota had seen the very modern (VERY modern) design of the Civic and that made them worry that the corolla sucessor would look too dull and conservative, so they scrapped the design and made a new one... Apparantly that wasn't so! It had nothing to do with sales numbers, fuel efficiency, who can save the most Dolphins or any of that bull crap, it was simply about the new "corolla" design being too conservative and downright dull... And it still is... Ergo, the rumor was apparantly just that, a rumor!

SupraNeverBack - 5/23/2007 7:29:43 PM

+2 Boost

Why brought it up since you already knew that rumor was fake?

TheSailor - 5/24/2007 8:30:44 AMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

LOL... You think the Auris looks good?! It looks like a slightly modified last gen Corolla which looks like an enlarged Yaris!

gsh23 - 5/23/2007 3:23:51 PM

+2 Boost

the matrix is already sold in the US with AWD. probably will get the celica gts engine. v6? maybe the smaller 2.5 liter good for 200hp.

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SupraNeverBack - 5/23/2007 7:38:27 PM

+3 Boost

The GTS engine is obsolete. The current gen Matrix and Corolla XRS used to have it. 200hp v6 is completely uncompetitive in today's market. Due to its large scale of production, I think the 3.5L v6 is cheaper to build than the 2.5L v6.

Will_ - 5/23/2007 4:05:10 PM

0 Boost

Good. It's time to upgrade my 2004 Corolla. It's lookin' dated and gets me less and less attention from the honeys.

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LexusNumberOne4ever - 5/24/2007 12:33:22 AM

+3 Boost

Will: I thought you had a twin-turbo Avalon.

S4cabriofoxone - 5/24/2007 6:59:50 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

LOL, I guess you don't have an LS430.

TheSailor - 5/24/2007 8:32:00 AMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Sure... Because the Corolla is known for it's handling... I'll believe it when I see it!

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TheSailor - 5/24/2007 11:18:39 AMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Ahh yes... Those cars... Because they were all true Corollas You are talking about the Trueno and the Levin... NOT the Corolla... Those were not based on the car known as the Corolla (you know, the sedan and the hatch back)... This car won't be based on a special chasis... That is like saying that a E36 318i is a great car because it is of the same model as the E46 M3...
I actually considered importing one to Denmark, but then I bought a Nissan Sunny GTI-R instead because the Levin wasn't available in left hand drive... And people driving these cars do not call their cars Corollas, that is for certain!
I have yet to drive a Corolla that handles well, except for a danish rally car I once had a chance to try... But that wasn't exactly box standard...

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S4cabriofoxone - 5/24/2007 7:02:16 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

K. But Sailor has a good analogy- was the 323i an amazing driver's car because the E46 M3 was?

Well, maybe. But that's a bad example!

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LexusNumberOne4ever - 5/25/2007 5:37:21 AM

+1 Boost

Sailor, S4 : Similarly, it can be argued that this V6 Corolla is the 'M3' of the Corolla range.

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LexusNumberOne4ever - 5/25/2007 9:36:14 AM

0 Boost

Engines have been taxed by displacement in Japan.

A V8 Camry does sound nice....and for a V8 Acura, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Honda was developing a small V8 for Acura, based on the current RL's mill.

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infdude - 6/18/2007 6:54:09 PM

+1 Boost

Well I hope they build it at NUMI that way I can get a good deal on it....

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