Toyota Kills Celica & MR2

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jul 19, 2004 | 11:47 AM

#16

The Bear

Evolving Member

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 244

Likes: 0

From: Midwest

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestSideBilly

I don't understand Toyota. They've spent billions developing the Scion brand and Scion lineup in order to draw a younger crowd into the Toyota/Lexus dealerships. As soon as that's rolling, they axe the only "young" cars in the Toyota stable. This makes absolutely no sense to me. Toyota hasn't shown any concepts or design studies (that I've seen, at least) that indicate they're preparing to launch a new intermediate sports car (between the Scion xC and the presumed return of the halo Supra). It seems like Toyota's philosophy is that as soon as someone outgrows the Scion (probably around their mid 20s), they'll be ready for a Camry.

And yes, I'm aware of their profits, but those are coming from old well-heeled owners buying their cars. What happens when those old well-heeled owners die or stop driving?

They need another AE86. An affordable, lightweight RWD car that is more practical than a tiny 2 seater convertible. I think it would steal the market. Perhaps something more like the 240sx but a better base engine? If only the toyota gods could be on our side!

Maybe there is too much competition in the intermediate sports car market, and enough people will just buy Toyota because of brand recognition. Somehow this Hybrid stuff is exciting enough to alot of people along with Solaras

Jul 19, 2004 | 12:01 PM

#17

The Bear

Evolving Member

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 244

Likes: 0

From: Midwest

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanner_Hall

sounds like toyota is moving away from the performance market just like honda. in the last 10-15 years, honda has dropped the crx, the prelude, the rsx type r (for the US), soon the nsx, and possibly the S2000. strange...you'd think both honda and toyota would leverage their F1 and other racing programs to develop and market new sports cars.

You don't see all the RSX commercials during F1 telecasts? I think the CRX and Prelude ran there run. I don't see the Integra/RSX going away any time soon, or the S2000 (??). The NSX really kind of stuck out like a soar thumb among their line up anyways, but yeah it probably was their closest car to the F1 program. I don't see honda (toyota definently, but not honda) becoming less performance oriented, if anything I think Honda is really just being overshadowed by Mazda, Mitsu, Nissan, and the others right now.

Jul 19, 2004 | 12:05 PM

#18

s4awd

Evolved Member

Joined: Aug 2001

Posts: 616

Likes: 1

From: Westchester NY

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNasty4G63

Wasn't the MR-S just the name for the MR2 Spyder in other parts of the world???
Hilg

Yes. If you say MR 2 in French it comes out as "merde" which means crap. so they changed it to MR-S. I used to own a Celica All-Trac Turbo (GT-FOUR). That was an awesome car. Toyota's WRC winning AWD sports car. People thought I was nuts when I wanted to put on huge rally lights on the front 10 years ago.

Here's a pic of a model of the car