Almost two years ago, BMW ->ke178 and Toyota ->ke88 started talking about a possible partnership and once the papers were signed, they announced the new collaboration will bring a new sports car and new hybrid technologies for both companies.
Now, new details on this collaboration have surfaced online and they only bring good news. Apparently, Toyota's supercar will be something similar to the previous Lexus LF-A supercar->ke2181, but with a hybrid->ke2270 powertrain.
This new supercar->ke177 will explore terrains never hit by the LF-A, like a hybridized V-8 engine. Even though Toyota was the first maker to offer hybrid cars in its lineup, it never had the courage to develop a hybrid hyper-car. However, things are about to change.
Sources suggest that the company is already testing the i8's carbon-fiber frame, meaning that the two new supercars could also borrow elements from the i8. One thing is for sure though: Toyota will be the one coming with the hybrid technology since it already developed high-performance hybrid powertrains for the V-8-powered Lexus LS 600h. BMW is also offering a very successful 4.4-liter, V-8 engine in its lineup, and a hybrid system from Toyota will only make it even more fuel efficient.
Everything else on these two new supercars is pure speculation, and there are still tons of question that need to be answered, but for sure more details will follow in the upcoming months, so stay tuned!
Click past the jump to read more about BMW i8 - the model that could inspire the new Toyota-BMW supercar.
BMW i8
The production-version BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show -- after a bunch of concept cars were unveiled the years before -- starting with the Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The i8 is powered by a hybrid system that combines a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engine with an output of 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels with an electric motor driving the front wheels and that adds another 131 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.
Combined, the entire driveline produces 362 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque and sprint the i8 from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and up to a top speed of 155 mph.