Recent patent filings submitted by Toyota->ke88 in Japan could eventually lead to our wishes finally coming true. The patent, as the images clearly show, looks a lot like the Subaru STI Performance Concept that was unveiled at the New York Auto Show->ke226 in April 2015. Subaru->ke86 was coy on its future plans for the concept,->ke169 but now it looks like the future is arriving sooner than we expected.

According to Auto Guide, both Toyota and Subaru are involved in the patent application.

Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru, is also credited for the design of the patent. To add even more fuel to what is already a healthy fire, the revelation of the patent comes a few days after Subaru boss Yasuyuki Yoshinaga hinted that a high-performance BRZ variant could be released ahead of the arrival of the second-generation model.

Toyota has been quiet on this front other than the submission of the patent, but since the two companies are working in concert in the development of the sports car troika - the Toyota GT86 and the Scion FR-S make up the other legs of the tripod - it’s possible that we might get an announcement from them in the near future.

Until then, let’s hug these images tight and wish on a star that there’s a lot more to this patent application that what meets the eye. We’ve waited since 2012 to see more powerful variants of the BRZ,->ke3973 FR-S,->ke3820 and GT86.->ke4085 It’s already 2015 and we’re still waiting. Let’s hope that our wishes will be answered soon.

Continue reading for the full story.

Why it matters

I understand the compulsion to get a little too excited after hearing this news. Trust me, I did a celebratory fist pump myself. But, before we get too giddy about the prospect of seeing high-performance versions of the BRZ, FR-S, and GT86, it’s important for us not to get too carried away.

The patent application doesn’t confirm anything. We’ve seen patent filings before that never amounted to anything so we can’t discount that happening here. But, it’s also hard to ignore how these developments are slowly gaining some momentum. Subaru and Toyota are definitely planning something and no less than Subaru’s big boss has confirmed that. The question is what exactly that “something” is.

Is it the high-performance versions of the sports car trio that we’ve been waiting for, is it the second-generation versions of said models? I personally am hoping that it’s the former because I already know that second generation model is coming. That’s already been confirmed.

But, high-performance versions of the first-gen models? Neither Toyota nor Subaru have confirmed anything other than usual hints here and there. Besides, jumping to second-gen models without offering a performance variants of the first gen units its like having an awesome dinner and a horrible desert. As good as these cars have been, they deserve to exit with a bang and not a whimper.

Having more powerful versions of the BRZ, FR-S, and GT86 would certainly do the trick.

Scion FR-S

Read our full review on the Scion FR-S here.