Overview

• Japanese outlet Best Car reports Toyota will replace Subaru with Mazda to co-develop the next GR86 on an MX-5–derived rear-drive platform, with senior Mazda engineers already dispatched to Toyota.
• The report says Mazda would build both models in Hiroshima, with the MX-5 staying a two-seater and the GR86 using a slightly stretched 2+2 layout.
• Powertrains would differ by brand, with Mazda retaining its own four-cylinder and Toyota using a separate 2.0-litre hybrid setup, though Mazda’s CTO has previously indicated a larger 2.5-litre for the next MX-5.
• Toyota, Mazda and Subaru have not confirmed the report, and journalists say they have sought comment from all three companies.
• The omission of the BRZ from the report raises questions about Subaru’s plans, against a backdrop of Toyota’s minority stakes and long-running platform-sharing ties with both Mazda and Subaru.