Toyota, Lexus to borrow Mazda's RWD platform, straight-six engine?
The first vehicle to be built on the new platform is expected to arrive as early as 2022.
Toyota and its Lexus brand are reportedly interested in using Mazda's upcoming rear-wheel-drive platform and straight-six engine.
Mazda last month quietly confirmed development work on a new family of straight-six engines that will be mounted longitudinally for RWD vehicles, essentially adding two more cylinders to the company's SkyActiv-X four-cylinder gasoline mill featuring compression-ignition technology.
Japan's Best Car now claims the platform architecture and associated powertrains will underpin a replacement for Toyota's Mark X (pictured) and a new Lexus coupe.
Mazda has not yet disclosed technical details for the upcoming inline-six engines. The four-cylinder SkyActiv-X delivers 178 horsepower in the Euro-spec Mazda3. The straight six should be significantly more potent thanks to the extra cylinders and a 48-volt mild hybrid system for certain configurations.
The latest report suggests the new platform could reach production around 2022.
The Japanese rivals last year outlined plans to build a $1.6 billion joint production facility in Alabama to build the Toyota Corolla and a new Mazda crossover starting in 2021.