Next Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ could get Prius bones

Don't cry foul; that's how flexible TNGA is.

The reports claiming the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ twins wouldn't be replaced have largely fallen silent. Both models will get a successor sooner rather than later, that's official, but Toyota could use a higher number of existing parts to keep development costs in check. The list of carry-over components might include the coupes' basic platform, according to a recent report.

Australian website Motoring learned the second-generation 86 and BRZ could shift to a rear-wheel drive version of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) found under a variety of models including the RAV4, the Prius, the Corolla, and the C-HR. The coupe segment is declining globally, so Subaru and Toyota are having a difficult time putting together a business case for the development of a standalone platform.

Building the 86 on Prius bones sounds like heresy at first, but don't cry foul: it just shows how flexible TNGA is. It was developed with front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive cars in mind. The coupes would, theoretically, drive like a proper rear-wheel drive car. And, keep in mind Volkswagen has paved the way with its MQB platform, which is found under a wide variety of cars ranging from the Atlas to Audi's TT.

Toyota and Subaru executives haven't decided whether to use TNGA for the coupes yet. The second alternative that's still on the table is making both models on an evolution of the platform they're currently riding on, which traces its roots to an lder version of the Impreza. Using Subaru's modular platform, which underpins cars like the current variants of the Impreza, the Forester, and the Legacy, has been ruled out. Insiders told Motoring that the platform was developed with all-wheel drive in mind, whether it's mechanical or electrified, and making the 86/BRZ anything other than rear-wheel drive is out of the question.

The publication learned development of both cars is "well under way," but we don't know when they'll break cover yet.