Remember how Toyota and BMW decided to work together on a jointly-developed sports car back in 2012? It’s still happening: The two companies confirmed today that the project is now in the concept phase. In other words, it’s moving slowly, but it’s still on.
The mid-size sports car is just one aspect of a broader BMW-Toyota partnership that includes joint work on lithium-ion batteries, engine sharing, and more. But a legitimately sporty vehicle was always part of the agreement between the two companies, leading to rumors of a Toyota-BMW collaboration that would spawn the next Z4.
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Adding much-needed auto-enthusiast flair to Toyota’s lineup has long been a goal for Akio Toyoda, the Japanese giant’s CEO and dyed-in-the-wool car guy. The partnership between the two companies is set to run until at least 2020, by which time hopefully we’ll have a driver-oriented Toyota-BMW on the streets.
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This story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com via Automotive News.