Automotive Rumors

Have you heard a rumor somewhere that you're not sure of? Has someone said to you that "GM merged with Toyota" or some other piece of hearsay that you have doubts over? Post it here and our crack team of experts will try to prove or disprove each legend.

If you decide to post a comment to prove or disprove a prior post, please provide good, reliable sources to back it up whenever possible.

I heard there was something going on with Toyota and Peugeot Citroen Group, which I read in an article about the major players of the car industry (e.g. Ford, BMW, Daimler Chrysler etc).

Supra MKIV/5000GT?

New Mitsubishi GT0?

Will Mitsu go back to the looks of the Evo 6?

...

Toyota Supra is currently just a rumor...I have nothing to confirm or deny it. Same with the GTO.

Today, at the New York Auto Show (I'm currently in the press room), they showed the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback. It's the 2004 Lancer wagon and it features the new Lancer front end. It seems that the Evolution will have a different front than the other Lancers. The Evolution has the more traditional Lancer front.

Toyota and PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) are building a new plant in Eastern Europe. The facility will produce a joint-venture product, a new small car, under the Toyota, Peugeot, and Citroen brands for sale in Europe. I believe they're also working on a diesel engine joint-venture in Europe as well. There are no plans (both companies deny it) for the two to merger or for one to take over the other. It's not Toyota's way...and PSA couldn't afford to buy Toyota.

Thanks for that!

The Evo news sounds good - I hope we see the 6's styling return.

When I read about the collaboration between Toyota, Peugeot (and Citroen, as As Peugeot and Citroen are merged), I suspected a merger as the activity, becuase there was no further information, but I wasn't sure. Thanks for clearing that up.

PS Theres a lot of news that the new Mitsu GTO is in the drawing board stage :confused:

An ages old rumor- but Honda were going to join Daimler-Chrysler to design a car- also Honda and Subaru were going to merge :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Honda are the king of retarded rumors

LOL, Jimster.

Also Hudson, whats the deal with Chrysler and Mitsubishi? I have heard they are sharing platforms on quite a few vehicles and have already on the past, and I heard that Mitsu cant build the 3000GT because Dodge arent in the performance market (but they are with their high performance Neon and Viper).

Also, as Jimster has mentioned Honda, whats the news on a 400hp NSX? The NSX needs that power, although the NSX-R does the 1/4 mile in 10.8 seconds.

Saab has made a deal with Subaru and is producing an AWD small car based on the WRX platform that is rumoured to come with either the 2.5 litre NA or 2 litre turbo engine.

Originally posted by Blitzen
LOL, Jimster.

Also Hudson, whats the deal with Chrysler and Mitsubishi? I have heard they are sharing platforms on quite a few vehicles and have already on the past, ...

You don't remember the Stealth/3000GT twins? (either the Stealth or the Avenger, I can't remember. :bloated: ) Also, they have been sharing for quite some time. My parents' 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan has a Mitsubishi V6 in it.

You don't remember the Stealth/3000GT twins? (either the Stealth or the Avenger, I can't remember. ) Also, they have been sharing for quite some time. My parents' 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan has a Mitsubishi V6 in it.

Yeah, I remember that, dude.

Originally posted by Hudson
Have you heard a rumor somewhere that you're not sure of? Has someone said to you that "GM merged with Toyota" or some other piece of hearsay that you have doubts over? Post it here and our crack team of experts will try to prove or disprove each legend.

If you decide to post a comment to prove or disprove a prior post, please provide good, reliable sources to back it up whenever possible.

this is no longer a rumor. GM has merged with Toyota and has been merged for about 2-3 years now. the most recent and obvious to prove my point is the strikingly close resemblance of the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix.

this is no longer a rumor. GM has merged with Toyota and has been merged for about 2-3 years now. the most recent and obvious to prove my point is the strikingly close resemblance of the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix.

:o :eek:

Sorry...I was away from my computer for a little while.

HYUNDAI, not Honda, is working with DaimlerChrysler. So far, the only definitive connection between them is the Global Engine Alliance (DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai are working together to design and build engines) and a medium/heavy truck venture.

It doesn't seem like Honda is poised to merge with anyone. Although I think Honda/BMW would make a good fit, that's just my thought. Since GM owns 20% of Fuji Heavy Industries, a merger between Honda and Subaru (Fuji Heavy) doesn't look likely.

Chrysler Corporation owned a sizable share (about 1/3) of Mitsubishi from the early 1970s until the mid 1990s. Chrysler sold most of their holdings at that time. In 1998, Daimler-Benz and Chrysler "merged" and shortly afterward, DaimlerChrysler purchased a portion of Mitsubishi. They are currently working at developing vehicles together. The next generation Lancer will share much of its platform with a number of Chrysler Group vehicles including (but not limited to) the Neon, Stratus sedan, Sebring sedan, and Sebring convertible replacements. DaimlerChrysler's relationship with Mitsubishi has nothing to do with Mitsubishi not building the 3000GT.

GM owns 20% of Subaru and 100% of Saab. Since Saab needed more product, they are using Subaru and GM products. The 9-2 will be based on the Impreza wagon and there will be an SUV based on the Trailblazer. the 9-2 hatchback will be the standard Impreza wagon while the 9-2 Aero will be the WRX wagon.

And General Motors did NOT merge with Toyota. It never happened.

GM and Toyota formed a joint-venture in the early 1980s. The joint-venture is called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI) and it's based in Fremont, California. NUMMI began by making the Chevrolet Nova (based on the Toyota Sprinter), Toyota Corolla, and Toyota pickup. The Nova was replaced by the Geo/Chevrolet Prizm, which was recently replaced by the Pontiac Vibe. Toyota developed most of the Nova, Prizm, and Vibe to be sold by GM. This joint-venture does not mean there's any cross ownership of stock. GM owns no significant amount of Toyota, and vice-versa. Toyota is substantially more valuable than GM at the moment.

Once again, Toyota developed the Matrix and the Vibe, and GM wells the Vibe. Oddly enough, Toyota also sells the Vibe in Japan as the Toyota Voltz. GM and Toyota NEVER merged.

Originally posted by Hudson
...
Once again, Toyota developed the Matrix and the Vibe, and GM wells the Vibe. Oddly enough, Toyota also sells the Vibe in Japan as the Toyota Voltz. GM and Toyota NEVER merged.

This is true. Just because automakers share technology on a car or two, doesn't mean they are "merged". If this was the case, then GM would have been merged with Toyota since the early nineties, when the Corolla/Prizm twins were released.

It's not unusual at all for automakers to team up on a car to help fill up their lineup, or to meet EPA mileage fleet standards sometimes. For example, the older Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager. It was designed cosmetically by Nissan, but built by Ford. Ford and Nissan collaborated in an attempt to take on the market leading Chrysler minivans.
from http://www.sandiegometro.com/1997/jan/roadtest.html
"The Nissan Quest and its almost identical sister, the Mercury Villager, were entirely designed in San Diego. Both debuted in 1992. The minivans were assembled at Ford Motor Co.'s Avondale facility in Ohio, from parts provided by Nissan plants both in this country and in Japan. The drive train, including the V-6 power plant from the highly acclaimed Nissan Maxima, is built up in the U.S. from subassemblies manufactured in Nissan's Japanese factories. This is an example of the new international cross pollination of vehicles and major automotive companies, and how they are quietly cooperating in product design and manufacture."

Additionally, the Ford Aspire was manufactured by Kia, and the early nineties Ford Escort was actually made by Mazda.

Originally posted by boingo82
...and the early nineties Ford Escort was actually made by Mazda.

It was all pretty-much right...except this. The US-market Escort was NEVER made by Mazda. Parts of the Escort (much of it, actually) was designed by Mazda, and the GT's 1.8L DOHC engine was supplied by Mazda (along with some transmissions), but the Escort itself was built in Ford plants in Hermosillo, Mexico, and Wayne, Michigan.

Originally posted by Hudson


It was all pretty-much right...except this. The US-market Escort was NEVER made by Mazda. Parts of the Escort (much of it, actually) was designed by Mazda, and the GT's 1.8L DOHC engine was supplied by Mazda (along with some transmissions), but the Escort itself was built in Ford plants in Hermosillo, Mexico, and Wayne, Michigan.

Ah..thanks for the enlightenment...I got that info back when in an arguement with an "Imports suck" guy, who owned a 1991 Escort and a early-nineties Stealth, yet insisted that "all imports r crap" and "if u buy a import u shoud get kicked out of this county becuz ur anti american" and I must've mixed my facts a bit since then.

I seem to remember that much of the electricals were Mazda's, too.

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