Toyota to Turn to Yamaha for Help Developing New City Car Engine?

iQ Photos

Toyota's quest to make a tiny, efficient city car has taken some interesting twists. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

The iQ might have been designed as a front-engine, FWD car, but this may change. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Reportedly, the car's engine block will include space for a transmission. Extra compact, no doubt. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Toyota seems ready to roll on the development of a brand new city-friendly micro car based on the concept vehicle which it displayed at this year’s Frankfurt auto show. The iQ, for those not in the know, is a size and a half bigger than the smart fortwo, but features seating for three, with a fourth extra jump seat for emergencies and an engine mounted up front that drives the front wheels.

Because size is vital to the concept of the iQ, Toyota would need to fit a super-compact engine that’s extra thrifty but durable and lively for use in the car. Surprisingly, Automotive News is reporting that the brand is turning to acclaimed motorcycle and powersport manufacturer Yamaha to develop a new engine for the car. The report suggests that the car would have an engine that is about one-liter in displacement, and would have its roots in the motorcycle world, not the car industry. In addition, because use of space is a priority, the design includes a transmission that is integrated into the engine’s block. Furthermore, the car might not make it to production with a front-engine, front-wheel drive setup, but rather may adopt the now popular rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout similar to the VW Up! and Mitsubishi i.

Yamaha doesn’t produce cars on its own, but it has plenty of experience building engines. Most notably, the brand designed and produced the high-performance V6 engines used in the Taurus SHO, as well as the V8 engine in later years, and also designed and builds Volvo’s new V8. As for its relationship with Toyota, it has regularly produced overrun Lexus V8s, designed by Lexus, mind you. For a car of this size, performance really isn’t the first priority, but rather fuel emissions and efficiencies are. Yamaha has experience in that area too, demonstrated in their latest team effort with the aforementioned Swedish brand. The 4.4-liter V8 engine used in the XC90 and the S80 is actually the cleanest gasoline V8 ever made. Toyota would no doubt be thrilled if they, together with Yamaha, manage to make the world’s greenest 1,000-cc engine too.

Historically, there is a connection between the two brands that goes further back than the Lexus tie-in. During the ’60s, the two built a series of engines together. In more recent times, Toyota and Yamaha teamed up for a co-branded previous-generation Tundra; branding was as far at the Yamaha involvement went.

As far as Toyota products go, the production version of the car is unlikely to sell in the same numbers as the Corolla or Camry. In fact, insiders are predicting a target of just 100,000 units per year, with 80,000 of those being sold in Europe. That’s not terribly high, but sales figures aren’t the only thing that Toyota is trying to target.

Exclusivity is the name of the game that Toyota is trying to play, and the iQ would be a bit more of a niche product, increasing its “got to have it” factor rather than being just another transportation device, the latter a reputation that Toyota wants to get away from.