BMW and Toyota has on Thursday inked a deal on their intention to work together in developing the environment-friendly engine technology, as well as sharing the BMW excellent series of diesel engine. Toyota Motor will benefit from the supply of BMW 1.6l and 2.0l turbo-diesel engine, which both are renowned for their excellent performance yet very fuel efficient, from year 2014. Both companies will collaborate in the R&D of the next generation lithium-ion batteries, capitalizing on Toyota vast expertise in developing hybrid drivetrain since 14 years ago.
BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer said: “Toyota is the leading provider of environment-friendly series technology in the volume segment and the BMW Group is the most innovative and sustainable manufacturer of premium automobiles. We are now joining forces to further develop environment-friendly technologies and to expand our innovation leadership in each of our segments. Supplying Toyota with our fuel efficient and dynamic diesel engines represents another important step in the planned expansion of our sales activities for engines and powertrain systems.”
Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda said: “It is a great joy and a thrill to enter into this mid-to-long-term collaborative relationship with BMW, a company with its own culture and history from its many years of car manufacturing in Europe, and a company that makes cars that are fun to drive. In the spirit of contributing to furthering the development of the auto industry and society, both companies will bring their wide-ranging knowledge - starting with that concerning environmental technologies - to the table and make ever-better cars.”
Just to dream wildly, will we some day see a 320d-powered Lexus IS200d? or perhaps Lexus GS200d, and even a Toyota 86d, powered by 1.6l BMW Turbo diesel drifting around Tokyo?