An unlikely love affair or a working partnership has come up in the name of Silk Road 2. This project will see Toyota and BMW working together to develop a two-seat mid-engine sports car to tackle the Porsche 911.
According to reports, BMW will have the heavier hand in the deal as most of the work done in this partnership will be done by BMW. What will be the result of this love affair? Well two cars, one wearing the BMW badge the other wearing a Lexus roundel. The BMW has been named as Z7 where as Lexus is being referred to as the ZC or ZR.
These twins will take their power from a twin-turbo 3.0 litre straight-six mounted behind the driver and passenger and driving the rear wheels is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. There is an electric motor too which gives 110kW of power. The car will be recharged by regenerative braking and via mains power.
At this early stage in the cars’ development, total drive train output is believed to be between 400bhp and 500bhp, and overall weight around the 1650kg mark. This allows for a 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 172mph. These twins are likely to include active aerodynamics, electric power steering, driver-adjustable double-wishbone suspension and composite breaks.
The target price for Silk Road 2′s resultant cars is £72,000 ($130,000), which is amazing as it undercuts the entry-level 911 Carrera by about 1000 pounds. This new mid-engine vehicle is being developed in addition to the previously announced collaborations between BMW and Toyota. These vehicles are also inspired from FCV Hydrogen Cell Vehicles.
