The Tokyo Motor Show showcased smashing new designs. There is one thing that we did not favor that much -- the dismissal of the idea for a convertible Subaru BRZ. Subaru’s brand chief Yasuyuki Yoshinaga brought out the bad news recently. To him, Toyota ’s drop-top concept showcased at Tokyo indicated a complete redesign requirement for a safe convertible BRZ.

Yoshinaga is president of Fuji Heavy Industries, the company which owns Subaru and manufacturer of BRZ and FR-S. As Yoshinaga is a big figure in the Japanese automotive world, the chances of convertible BRZ are small. “We make the car, so if we don’t make it, it can’t happen,” says Yoshinaga.

“I understand well that Toyota Toyota is receiving strong requests from the American market for the car,” he explained. “But the biggest challenge is meeting our internal safety standards. There are big technical difficulties.”