01
Off the Wish, into a two-person department
While developing the second-generation Wish, Tada was called in by an executive and ordered to build a sports car. Minivans were the stars inside the company, and those around him sympathized as if he had been demoted. The sports car team was just two people: Tada and a young engineer known for driving nothing but a used AE86.
02
The same tires as the Prius
For the 86's standard tires, he chose the same ones as the Prius. The aim was for drivers to learn the fun of controlling a car once it starts to slide, rather than relying on high-performance tires. They also help fuel economy, which made it easier to tell executives skeptical of sports cars that it was a sports car that balanced the environment and driving.
03
Practically living at Subaru's development site
Not only were they working with another company, but neither Toyota nor Subaru had built a sports car for some time. Told by those around him that it would be a tough job, Tada practically lived at Subaru's development site. The first year or two, gathered around paper drawings, were awkward, but once prototypes were built, a mood of mutual respect emerged.
