The sports car square dance may have a new pairing in the not-too-distant future, with the next iteration of the iconic Mazda MX-5 roadster reportedly sharing its lightweight, rear-wheel drive platform with the third-generation Toyota GR86.

A report in the latest issue of Best Car magazine, which we discovered via Forbes, claims Toyota will abandon Subaru as its development partner for the 86/GR86 line in favour of Mazda.

According to the Japanese magazine, a coterie of senior Mazda engineers have already been dispatched to Toyota to work on the project, which will use the current MX-5 platform as its starting point.

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While the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ are basically the same car bar a few minor styling changes and handling modifications, the new MX-5 and GR86 pairing will reportedly have a lot more differentiation, although both will be built by Mazda at its factory in Hiroshima.

Best Car says the MX-5 will remain a two-seater, with the platform stretched a little to allow the next GR86 to retain its 2+2 coupe layout.

Likewise, the two vehicles will use their own engines, with the MX-5 using a Mazda 2.0-litre four-cylinder, possibly with some form of hybridisation, and the GR86 employing a Toyota 2.0-litre hybridised setup.

It should be noted that Ryuichi Umeshita, Mazda’s chief technical officer, told Road & Track in July the next-generation MX-5 was going to use a larger 2.5-litre engine.