Automotive

Toyota's new GT 86 for those whose driving is a passion, not a necessity

Toyota's new GT 86 for those whose driving is a passion, not a necessity
Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86
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Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's new GT86 will have a near identical Subaru-marketed equivalent - this is the Subaru
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Toyota's new GT86 will have a near identical Subaru-marketed equivalent - this is the Subaru
View gallery - 13 images

Toyota will be officially showing its GT 86 sports car in Tokyo, after several years of concept cars and redesigns and extensive collaboration with Subaru, which will sell an almost identical car.

The compact 2+2 sports car is an incredibly important release from the world's largest auto manufacturer, which is hoping to bolster its reputation by creating a superb handling, driver-focused, low center of gravity, beautifully balanced with excellent power-to-weight ratio.

The front-mounted 197bhp Subaru 2.0-litre flat-four has rear wheel drive, goes on sale mid-2012 and is expected to sell below GBP30,000 in the UK to "those for whom driving is a passion, not a necessity."

The GT 86 measures 4,240mm long, 1,285mm high and 2,570mm wide, dimensions making it the most compact four-seater sports car available today. The driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible to achieve a 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution and an ultra-low center of gravity, at just 475mm.

Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86

Subaru's new horizontally opposed, naturally aspirated 1,998cc four-cylinder boxer engine features separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection, and a high 12.5:1 compression ratio. The flat-four has equal bore and stroke of 86.0mm and drives through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The manual offers quick, precise shifts using a tactile, short-throw lever; the automatic transmission can be controlled using paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel.

Toyota's GT 86
Toyota's GT 86

Power is distributed to the rear wheels via a limited slip differential to give the best possible grip in all driving conditions. The ABS and switchable vehicle stability control systems have been tuned specifically to deliver dynamic stability at the limit of the car's performance envelope with minimal electronic intervention to help preserve the purity of the driving experience.

The GT 86 may be launched as the world's only current sports car to feature a front-mounted, horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel drive, but it cannot claim to be the first. That honor is held by Toyota's two-cylinder boxer-engined Sports 800, which the company began developing in 1962. Since then, Toyota has established a long history of producing exciting, driver-focused sports cars with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive format that have proved as popular with the public as they have been successful in competition.

Toyota's new GT86 will have a near identical Subaru-marketed equivalent - this is the Subaru
Toyota's new GT86 will have a near identical Subaru-marketed equivalent - this is the Subaru

Here's some video from Toyota of the GT 86 in action.

View gallery - 13 images
18 comments
18 comments
Parris Boyd
No FT-86 for me. Learned my lesson about Toyota\'s lousy products and equally lousy attitude toward customers when the engine disintegrated in my MR2 Spyder. I published a blog post regarding the Recall King\'s latest venture into sports car land: http://uc2.blogspot.com/2011/03/toyota-liability-for-lotus-ft-86.html
Richard Janovsky
The design looks like it came out of the 1980`s.Maybe thats why they call it GT86.
Michael Mantion
\"is expected to sell below GBP30,000 in the UK\".. Typo. no way this thing will sell for less then 30k.
VoiceofReason
Less that 30K pounds? I can almost get new Corvette for that!
Womp
I am amazed at how much it looks like the last Celica Toyota produced.
Wyatt Bonnette
as normal, gizmag is close but not right. The ft-86 is suppose to be released into toyota\'s off brand scion this spring/summer. It fails to mention its a sporty, tuner economy car aimed at a younger generation interested in a cheaper more driver enthusiast market. It has the same look or style as my 2011 scion tc but looks to have more class, and hopefully it does. Can\'t wait
christopher
LOL - looks like a Datsun 260Z 2+2 - yeah - from the \'80s
Simon
You nailed it Womp, my thoughts exactly, another gutless Celica. What a joke, 197hp boxer 2L and they call it a sports car. Forget it Toyota, you\'ll never catch Honda, never produce anything like an Integra Type R or Civic type R, you\'re only passion is profit at the expense of squeezing the blood out of your suppliers.
Oztechi
I will look forward to watching Jeremy Clarkson\'s review of this car when they get hold of it. It is good to see Toyota getting back to making cars that people actually want and can enjoy! Keep it up.
The back looks too Subaru to me...yuck. The Toyota show car actually looked better than the final version of the car. I wish Toyota had gone for a normal 4 cylinder with a turbo instead of a tweaked Subaru motor that will be harder to work on due to its design.
wiarus2000
I am not too crazy about it looks
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