Toyota GT 86 finally here

It has been a long wait, but the Toyota FT-86 sports car is finally here. The original name hasn’t survived though, and in Europe it’s now known as the GT 86. For North America it’ll be called the FR-S and marketed under the Scion brand.

Toyota GT 86 (2012) Front Side 1

Developed in partnership with Subaru, the GT 86 is a 2+2 coupĂ© that’s built on an all-new rear-wheel drive platform.

Power comes from a typically Subaru 2.0 litre flat-four boxer engine, albeit fitted with Toyota’s D-4S fuel injection technology. Featuring twin injectors per cylinder and running a high compression ratio, it develops 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS) at 7,000 rpm and 205 Nm (151 lb/ft) of peak torque at 6,600 rpm. Those outputs might not sound like an awful lot, but then the GT 86 weighs just 1,180 kg.

Buyers will have a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, both of which have six speeds. However, performance and efficiency figures have yet to be released.

At only 4,240 mm (13’ 10”) long, the GT 86 is slightly shorter than the Toyota Auris, but a width of 1,775 mm (5’ 9”) and height of 1,285 mm (4’ 2”) give it a suitably sporty stance. As expected, the styling is virtually identical to its Subaru BRZ cousin, with detail changes restricted to components such as the bumpers and wheels.

So, assuming a similar driving experience and no overriding brand loyalty, the decision to buy either the Toyota or Subaru version will come down to equipment levels and pricing - and both of those items are still to be confirmed.

The Toyota GT 86 makes its public debut at the Toyota Motor Show at the end of this month, and UK sales are due to begin in June 2012.

Toyota GT 86 (2012) DashboardToyota GT 86 (2012) Rear Side

Toyota GT 86 (2012) Front Side 2Toyota GT 86 (2012) Interior

Related posts:
2013 Scion FR-S revealed
Subaru BRZ unveiled
Subaru BRZ STI Concept

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