Toyota's eagerly anticipated
FT-86 rear-drive coupe
could cost significantly more than expected when it arrives towards the end of 2011, moving it away from the original idea of a bargain entry-level sports car.
According to an Autocar report, rapidly growing development costs mean that the car could cost between £15k and £17k on the Japanese market rather than the £13k originally envisaged.
Part of the reason is that the planned Subaru-sourced boxer engine is not clean or frugal enough to satisfy Toyota's bosses – so Toyota's development team is hard at work on maximising the car’s fuel-efficiency.
The news means that hopes of a sub-£20k UK price – setting the FT-86 up as a direct rival to the new Honda CR-Z – are rapidly fading. Instead it seems likely that the Toyota coupe will come in at between £20k and £25k.
Toyota has also now decided to aim for older buyers – aiming at buyers in their 40s rather than their 30s, as market research has apparently revealed that fewer younger buyers would be keen on the sporty coupe than Toyota originally predicted.