Monday 7th October 2013

Toyota cancels GT86 cabrio

Open GT86 not in the product plan for the next two years; will it ever see the light of day?

---

As both the fleets of Garlick and Dan demonstrate, we're rather partial to a bit of open-top motoring at PH. And most of us are quite keen on the Toyota GT86 also. Bring the two together and you have the makings of a great convertible, right?

It looked ready to go at Geneva...

Toyota evidently doesn't agree, as it has indefinitely postponed the GT86 cabrio project. You'll remember it was previewed at the Geneva show as the FT-86 Open; despite that lurid interior colour scheme, it certainly appeared a feasible production project. Although the Subaru-Toyota collaboration promised future models, the Geneva concept was never confirmed as anything more than a show attraction.

Now Toyota sources have confirmed it's not in the product plan for next year or 2015. "But I saw spy shots of it!" you may cry, as we did. Indeed, much of the engineering work was already complete, so the project could theoretically be restarted fairly quickly. We'll see.

... well, interior aside that is

No official justification for cancelling the GT86 cabrio project has been given as yet. Excessive weight has been mooted as a possible concern, the added strengthening required for a rigid convertible perhaps compromising the GT86 too far. It seems strange that Toyota would get as far as testing development prototypes before realising that a convertible would add a fair bit of weight though. Is it maybe a pricing issue, following the criticism of the standard car £25K price tag?

Unfortunately we can only offer conjecture until anything official is confirmed. But with the convertible apparently dropped, can we have a flagship coupe now?

[Sources: WhatCar?, Autocar]

[P4ROT]

Just like Honda was never building another Type-r and Ferrari a hotter 458 etc etc...

[Daniel1]

It looks like a car from gtaV - shame though.

[drocter81]

you are not alone

What a wheezy little mule it is.

One for the Clarkson aficionados

[Gilhooligan]

Good. Now they can focus on turbo'ing the normal one

[epom]

Agree that its not necessarily such a bad thing they wont make this.

[anonymous-user]

The Crack Fox said:

This is probably a PR thing to guage the real demand for the cabrio verion, if enough people make some noise, then perhaps they'll build it.

I am seemingly alone in not feeling the love for the GT86, it is (IMO) a car designed for it's 2nd or 3rd owner, someone who is happy with the lack of poke, the horrible engine sound and (above all) the naff interior and contrived and childish styling. It does drive beautifully but the details ruin it.

I wonder how many GT86s have been sold so far in the UK, and how that compared with Toyota's expection ?

All in your opinion

Sorry but the drive is surely the most important bit? And the car from which it gets it name was effectively a box with a fantastic engine with only a "modest" amount of power.

Modern cars are all the same, boring blobs with a million toys, insulated to the hilt and weighing slightly more than a small artic. This (well the hardtop) is possibly the only interesting new car out there, without spending vulgar amounts of money.

And it may not be the best looking car... but is certainly better looking than the current PH favourite 135i

[marcosgt]

Maybe they figure it'll just be slower and heavier than a cheaper MX5?

M

[danjama]

Just me that was quite keen on it then?

I think a t-bar model would look sublime.

[danjama]

smartie93 said:

All in your opinion

Sorry but the drive is surely the most important bit? And the car from which it gets it name was effectively a box with a fantastic engine with only a "modest" amount of power.

Modern cars are all the same, boring blobs with a million toys, insulated to the hilt and weighing slightly more than a small artic. This (well the hardtop) is possibly the only interesting new car out there, without spending vulgar amounts of money.

And it may not be the best looking car... but is certainly better looking than the current PH favourite 135i

Well said

[Shurv]

Yawn, more slagging off the GT86 for not having enough power. The GT86 is a sports car, and a very good one too. What it isn't is a fast car. There is a difference. There are plenty of fast cars out there which may be fast in a straight line, have impressive bragging stats, BUT, are not very good sports cars. Different strokes for different folks. Shame about the cabrio, but 4 seat cabrio's are generally bought for posing and require relaxed dynamics, the GT86 doesn't have that, so not really a good idea. Too heavy for a sports car, too focused for a cruiser.

[RemarkLima]

The Crack Fox said:

I am seemingly alone in not feeling the love for the GT86, it is (IMO) a car designed for it's 2nd or 3rd owner, someone who is happy with the lack of poke, the horrible engine sound and (above all) the naff interior and contrived and childish styling. It does drive beautifully but the details ruin it.

Comments like this really do baffle me.

I have no idea when 200bhp became "lack of poke", and a 4 cylinder engine became a "horrible engine sound" - Given an Elise, with a 120bhp 1.8 4 cylinder engine never received these criticisms... *shrug*

But then I got bored in anything with 300bhp or more simply because you can never stretch its legs properly... Unless booting it in a straight line up the m'way slip road is called fun...??

[dlockhart]

marcosgt said:

Maybe they figure it'll just be slower and heavier than a cheaper MX5?

M

This s a 2+2 so it will have a USP over the mx-5 but your right it shouldnt be slower.


Turbos all round I think.

[RenesisEvo]

danjama said:

Just me that was quite keen on it then?

No - I really wanted it to become reality, despite my fears of the strong yen making the price far too uncompetitive. What I would like is an MX-5, but I can't live with the limited practicality. A drop-top GT86 offered the chance of solving this problem, but retaining all the excellent driving characteristics the Mazda has, plus a little more poke. I really hope this does see the light of day, otherwise I'll have to settle for the Mazda. And a second car. Perhaps that is Toyota's problem - it would be hard to look past an MX-5, especially if they aren't able to retain a decent boot, etc.

[acespizee]

smartie93 said:

All in your opinion

Sorry but the drive is surely the most important bit? And the car from which it gets it name was effectively a box with a fantastic engine with only a "modest" amount of power.

Modern cars are all the same, boring blobs with a million toys, insulated to the hilt and weighing slightly more than a small artic. This (well the hardtop) is possibly the only interesting new car out there, without spending vulgar amounts of money.

And it may not be the best looking car... but is certainly better looking than the current PH favourite 135i

You sound (Read) like a magazine

The engine is pathetic and sounds like crap, lack of any kind of thing you call exciting in its power delivery the car is still too heavy and looks cheap. It also comes with crap, contrived tyres.

If this all equals up to a great drive, the media has you.

[acespizee]

RemarkLima said:

Comments like this really do baffle me.

I have no idea when 200bhp became "lack of poke", and a 4 cylinder engine became a "horrible engine sound" - Given an Elise, with a 120bhp 1.8 4 cylinder engine never received these criticisms... *shrug*

But then I got bored in anything with 300bhp or more simply because you can never stretch its legs properly... Unless booting it in a straight line up the m'way slip road is called fun...??

If it had a real 200 hp like a type-r it would not be called slow, type-r's murder them and sound much better while doing it.

So..... yes it is slow and yes it sounds crap.

If you cant stretch the legs of 300 bhp, just give up.


Comments like yours baffle me, especially on this site.

Edited by acespizee on Monday 7th October 11:19

[craig9367]

I really wanted one too

[andyps]

I am really disappointed to see this, I saw the car at Geneva and Le Mans this year and thought it looked great. As mentioned above the extra practicality of more than 2 seats over cars like the MX5 has great appeal. I have a 2+2 cabrio which doesn't carry people in the rear seats but the space is used for transporting things which would not fit in a pure 2 seater. I don't need, or want, a convertible version of a hatch or saloon so this would be high up my list of cars to consider, even with less power than my current car which is much more of a tourer.

Must get a drive in a GT86 though.

[Richyboy]

Stupid idea anyway.

The criticisms stop when the cheapskates can afford one, as with most cars that are more than the sum of their parts.

[danjama]

Sounds good to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Gtjw4GMCs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9KRnOplenI

Would imagine it sounds fantastic with a nice induction cone in place...

[danjama]

acespizee said:

If it had a real 200 hp like a type-r it would not be called slow, type-r's murder them and sound much better while doing it.

So..... yes it is slow and yes it sounds crap.

If you cant stretch the legs of 300 bhp, just give up.


Comments like yours baffle me, especially on this site.

Edited by acespizee on Monday 7th October 11:19

Yes, because being a pistonhead is all about poweeeeeeeeeeer

Grow up.