Official: Toyota GT 86 revealed (at last)
Final production version of Toyobaru coupe unwrapped before Tokyo show debut
The Toyota half of the Toyota-Subaru 'Toyobaru' joint venture has been dubbed the FT-86 in concept form, but will be called GT 86 in Europe (after the iconic AE86 coupe of the 1980s). In the US it will be known as the FR-S and simply the '86' in Japan.
As we expected, the 1998cc Subaru-developed boxer unit, helped by D4-S direct injection, delivers 200hp at 7000rpm and a maximum torque of 151lb ft at 6600rpm. Toyota's press bumf describes the GT 86's performance merely as 'brisk', but expect a sprint to 62mph in around 7.0secs and a top speed in excess of 140mph.
Performance shouldn't be the 1180kg coupes star turn however - that goes to handling (we hear - the chap who's driven it for Autocar reckons it's up there with a Cayman in handling terms). And in order to make it exciting to drive, the GT 86 gets MacPherson struts up front, double wishbones at the rear, a limited-slip differential, a six-speed manual 'box (an auto is also an option) and an ultra-low centre of gravity (just 460mm, thanks to that engine configuration and a low hip-point for the driver).
So far, so good. But with every silver lining comes a cloud - in this case that's the fact that it's now expected to cost around the £28k mark rather than the £22k that had been hoped, and a long way beyond the sub-£20k mark originally envisaged...
Nevertheless, we're keenly looking forward to the arrival of the GT 86 when it lands in UK dealers in June 2012...
The price however is way too high for what it is. Would rather get a pre-reg 370z for that money.
200bhp should be ample for the weight and if the drive is as good as it will supposedly be.
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