Wednesday 2nd March 2011

Toyota Shows Off FT-86 'II'

Second coupe concept is close to finished product

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As the forthcoming rear-drive Toyota coupe - the FT-86 - gets ever closer to production, the Japanese car manufacturing giant has revealed a second concept at the Geneva show.

Imaginatively dubbed the FT-86 II, the concept is closer to the finished product - which we hope to se in all its full-production glory by the end of the year - than anything we’ve seen before.

Perhaps the most significant and yet least obvious changes over the previous concept are to the bonnet and roof line, both of which are slightly higher than in the previous concept, presumably in the causes of pedestrian impact safety and interior packaging respectively.

The mildly fussy spoiler, chunky bumpers and beefy exhausts are really motor show glitz, but beneath the bling what you see is essentially what we will eventually get in the forecourts of the nation’s Toyota dealers.

As far as technical specifications go, it’s all a bit sketchy at the moment. We know it will be rear-wheel drive, we know it will be powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Subaru-sourced boxer engine, and we know it will get a conventional manual transmission, but beyond that things are as dark as the concept’s tinted windows

But although Toyota is keeping more or less shtum about the finer details, we did have a chat with a couple of senior Toyota chaps. They told us that ‘the mechanicals have been kept as low as possible in the car, as well as between the front and rear axles, to help maximise the car’s agility and sporty responses’ and that inside there will be ‘lots of fun buttons to press’, allowing Toyota to make the car an extremely ‘adjustable’ driving experience.

And the price? There’s little information on that, but an unfavourable exchange rat with the yen means that the original hopes of a sub-£20k sports car are likely to be decisively dashed, but that the FT-86 could still come in below £25k.

[PascalBuyens]

Hmmm... I'll wait judging it until I see it in the flesh tomorrow...

[OwenK]

Looks much better in near production trim than the concepts I think, barring the DRLs anyway.

[Fergie87]

2.0 N/A any ideas on the power output? Unless it's going to be light i don't see it being very quick. Nice looking though

[Tuvra]

Fergie87 said:

2.0 N/A any ideas on the power output? Unless it's going to be light i don't see it being very quick. Nice looking though

I got a feeling its going to be poorly powered, why 2.0 N/A? Stick the 2.5 Impreza Turbo lump in there and make a proper sports car for god sakes!

[Steve vRS]

Those photos look better than the ones in Autocar but that back end still worries me. I much preferred the original concepts smooth, uncluttered look.

Hope they are sticking to the brief of light - sub 1200kg these days. Coupled to a 180bhp engine, that would be fun and not too expensive.

Steve

[Dr G]

I agree Steve, sadly it seems to have been productionised.

Like the RX8 from concept to production it didn't change all that much but in doing so the shape lost its edge.

[forzaminardi]

They've made it look too fussy, the rear end is much bulkier too. A pity they couldn't leave it alone after the last (red) concept but there we go - if it drives as well as they hope then it'll still be a great car.

[D18OCK]

Still love the concept!

I hate "unfavourable exchange rat(s)" though!

[vdubbin]

The GT5 stats (and there's no way you can look at this car without looking at the GT5 link) are 220bhp and 1000kg.
PD have done a promo video for the Concept II:
http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/news/d11519.html

[nickfrog]

It's slowly morphing into a cheapo looking bling LED Korean-style disposable car, which is a massive shame, as I've been looking forward to this for a while. Still, it might look better in the flesh and in its final version. Can't see it being less than 1250kg but with 200hp (hopefully) that'll be fine particularly if the engine is behind the front axle and low COG. Even at £25k, it'll lose £10k in 2 years. Job done.

Edited by nickfrog on Wednesday 2nd March 15:45

[J8TRO]

This looks too fussy compared to the original concept. Bin the day time running lights, they look cheap. Really looking forward to finding out the production figures for this car but is it me or is it taking forever.............

[gezkc]

nickfrog said:

It slowly morphing into a cheapo looking bling LED Korean-style disposable car...

I thought that too - there's definitely something of the Hyundai Coupe about it now, particularly its side profile.

Shame they've changed it from the original concept, but then I guess it's to be expected. I'll still be interested to see the production version - a relatively inexpensive rear-drive coupe is always a good thing in my book.

[Clivey]

Well personally, I can't wait for this. - Something between an MX-5 and 370Z - a RWD coupé that you can afford to swap your shopping car for, and one that can be used every day without bleeding you dry. The only other cars that do this are BMWs...and you have to have a 3.0-litre before they have enough BHP/ton.

[Steve vRS]

Clivey said:

Well personally, I can't wait for this. - Something between an MX-5 and 370Z - a RWD coupé that you can afford to swap your shopping car for, and one that can be used every day without bleeding you dry. The only other cars that do this are BMWs...and you have to have a 3.0-litre before they have enough BHP/ton.

Somebody will be along soon to mention RX8's.

Steve

[Fittster]

I don't understand why people are calling for bigger, more powerful engines. There are plenty of those already on the market, what there isn't are 2 lire coupes with RWD from major firms.

This is targeted as coupe that will be reasonably cheap to buy and run, so it isn't going to set lap records at the ring.

[Fittster]

Steve vRS said:

Clivey said:

Well personally, I can't wait for this. - Something between an MX-5 and 370Z - a RWD coupé that you can afford to swap your shopping car for, and one that can be used every day without bleeding you dry. The only other cars that do this are BMWs...and you have to have a 3.0-litre before they have enough BHP/ton.

Somebody will be along soon to mention RX8's.

Steve

The rotary engine in the RX8 means it's not a economic ownership proposition.

[thetapeworm]

Fittster said:

This is targeted as coupe that will be reasonably cheap to buy and run.

I hope this is still the case but I'm ready to be disappointed.

I'm not keen on the changes in the II, something between the original concept and the car they took to the shows after that would suit me just fine.

[MIP1983]

I would like the better looking, maximum pedestrian damage version 1 please.

[Robmarriott]

I never thought I'd say this but I can see myself driving a Subaru engined Toyota coupe within the next few years!

Looks better than the original concept to me, more finished, more real.

Just hope it's not given 140bhp and a cvt box!

[hornetrider]

Needs to lose the chavvy spoiler extensions - which I think it will when it reaches production.