Toyota goes back to sporting roots
The sleek shape of the new GT 86.
TOYOTA unveiled its GT 86 sports car at the Tokyo Motor Show on November 30.
The 2+2 car goes on sale in the UK next June.
Toyota has engineered the GT 86 with one thing in mind — to create a driver-focused car which can give the classic sports car experience. Those who see driving as a passion will revel in its precise, instantly-responding throttle and steering systems.
It’s back to the old days for the Japanese car maker — they have foregone their usual layout and fitted a front-mounted, free-revving petrol motor driving the rear wheels. The four-cylinder “boxer” unit offers 197bhp at 7,000rpm and maximum torque of 205Nm at 6,600rpm.
The GT 86’s engine is the result of a joint Toyota and Subaru programme that marries technical know-how and mutual passion for sports cars. Toyota has added its D-4S injection technology to Subaru’s new boxer engine. And it’s all mounted under a sleek bodyshell.
The powertrain is matched to the world’s most compact four-seat design to create a car that benefits from light weight, low inertia and a low centre of gravity to achieve the best possible power-to-weight ratio. For the driver that means lively, accessible performance and dynamic character with minimal intrusion from electronic systems.
The design of the GT 86 uses the most compact dimensions possible, a low centre of gravity and aerodynamic performance, while also displaying the kind of style which Toyota sports cars had in the past. Cars such as the Sports 800, 2000GT, Celica and Supra, who all used rear-wheel drive.
The inspiration for the GT 86 is the Corolla GT AE86, a car with an enduring reputation for delivering sheer excitement and capturing the fundamental joy of driving. Here in the UK the GT claimed two British Touring Car Championship titles and a series of top-level rally victories.
