Toyota GT 86 finally breaks cover

Published December 28, 2011
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2 min read

Another Toyota car with a decade long gestation finally broke cover in production form on the eve of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. No less than Akio Toyoda drove a sharply styled front engined, rear-wheel drive coupe, designed jointly by Toyota with iconic Japanese brand Subaru to clearly illustrate the fun to drive philosophy which Toyoda san is actively and aggressively driving within his company

“All car lovers have been waiting for this kind of car,” said the Toyota head honcho and the gentleman racer who was also instrumental in Lexus realising the LFA supercar from concept to a 500-strong production run. “For the last ten years, I have been part of the development of this car, so I really feel like my baby is coming out.”

Toyoda san might be pleased with his efforts for in turn the car, first shown to the world’s media two years ago as the FT86, is now following in the wheel tracks of such famous Toyota models as the Celica and the 2000GT. And given the near fanatic following for the rear-wheel drive Corolla Levin AE86 from the early 1980s, the model nomenclature was borrowed from this as well. So much for history but the blend of Toyota build and Subaru heart and muscle makes for a delightful recipe.

The GT86 is classified as a two-plus-two (I doubt if any children would be comfortable in the back of this affordable hooligan) but what matters most to many would be how it feels from behind the steering wheel and also how effectively it moves, minds and hearts! It employs Subaru’s fabled 2.0-litre flat-four boxer motor which Toyota has massaged with its D4-S direct injection gasoline engine technology to deliver not just 197bhp at 7000rpm and 205Nm of torque at 6600rpm but more importantly to make it a pure smile inducer to take on the evergreen Mazda MX5.

This incidentally is also the world’s first sports car with a boxer engine up front driving the rear wheels and it comes kitted with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, notably from the Subaru Impreza. Given the driver focused approach Subaru packs into its everyday cars, the GT86 (BRZ is the model name for the Subaru version) is performance personified in a simple but tellingly effective way. Naturally aspirated, rear wheel drive instead of all wheel drive, a great torque spread from low down to deliver sprightly performance off the line with great poise, traction and impeccable balance across the performance spectrum. A 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds and a top speed in the region of 230km/h are impressive tasters.

That fun to drive statement from Toyoda san might ring more bells now courtesy the GT86 than it did with the brilliant LFA.

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