New-generation Toyota 86 confirmed for Oz

TOYOTA has confirmed that a second generation of the 86 sportscar will be produced, and made available in Australia, rebutting overseas reports that the rear-wheel-drive coupe would be axed to clear the path for the four-cylinder version of the reborn Supra.

Speaking exclusively to GoAuto, Toyota Australia public affairs manager Brodie Bott poured cold water on claims that the 86 would be axed in favour of the base Supra variant.

“When those reports blew up, we had a few chats internally and I can tell you right now, the car (second-generation 86) is coming,” he said.

“I don’t know where these reports have come from, but at this stage we are certainly not looking to discontinue it, it’s a pretty important car for us and it will be the little brother to the Supra.”

When asked directly if there will be a successor to the current 86, Mr Bott confirmed that “there will be, we’ve seen it, it is coming”.

While the Supra was developed in partnership with BMW and is heavily related to the new Z4, the 86 was part of a joint-venture program with Subaru, which offers the BRZ.

The current 86 is powered by a Subaru-sourced 152kW/212Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer engine, while the new Supra will be available with a 145kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit in base form overseas.

A higher-output 190kW/400Nm tune has also been developed for the Supra’s four-cylinder engine.   

Overseas reports have claimed that the similarities in power output will see the 86 discontinued to give the entry-level Supra free air as Toyota’s most affordable rear-drive coupe.

While Mr Bott would not definitively rule out the possibility of the four-cylinder Supra arriving in Australian showrooms, he said there were currently no plans for either version of the force-fed four-pot to be sold here.

That could change down the track, but in the short-term Toyota Australia will provide plenty of breathing space between the current 86 – which tops out at $38,940 plus on-road costs for the GTS automatic – and the new Supra, which at launch will be offered solely with a 250kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine.

Local pricing and specification are still to be announced, but a circa-$75,000 sticker price is anticipated.

Little is currently known about Toyota’s 86 successor, including whether the new sportscar will be co-developed and built with Subaru.

Early overseas reports are claiming the new-generation 86 could be powered by a 2.4-litre engine, but whether the powerplant remains naturally aspirated or features forced induction is unclear.

Also unclear is when the new 86 is expected to surface. The first generation went on sale in 2012, indicating that its successor should materialise in the next few years.

Toyota gave every indication just over a year ago that it remained committed to the 86, using the 2017 Tokyo motor show to unveil the GR HV Sports concept – code for Gazoo Racing Hybrid Vehicle – that saw the sportscar reskinned and threw a racing-derived hybrid powertrain into the mix, complete with high-mounted battery pack positioned behind the front seats for optimum weight distribution and, as a result, improved handling characteristics.

Longer, wider and shorter than the 86 production car, the concept’s design was described by Toyota at the time as reminiscent of Gazoo Racing’s TS050 Hybrid racecar that was competing in the World Endurance Championship.

As well as the powertrain, headline features on the GR HV included a targa-style roof – drawing inspiration from the previous Supra and the 1960s-era Toyota Sports 800 – as well as LED headlights, bonnet vents and centrally mounted exhaust pipe.

It also had a novel ignition switch on top of the gear lever for the automatic transmission, and a separate button on the lever to engage a unique manual shift mode that allowed the driver to row through the six-speed gearbox using a H-pattern gate.