There May Be a New Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ on the Way
Toyota and Subaru are working on new versions of the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ sportscars, according to a new report.
According to Japan Times, the two Japanese automotive giants are putting their heads together once again to create new versions of the 86 and BRZ. Toyota is apparently leading the charge here, carrying the belief that a new, more powerful version of the sportscar will boost its image and attract new customers to the brand. Under the hood will be a 2.4-liter engine, perhaps a version of the 2.4-liter turbocharged engine found in the Subaru Ascent. The report also indicates it will retain the current vehicle’s rear-wheel drive layout and offer an even lower center of gravity. Subaru is keen to equip the car with its EyeSight suite of driver assist technologies as well, Japan Times says.
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We’re approaching this report with a certain degree of skepticism, as it doesn’t indicate where the information comes from, citing unnamed “sources.” It’s not outside of the realm of possibility, though. Toyota is making a massive push to be seen as a “fun” brand, evidenced by its commitment to motorsports, the upcoming reintroduction of the Supra nameplate and the sport-inspired styling of vehicles like the new Camry and Corolla. The new Corolla is also available with a six-speed manual transmission – a decision that was made purely in the name of driving enjoyment.
Japan Times says the new 86 and BRZ twins would arrive for the 2021 model year. Let’s wait and see if its intel turns out to be true.
[Source: Japan Times]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Yeah, keep it under powered. Brilliant...that's definitely "fun."
make engine a 2.2L, fix tq dip; address front seat return position after being reclined so it returns to the original position; enhance driver feel; improve steering response; give each car a different set of wheels so each model stands apart from its twin; give it better colors different from other Toyos/Subeees; have regular and up rated version of each (e.g. Audi TT, TT-S, TT-RS), keep three pedals; make it the best car in all respects doing what the aftermarket would do, but do it from the factory....AND...develop a '86/BRZ ONLY racing series so people can get behind the car and it can build repor on the track, not just during the Celebrity race at Long Beach race weekend - Nissan does it with their Z car, so why can't Toyota/Subaru do it with the ir sports car????? #savethemanuals