Hot 86 models to come, but no Celica badge yet

Toyota is being tight-lipped about most every detail of its new 2+2 sportscar, even its production name.

Debuted in concept form at this week's Tokyo Motor Show, the FT-86 Concept has been co-developed with Subaru and confirmed for production for the 2011 model year. But while the company is saying the new rear-wheel drive coupe will be powered by a 2.0-litre boxer (horizontally-opposed) four-cylinder that's unique to the car, that's about all that's on the record. Officially…

The Carsales Network caught up with Toyota's Chief Engineer for the FT-86 project, Tetsuya Tada at the car's unveiling at Tokyo. And though the development boss was happy to talk about the importance of the new sportscar to Toyota's future brand DNA, when it came to details about the car he was particularly tight-lipped.

According to Tada-san, the FT-86's engine and platform are both unique to the car and not directly shared with any other Subaru models. He says the powerplant was developed from scratch for the car using "the latest technology from both companies" with Toyota's environmental goals in mind.

Insiders suggest the engine is an amalgam of Subaru's next generation Boxer powerplant with Toyota's own direct-injection heads, induction and fueling hardware. Tada-san says all the performance benchmarks are Toyota's.

Though a naturally-aspirated powerplant is fitted to the concept car, Tada-san says higher performance versions are on the cards. He even hints the car may launch with both standard and high-performance versions.

Not STI, but TRD, he joked adding: "Those sort of 'customised version' -- we have something of their sort in our mind. So please raise your expectations.

"It's not the end [of development] when we launch this vehicle. It has to evolve each and every year. Within that environment, there are many possibilities," he told the Carsales Network.

Including a convertible?

"Yes, within our evolution that is also an idea -- depending on your [the public's] support," Tada stated.

When it comes to the name the car will wear when it is released, Tada was equally non-committal. Indeed, when quizzed on a possible return of the Celica badge, he stated matter of factly: "I won't say the possibility is nil, but nothing is decided at the moment."

When it comes to local plans for the FT-86 production equivalent, Toyota Australia is sticking to the corporate line too.

"It's still a fair way away -- a couple of years from production," Toyota Australia product chief Peter Evans told the Carsales Network.

"As to what name you'd use, there's obviously some brand capital left in Celica. [But] the other thing is it is a spiritual successor to the AE86 Levin/Sprinter/Apex series, so whether it's one of those three [names] would be a decision TMC [Toyota Motor Company] would have to take, probably asking affiliates like ourselves."

According to Evans, head office may authorise different name strategies for different markets depending on the relative badges' strengths -- a la Corolla and Auris.

Evans says officially, the car is still not confirmed for Australia, but he says it is "absolutely" in the local operation's future model planning.

"[It's] Not confirmed for us. They have accepted our request in the TMC system but in terms of actually confirming it, it's not confirmed for us yet. But I'll be very surprised [if we don't get it]."

"I'm relatively confident -- better than 50:50," Evans enthused.

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