TOKYO MOTOR SHOW: Toyota names new sports car 86
Smart move? Subaru-powered sporty pays homage to AE86 SprinterToyota has announced its own version of the sports car jointly developed with Subaru will be named the Toyota 86.
Rear-wheel drive and powered by a low-mounted Subaru boxer engine, the Toyota 86 is named in tribute to the AE86 (Corolla rear-drive) Sprinter, which was sold in Australia during the 1980s — and badged Trueno in other markets.
The news puts paid to rumours that the new car might have been marketed as Celica or Sprinter. Toyota celebrated the car's launch with company president Akio Toyoda driving an example along the main straight of Fuji Speedway, to the south of Tokyo.
"I am very proud of this car," Toyoda-san said. "Thank you for the patience of car lovers. They are going to enjoy this car."
Toyota has provided the D-4S direction petrol injection system, which has been adapted to work with Subaru's horizontally-opposed four-cylinder in the new car. The induction system is unusual in featuring dual injectors for each cylinder, one discharging directly into the combustion chamber and the other discharging into the inlet port — so it's actually a combination of port and direct injection.
According to Toyota, there are times when port injection supplementing induction is more effective than direct injection alone. Compression ratio is as high as 12.5:1 and maximum engine speed is 7500rpm, with peak power reaching 147kW.
The car runs a six-speed manual transmission or the option of a six-speed automatic and Toyota claims fuel economy commensurate with that of a conventional 2.0-litre sedan.
Toyota (and Subaru) designers have bestowed the lowest H-Point of any vehicle in the current Toyota range, with the steering wheel's diameter of 365mm also the smallest in the range. These two features and other signature design elements highlight the Toyota 86's sporty credentials — an important aspect of the new car's profile. Toyota has been without sports models in its range since the demise of the Celica and the MR2 Spyder. This new vehicle is the first fruits of Toyoda-san's determination to reverse the brand image of Toyota as a company that builds worthy but unexciting cars.
Central to the excitement factor in the Toyota 86 is the Subaru-sourced 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed DOHC engine, which is a square design (bore and stroke both 86mm). Maximum power is 147kW and peak torque of 205Nm arrives at a high speed of 6600rpm. Underpinnings comprise front struts and double-wishbone IRS, with ventilated discs all round for braking. 18-inch wheels are shod with 215/40 R18 tyres at the front and 225/40 R18 at the rear.
The four-seat Toyota 86 measures 4240mm in length and 1775mm wide. Pointing to its rear-drive configuration and strong performance from its naturally-aspirated engine, the car's track is 1520mm at the front, 1540mm at the rear. And just 1300mm high, the car squeezes its drivetrain in between the axles, on a wheelbase of 2570mm.
Toyota Australia plans to launch the car in June of next year. Keep an eye out in the meantime for our first drive of the Toyota 86.
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