Toyota FT-86 Concept – say ‘hachi roku’

The Toyota FT-86 Concept will preview at Tokyo

The FT-86 (hachi roku is Japanese for 86) is a small (13′ 8″ long) rear-wheel drive sports coupe which is going to turn up not just as a Toyota but also as a Subaru. It uses the 2.0 Boxer engine found in the Impreza, but by the time it finds its way to market in 2011 – as both a Toyota and a Subaru – it’s likely to get the next generation Boxer lump.

The FT-86 is Toyota’s way of launching itself back in to the sports market – a market it once did well in with cars like the MR2 – and gain some credibility, and custom, from younger drivers. The FT-86 is pitched as a substantially sub-£20k car, with a target price in Japan of 2 million Yen, but is likely to be around £17.5k when it reaches the UK.

Lack of a suitable engine – and the bean counters – has kept Toyota out of the sports market for a number of years, but the collaboration with Subaru has made the FT-86 viable, and will also offer the chance to produce a higher performance turbo version of the Ft-86.

The press release from Toyota is very short on detail – just a few lines -

The FT-86 (“86″ pronounced “hachi roku”), a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car, provides driving joy and excitement.

Compact design gives driver greater control, while body’s lightness and low center of gravity allow racecar-like handling

Both power and environmental performance provided by 2-liter boxer engine and light body

Flash Red body color contains hint of blue; interior expresses modern feel with minimal coverage of the highly refined structural components evoking enthusiasm for cruising

But it’s good to see a car maker revealing a new car that doesn’t have a hybrid or plug-in lump.

By Cars UK