Next Toyota 86 delayed even as Subaru BRZ nears launch, report says
Toyota's boss wants the 86 to be even more different than the BRZ, according to a report from Japan.
It may be a little bit longer than we thought before the Subaru BRZ's corporate cousin, the Toyota 86 , shows up. According to a report from Japan's Best Car last Tuesday, the 86 may not launch until 2022. Why? Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda reportedly wants the 86 to differentiate itself even more from the BRZ.
Toyota didn't immediately return Roadshow's request for comment on the matter, but the company's been awfully quiet about the car, even though the BRZ debuted this past November. The sports car is scheduled to reach dealers this coming fall. We did catch a patent application image of what's almost certainly going to be the new Toyota 86's front clip, but if Toyota's boss wants something different, perhaps we'll see greater changes.
But, at the end of the day, the two cars will be wildly similar, as has been the formula since the Scion FR-S and BRZ came into the world last decade. Toyota's version has always been more affordable, with less focus on premium features. The BRZ is the version where more comforts come into play. Whether that strategy continues remains to be seen at this point. Still, the new 86 will ride on the new BRZ's platform and share its 2.4-liter flat-four engine. It makes 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, which are nice increases of 23 hp and 28 lb-ft compared to the 2.0-liter flat-four found in the outgoing cars. No, there's no turbocharger and this car doesn't need one. I will die on that hill.
Perhaps we'll see larger design tweaks emerge, but with the BRZ revealed and the 86 presumably close to finished, it's hard to imagine any serious changes to Toyota's sports car. We'll have to wait and see how things hash out.
