Toyota set the blogosphere alight over the weekend with the first official pictures of its long awaited sports coupé ahead of its official unveiling at the Tokyo Motor Show on November 30. First previewed by the FT-86 Concept shown at the 2009 Tokyo show, and latterly the FT-86 Concept II at Frankfurt, the new car will enter the UK market in June 2012 sporting a few visual tweaks and a new name.
While many expected the FT-86 badge to be dropped in deference to a more publicly known name, like Celica, the new car stays true to its 'Hachi Roku' origins and will be known as the GT 86 in Europe or simply 86 in Japan. The GT 86 was co-developed with Subaru (who will debut the BRZ - its version of the car - at Tokyo) and is fitted with a 200hp 2.0-litre flat-four boxer engine that sends its power to the rear wheels via a standard limited slip differential and either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox, the latter of which can be controlled using steering wheel mounted paddle shifts.
The boxer engine has been fitted as low and as far back as possible to give the GT 86 both a low centre of gravity and a weight distribution of 53:47. This should give the compact 2+2 coupé the driving thrills of its forebear - the Corolla GT/Levin AE86. To this end the suspension features MacPherson strut front suspension and double wishbones at the rear.
Toyota's designers have managed to carry over much of the looks of the concept cars with the headlights and curvy bonnet staying true to the designs we have already seen. One noticeable change is to the rear where the slender, deep-set tail-lights have made way for a more traditional set-up with a circular LED cluster behind clear glass.
Inside, the GT 86 has a driver-focused cockpit with buckskin covered steering wheel for better grip, an instrument cluster arranged around a large tachometer and detailing such as carbon-effect trim, all-black roof lining, red stitching on the upholstery, aviation-style rocker switches and aluminium pedals.
No official word yet on either performance figures or Irish prices. It goes on sale here by summer 2012.