Spotlight Finally Falls on Toyota FT-86

Automotive Enthusiats have been seeing concepts of the FT-86, which if now being called the GT-86 at least of Europe, since 2009 and have been hearing rumors about a small, rear-wheel drive Toyota since before then. Finally, after all of the rumors and speculation, the GT-86 is ready for its public debut.

As every automotive enthusiast knows by now, the GT-86 is a 2+2 sports coupe powered by a 2.0 liter, direct-injected boxer engine that Toyota co-developed with Subaru. What we did not know, until now, is how much power this mill would produce. Well, it makes 200hp at 7000rpm and 205Nm (151ft-lbs) of torque. Technically, the engine uses two sets of fuel injectors that allow it to alternate between direct and port injection depending on what the car's computers tell it would work best. The boxer engine allow Toyota to keep the GT-86s center of gravity low to make it more tossable and better handling.

It will come with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Power is routed to the rear wheels via a standard limited-slip differential and the stability control has been retuned specifically for the GT-86s more sporty demeanor.

The GT-86 is 4.2m long and 1.28m high with a 2.5m wheelbase, which Toyota claims makes it the world's most compact four-seat sports coupe. How usable those back seats are, is as of yet unknown. It has a 53:47 weight distribution. It uses a MacPherson Strut front suspension with dual wishbones in the rear.

The design of the FT-86 is classic but modern. It maintains the classic long hood/short deck appearance that is identified with sports coupes while having its own modern flourishes like the twin exhausts protruding from the rear diffuser. Up front the GT-86 does not look like any modern Toyota. The front is bracketed by the tall fender bulges. It has triangular head lights with a slight bulge in the hood. Toyota calls it all Scorpion styling.

Inside the GT-86 is modern, if a little dark. Toyota says it has made the seats as supportive as possible for hard cornering and tuned the ergonomics for sporty driving. The gauges are built around the large, central tachometer. Toyota says that it chose typefaces and colors for the instruments that would make them most readable.

No word yet on a price for the GT-86, but it will be out in the Spring of 2012 for us to find out. It looks like the wait is over to find out if Toyota and Subaru's experiment on a small sports coupe will pay off.