LONDON: Toyota has sold its last GT86 in the UK after a nine-year run where it managed to sell 7,500 units.
The GT86 (or simply 86 in Japan and Malaysia) was the forerunner for today’s GR Supra and GR Yaris.
The 86 made its world premiere at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. The "86" name refers to the engine cylinders that have a bore and stroke of 86mm. The car was also inspired by the rear-wheel-drive AE86 Corolla coupe of the 1980s.
To celebrate the exit of the first-generation 86, Toyota has put together a short film capturing some of the 86’s greatest moments from the past decade.
The next generation 86, like the first, should be the same mechanically as the Subaru BRZ, both being made at the same plant.
However, few details have filtered out on the upcoming model except for a design trademark registration that looks like the coupe's new lower fascia. A bigger grille and more rounded styling appear to be in the works for the second-gen 86.
Some details of the new BRZ are already known, so we expect they will be echoed in the new 86 as well.
The new BRZ uses a 2.4-litre four-pot boxer engine that produces 228hp and 249Nm of torque (versus 200hp and 212Nm in first-gen). It will be offered with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.
The chassis and subframe mounts have been stiffened, leading to overall rigidity of 50%. Suspension upfront are MacPherson struts, while the rear are double wishbones.
As the BRZ is scheduled to be launched in the second half of this year, the 86 should show up at around the same time.
