The wait for this car has gone on way to long, but at least Toyota knows how to keep us interested in what could do for the carmaker what the MX-5 did for Mazda - the FT-86 sports coupe. The Japanese automaker has confirmed that the model will go on sale in 2012, while also announcing a few technical goodies.
The power for the production car will indeed come from Subaru’s new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine that has been fitted with Toyota's D-4S technology, which combines direct injection and port injection. Let’s just hope this has enough pulling power, because there is nothing worse than a sportscar that doesn’t perform as well as it looks.
We still don’t have any power figures to impress you with, but Toyota says the D4-S technology “results in increased horsepower and torque without sacrificing fuel consumption and environmental performance.” The latest incarnations of the 2.0-liter unit is offered in the latest Impreza models, where it produces 148 hp and 145 lb-ft (197 Nm), which is 22 hp less than the outgoing 2.5-liter. We know that aerodynamics play a big part in the FT-86’s performance, but a sportscar with too few ponies doesn’t sound sexy at all.
Another big piece of news is that, unlike the Impreza’s 5-speed or CVT boxes, the the Toyota FT-86 will be offered with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission. “The manual will offer quick and precise shifts with a short-throw, while the automatic transmission will feature sporty shifts controlled by steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifts,” said Toyota. A limited-slip differential has also been added to the mix - a feature we are really looking forward to.
Toyota will sell the coupe under its own name in Europe in Japan, while the North America version will come in the form of the Scion FR-S Concept we saw in New York.
The power for the production car will indeed come from Subaru’s new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine that has been fitted with Toyota's D-4S technology, which combines direct injection and port injection. Let’s just hope this has enough pulling power, because there is nothing worse than a sportscar that doesn’t perform as well as it looks.
We still don’t have any power figures to impress you with, but Toyota says the D4-S technology “results in increased horsepower and torque without sacrificing fuel consumption and environmental performance.” The latest incarnations of the 2.0-liter unit is offered in the latest Impreza models, where it produces 148 hp and 145 lb-ft (197 Nm), which is 22 hp less than the outgoing 2.5-liter. We know that aerodynamics play a big part in the FT-86’s performance, but a sportscar with too few ponies doesn’t sound sexy at all.
Another big piece of news is that, unlike the Impreza’s 5-speed or CVT boxes, the the Toyota FT-86 will be offered with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission. “The manual will offer quick and precise shifts with a short-throw, while the automatic transmission will feature sporty shifts controlled by steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifts,” said Toyota. A limited-slip differential has also been added to the mix - a feature we are really looking forward to.
Toyota will sell the coupe under its own name in Europe in Japan, while the North America version will come in the form of the Scion FR-S Concept we saw in New York.