Toyota 86 2012 News

As chief engineer of the car, he makes all the final calls on everything down to the smallest nuts and bolts. This time he had to answer to Toyota supremo, Akio Toyoda, but he has all the answers for 86 enthusiasts. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE 86? "Everything. Why not? It's a really boring question." WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE VIEW OF THE STYLING" "The fenders, especially the rear side. In the rear-vision mirror you can see it when driving." HOW MANY COUNTRIES IS THE 86 SOLD IN? "Eighty-six. No kidding, seriously. Unfortunately, two or three more countries requested exports of the car. But I want to say no." WHAT IS THE MOST POWERFUL MODIFIED 86? "So far, there is car with 650 horsepower. Turbocharged, from a tuner in the USA. There are so many directions for the 86, since we have made the basic." WHY IS THERE NO HYBRID 86? "Toyota directors ask me this question many times. Frankly speaking, with current technology there is some limit to the application for sports cars. We need more progress on motors and batteries, which need at least twice the performance." IS THERE A FUTURE FOR SPORTS CARS? "Sure, sure, why not? Sports car driving is like horse riding, there are always some people who really want this." WHAT ABOUT SPREADING THE SPORTY DNA FROM THE 86 TO OTHER TOYOTA CARS? "It takes time. Maybe five years, for new models, to start this new era. WHAT ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE 86? "We have many ideas." CAN YOU TELL US ANY OF THEM? "No, of course not. Ha-ha-ha."  

The 86 is introduced this week with a sub-$30,000 sticker that is a clear $5000 less than predicted, thanks to hard bargaining in Japan and the strength of the Australian dollar. But Subaru Australia says it cannot make the numbers work and is instead concentrating on a single, fully-equipped BRZ that will be supplied in relatively low numbers.  "The answer is no. We won't have a $29,990 car, because that's a base model," Nick Senior, head of Subaru Australia, reveals to Carsguide. "We will only have one specification of BRZ and ours is the high-spec model." The 86 and BRZ are identical beneath the skin and even Toyota admits that Subaru is responsible for the heart of the car, its 2-litre flat-our engine, although it supplied the direct fuel injection system that helps it to make 147 kiloWatts.  There is a chance that the BRZ could be priced in line with the GTS version of the 86, which starts at $35,490 with similar equipment to the package expected in the Subaru. But Senior is not taking the bait. "We still have not finalised our pricing and we won't until the second or third week of July," he says bluntly. "In terms of specification, and the consumer offering, there are a lot of things that have to go into the mix. Until we stop the mixer we won't predict or get into discussions around pricing."  But he admits Subaru will have very limited supplies of BRZs, with nothing like the 250 cars Toyota is forecasting to deliver each month in Australia, and customers are likely to face a wait.  "We are going to be very constrained in terms of supply. We're likely to get 201 cars (Subs: 201 is correct) for the first six months. So that's about 30 a month." "We had an order bank, but we got to the stage that we had to say we couldn't take any more orders." Senior is not prepared to predict the waiting time for BRZ enthusiasts, although it could easily top three months and perhaps even rival the 6-12 months delay at the peak of local demand for the Volkswagen Golf GTi.  "We'll launch in July. We will have an understanding of the production schedule and shipping then. (But) it's certainly going to be several months," Senior admits. He now says the decision to take the BRZ, which was only a 'maybe' for more than a year, has been proved right. "I think, from the level of interest around the car, it's been well and truly vindicated. It's created a huge amount of interest and attracted people we would have never seen before. "Obviously, Toyota have committed a huge amount to this project and we're picked up in most of the stories.  To have that level of awareness is very good." But Senior says there is zero chance that taking the rear-wheel drive BRZ will lead to any breakdown in the all-wheel drive commitment by Subaru Australia, even as a way of cutting prices. "I can't see that happening in either the short or medium term. All-wheel drive has got a very significant role to play in AUstralia," he dead-bats. "With four per cent of the Australian market, to be able to command that share is all about being different. It's not about the sameness. I still think symmetrical all-wheel drive is an important difference and becoming more relevant, particularly with the SUV boom. "We don't have to deal with expensive four-wheel drive systems like many of our competitors. It is simple, sophisticated and quite cheap in manufacturing terms. The amount of savings you would generate are minimal." So, a final word from Senior on the BRZ? "I want to see as many as I can in customer's hands. I won't be driving one. I would rather a customer was driving it," he laughs.  

The bottom line is the icing on a car cake that is tastier than anything from Japan since the original Mazda MX-5 in 1989, and a rare reflection of the strength of the Australian dollar. Instead of banking big profits on a car that has already created a huge waiting list in Australia, Toyota has passed on the dollar value in a car that was widely predicted to have a starting sticker of around $35,000. Nothing has been cut from the package to achieve the sub-$30,000 bottom line for the 86 GT manual, and even the upscale GTS - which picks up a bunch of stuff including bigger wheel and brakes, better aircon and satnav - is still cheaper than expected from $35,490. "Sometimes in this job you get lucky," says Toyota's marketing boss, Matt Callachor, announcing the price today in Canberra. He says pricing negotiations with Japan ran right to the local deadline and the successful outcome was even kept from Toyota's dealers until the official announcement at 10am. The good news puts pressure on every company in the sports car class, but particularly Hyundai with its impressive new Veloster coupe and Subaru, which begins sales of its BRZ - a near-identical shared product - in July. The 86 project leader, Tetsuya Tada, is happy about the Australian pricing, but still focussed on his work to create a car that was tasted from the top of Toyota - by new company boss Akio Toyoda, grandson of the founder - to go all-out to put driving enjoyment back into the T brand. "This car is not about numbers. It's a car that really gets your engine pumping. It was built by passion, not by committee," says Tada.  

The company has announced that two 86 sports cars will compete in next month's 24 Hours Nurburgring endurance race. The race cars are being prepared by Toyota's partner GAZOO Racing to reach and support a new generation of car lovers around the world. By competing in such events, Toyota aims to make better cars that satisfy enthusiasts and promote the "joy of driving." A feature of the GAZOO Racing team is that it will include Toyota's in-house employees as drivers and mechanics for the race. The 40th running of the 24 Hours Nurburgring will be held from May 17 to 20. The 86 is a rear-wheel-drive car. It features the world's first horizontally opposed D-4S engine, combining "boxer" engine technology with Toyota's  D-4S direct injection technology. The engine is installed front mid-ship to create an ultra-low centre of gravity and low inertia. It is the world's only horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel-drive package. The D-4S, with separate twin injectors for both direct injection and port injection, boasts a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. The engine's redline is 7500rpm with maximum output of 147kW. Customer cars will have the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a special sports-driving six-speed automatic transmission.  

Japan’s Gazoo Racing website has published a cut-and-glue Toyota GT-86 in pdf form.Okay, it’s not exactly 3D printing, and it’s certainly nowhere near having the real thing. But it might keep you happy while you’re waiting for the cars to arrive in Australia.And judging by Toyota president Akio Toyoda’s laps in the car Fuji race track in Japan, the Toyota 86 could be worth waiting for. The 86 features the world's first horizontally opposed D-4S engine, combining "boxer" engine technology with Toyota's cutting-edge D-4S direct injection technology.The engine is installed front mid-ship to create an ultra-low centre of gravity and low inertia. It is the world's only horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel-drive package.Paul Gover gave it four stars in his first test drive of the Toyota 86, which has been built as a joint project with Subaru to produce the Subaru BRZ.However, there has now been some argument about who was the main source of the car, and who contributed the most DNA – Toyota or Subaru. Perhaps you can print two copies of the PDF of the paper Toyota GT 86 and paint one in Subaru colours. 

The FT-Bh concept is as spacious as an average five-door compact car, yet is projected to use half the fuel and produce half the emissions.FT-Bh, which stands for Future Toyota B-segment (Yaris size) hybrid, will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show at March 6.Engineers focused on five key pillars to achieve maximum fuel economy and minimum emissions: weight reduction, optimum aerodynamics, powertrain efficiency, thermal energy management and electricity saving.This "total vehicle" approach has resulted in a car that weighs less than 800kg - at least one-third less than most compact cars - with a downsized full hybrid powertrain and a 30 per cent gain in aerodynamic efficiency.These feats have been achieved by adopting an economically viable production framework using common materials and procedures - not exotic materials or expensive techniques.Other cars on the Toyota stand include the new 86 sports car, which is due on sale in Australia around the middle of the year.The company will also display the NS4, a next-generation plug-in hybrid, and the FCV-R, which represents the next step towards mass production of hydrogen-powered cars. 

Toyota has made an early commitment to a range of TRD tweaks - performance and cosmetic - for the new coupe that should arrive from the USA in time for Christmas. Local deliveries of the 86 will not begin until June but hot-up work is already well underway in both Japan and America as TRD, the official tuning division for Toyota. TRD has even test run a tweak 86 in Japan as part of its work for the country's biggest annual tuner show, the Tokyo Auto Salon. Toyota had 15 display vehicles at the event with a range of tuner connections, including TRD, G Sports and Gazoo Racing, the company directed by Toyota's chairman Akio Toyoda. The 86 dominated the display area and among the cars was a prototype that race in last year's Nurburgring 24-hour race in Germany. The 86 hits the road in Australia in June and TRD parts will be available this year through dealerships, although the exact timing is not set. "We will have a range of TRD stuff, but it won't be available for about nine months," says Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen. "It's a very similar range to what TRD has shown in Japan. We're looking at dampers, strut braces, exhaust systems, those sorts of things." Breen says the decision to source parts from the USA was made for economic reasons, which should mean a better deal for owners. "The full range hasn't been decided yet, but we're hoping to take just about everything. TRD in the USA received their development cars a little late. So we're still waiting to hear. But the TRD parts will all be sold directly through Toyota Australia dealerships."

In fact, if the car doesn't recognise your bum, you won't be able to drive it at all - let alone steal it. New anti-theft technology developed in Japan relies on biometric recognition of your derriere.The driver's seat squab is embedded with sensors that measure pressure and distribution, creating a 3D plot of your rear end. If the driver's seat doesn't recognise that part of your anatomy, the car won't start.The system has been developed by Engineers from the Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology in Tokyo.Reports say it was able to recognise and give the 'permission to drive' nod 98 per cent of the time to six different drivers' arses, but didn't say if the seat could tell them from elbows.

At Fuji race track in Japan.in Japan, the Toyota 86 was driven by Toyota president Akio Toyoda  who said the new rear-wheel-drive "86" sports car was all about "waku doki"  a car that creates excitement and gets your heart racing. The 86 features the world's first horizontally opposed D-4S engine, combining "boxer" engine technology with Toyota's cutting-edge D-4S direct injection technology. The engine is installed front mid-ship to create an ultra-low centre of gravity and low inertia. It is the world's only horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel-drive package. Toyota says the 86 carries on the spirit of the AE86 Corolla in its aim to be a car that evolves with its owner. The lightweight and compact rear-wheel-drive platform was designed to achieve superior handling and create the world's smallest mass-production four-passenger sports car. The vehicle's newly developed engine delivers exceptional output and torque as well as superior response at low and medium speeds. The 2.0-litre ,D-4S, with separate twin injectors for both direct injection and port injection, boasts a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This provides high output and high torque over a wide range of engine speeds and contributes to improve environmental performance. The engine's redline is 7500rpm with a output of 147kW/205Nm. There's a choice of six-speed manual transmission or a special sports-driving six-speed automatic transmission. The rear seatbacks fold down to the front to create a luggage space that can accommodate four sports wheels or two golf bags. The steering wheel is the smallest in a Toyota-brand vehicle. The wheel's surface was optimised to enhance steering performance and grip. A three-cluster meter built around the tachometer has been designed with particular attention to enhanced visibility and readability during sports driving. It rolls on 18s and has a 50 litre tank.

Despite a reputation for blandoid family cars, Toyota actually ran its first true two-seater sporty back in 1965. The car was called the Sports 800 and, thanks to sharing parts with the more mundane Publica, the baby coupe looked the goods and had a top speed of close to 160km/h. As Toyota is now keen to highlight, partly in an attempt to divert all the engine attention from its 86 partner Subaru, the S800 had a 790cc horizontally-opposed, two-cylinder, air-cooled engine. "So far, Toyota has delivered a variety of sports cars. In developing the new 86 we had in mind three models in particular," says Tetsyua Tada, chief engineer on the 86. He goes on to highlight the S 800, then the brilliant 2000 GT, and finally the Corolla AE86 which has become a Japanese cult car and the building block for a huge number of weekend warriors and motorsport champions, including the latest drift machines. A classic 2000 GT was even parked in the styling studio as Toyota's designers worked on the shape for the 86, so they could tap it for inspiration. "This is a masterpiece that pushed Toyota's sports cars to a world level," says Tada. The 2000 GT was the high point of Toyota's rapid rise through the 1960s, despite the arrival of the Corolla, and was even used by Sean Connery when he starred as James Bond in the 1967 film, You Only Live Twice. In an interesting twist, Toyota built a pair of convertible cars for the film, even though the 2000 GT was only ever sold as a coupe. The AE86 - also known as the Sprinter - gives its name to the all-new Toyota two-seater and is the car that Tada clearly believes is the closest relative to his new baby. "We had a passion to create a car like the AE86. Rear-wheel drive and nimble footwork are the basics of this vehicle," Tada says.