Nother CarGuy

When Subaru unveiled their second-gen BRZ last November, we thought Toyota’s version, the GR 86, would be close behind. Apparently, we’d have to wait five months, but in the meantime Toyota has been working hard to make the jointly-developed sports car feel more like their own. Now, the GR 86 makes its world debut as the third vehicle in Toyota’s GR lineup, coming after the GR Supra sports coupe and GR Yaris hot hatch. As with the first generation of the two sports coupes, Toyota and Subaru worked together on the new GR 86 and BRZ, with the two models having a nearly identical appearance, sans some minor details. In Toyota’s case, that meant first and foremost outfitting the GR 86 with the “Functional Matrix” grille similar to the one found on the GR Yaris, while the headlight LED signature is also slightly different compared to the BRZ. That’s not to say it’s not a prettier and more muscular design than before, with a lowered stance and curvier hips along with some other tweaks such a...

Following a report earlier this month, Toyota has officially unveiled the 2019 86 TRD Special Edition. Billed as an “ultimate performance” model, the car has been equipped with a number of new components including Brembo brakes and SACHS dampers which promise to “further sharpen” the 86’s steering and stability. The car also has exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels that are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires. Besides the performance changes, the car has been outfitted with a TRD body kit which includes new bumpers, revised side skirts, a rear diffuser and a larger spoiler. The model will be available exclusively in Raven black and each will come with tri-color body stripes and a TRD exhaust system featuring brushed stainless steel tips. The styling changes continue in the cabin as designers installed a two-tone steering wheel and matching sport seats with red and black upholstery. Other highlights include red contrast stitching, red seatbelts and suede-like accents. L...

Toyota’s return to the sports coupe segment with the  GT 86  has been a successful one, and the company is already planning its successor. Karl Schlicht, the automaker’s European division boss, told  Autocar  that the second-generation is most definitely a go, probably for a late 2018 or, most likely, 2019 launch. “The GT86 will carry on”, Schlicht said. “The car serves a big purpose. We are not getting out of that business. Sporty cars go through their phases. It’s our intention to continue with that car.” Right now, he revealed, the second-generation “is at the stage where it’s been decided on. Then a chief engineer will be assigned and away we go”. The current coupe was co-developed with Subaru, which markets it under the  BRZ  moniker. Schlicht was non-committal on whether the next GT 86, or plain  86  as it is named in some markets, will also be a joint effort.  “Will it be with Subaru? I don’t know. But for the concept to carry on, w...

Toyota almost broke the internet today, revealing no less than 30 vehicles for this year’s SEMA show, and these are six of the most extreme builds.  In the Japanese car maker’s own words, each project either honors the past, explores the present, or reveals the future, being one of the biggest exhibits in the event’s history. That said, here are the vehicles Toyota took out of their comfort zone with a plethora of modifications. The   Land Speed Cruiser   may look like a lowered, slightly  modified Land Cruiser , but it actually takes the notion of the big SUV and throws it in the bin. Unlike its road-going counterpart, this concept was built for pure speed – hence the name – which may explain its 2000 hp 3UR-FE 5.7-liter V8 under the hood. The obscene amount of power makes it top out at 220 mph (354 km/h), leaving most sports car in the dust. Bentayga who? The   XTREME Corolla   takes the core values of Toyota’s compact vehicle to the extreme. Using a...

As a two-door wagon the shooting brake exists at the unusual but captivating intersection between practicality and sportiness. This Toyota GT86 Shooting Brake Concept is no different – it's a standard GT86, with no mechanical alterations save the grafted-on wagonette roof and hatch. It's fully functional, too, having turned some laps on Toyota's test tracks. It even has the blessing of Tetsuya Tada, the father of the Toyota 86 and its Subaru BRZ and (now rebadged) Scion FR-S, who's been protective of the original GT86 concept to the point of strenuously resisting any serious power upgrades. This isn't the first shooting brake concept we've seen from the Toyobaru twins, but it's the first Toyota-badged one. Subaru brought the  Cross Sport Design Concept  to the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. So how did the GT86 Shooting Brake Concept happen? The story, as Toyota tells it, involves the company's Australian design team. They created a 1/4-scale clay model of the...

Scion  is dead, and the  FR-S  name passes away with it. The rear-wheel-drive sports coupe isn't gone, though, because it's now the the 2017  Toyota  86. To match the new moniker, the latest model finally has a little extra power and more aggressive styling. The public debut will take place at next week's  New York Auto Show , and sales begin this fall. "When we announced the transition of the Scion models to Toyota we hadn't planned on changing the names of our cars, but by popular demand, for our  sports car , we decided to adopt the global name of 86," said Toyota Division Group Vice President Bill Fay. The 2.0-liter boxer-four's output grows to 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque – increases of 5 hp and 5 lb-ft. The 86 still isn't the turbocharged rear-wheel-drive coupe of some peoples' dreams, but at least this is an improvement. Toyota also promises "additional performance" thanks to different gear ratios for the six-spee...