Toyota Reveals RWD Coupe

After years of concept cars and teaser shots we now get to watch in awe as Toyota boldly steps out of its comfort zone with the release of its long-awaited boxer-powered, rear-wheel drive sports car. These are the first official pictures of the GT 86 – the production version of the FT-86 concept that was first shown in October 2009 – released just ahead of its international reveal at the Tokyo Motor Show later this week.

Aggressive looking, aerodynamic, light-weight, low-slung, driver-focused, rear-driven – yes we really are talking about a Toyota here and the best news is that it might reach our shores not too long after its international roll-out during the first half of next year. Toyota shacked up with Subaru to create this engine, which is semi-high-revving – its maximum power pushed out at 7000rpm, while peak torque of 205Nm is wound out at 6600rpm.

While the 1998cc boxer engine is essentially a Subaru product, Toyota has added its D-4S injection technology, which features separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection and a rather high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This reportedly increases torque and power across a wide range of engine speeds, while still keeping it as efficient as possible.

Toyota also promises minimal intervention by the fun police, with the ABS and switchable stability control system “tuned specifically to deliver dynamic stability at the limit of the car’s performance envelope with minimal electronic intervention”. Granted, this is not the first time Toyota has created a rear-wheel drive sports car – its heritage stretching back to the 2000 GT of 1965, not to mention the Celicas and Supras of the ’70s and ’80s, but the real inspiration for the GT 86, says Toyota, comes from the Corolla GT coupe that was produced overseas between 1983 and 1987.