Tokyo 2009 Preview: Official Images & Details On The New Toyota FT-86 RWD Sports Coupe

Concept Models, Featured | Dean | October 6, 2009 at 14:50

Toyota’s exciting new Subaru-helped sports coupe will soon be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. The sports car here will be unveiled will be in concept form at the show later this month. The first official images here show us what the Subaru-Toyota co-developed car will look like.

The partnership sports coupe will use a rear-wheel-drive layout where its name goes way back to the popular RWD Corolla AE86 from the 1980’s.

“The FT-86 Concept is neither an electric vehicle nor a hybrid vehicle, but is a sports model with a gasoline engine developed to convey the essential appeal of automobiles in a new era. It is a must-see concept car that expresses TMC’s desire to once again create a Toyota sports car,” the Japanese automaker said in a release published on its official site.

Engine-wise Toyota will add a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from Subaru, this will then run towards the back-wheels. The details on the power are still pretty scarce, but knowing Subaru motors we could expect about 150-horsepower (111kW). Of course it’s highly possible that Toyota engineers get their grubby paws dirty and boost this beast to around 200-horsepower (150kW).

It’s really impossible to tell which engines will be available, as we cannot rule out the 2.5-litre turbocharged unit either.

In the size department the company has said that dimensions will be set at 4,160mm (163.7-in.) in length, 1,760mm (69.3-in.) in width, and 1,260mm (49.6-in.) in height. The wheel base will be 2,570mm (101.2-in).

Toyota’s new FT-86 Concept was designed in Europe and it has an exterior design that should not change too much by the 2011 production date.

On the interior side of things, it’s a bit too conceptual. There will be many changes, but it does however hint towards the path that Toyota would like to go.

Just remember, if you don’t like this model – Subaru will also build one with similar hardware mechanics.