After what seemed like an endless series of teaser concepts, Toyota has finally revealed the production version of the FT-86 which will make world debut in a few days, when the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show opens its gates to visitors. In Japan, the new model will be called the Toyota 86, in Europe the Toyota GT 86 and in the United States it will be sold with the Scion FR-S name tag. The Japanese carmaker says the name comes as a tribute to a special model in the company’s history, the Corolla Levin AE86 from the ’80s.
The car was developed in cooperation with Subaru, the other Japanese carmaker offering a twin brother of the GT 86 which will be called the Subaru BRZ, the first car in the company’s history to be offered with all wheel drive. Except for the badge, the styling differences between the two models will be minimal.
The Toyota GT 86 is a pretty compact coupe, with a 4.24 meter length and only 1.3 meters wide, while the 2.57 meter wheelbase doesn’t promise too much regarding interior comfort, but then again, the GT 86’s main purpose is to be a true sports car and not a luxury limousine.
Compared to the series of FT-86 concepts, the production version has changed a little. Even though the 2+2 seat coupe silhouette is about the same, the headlights are a little different but manage to keep the car’s aggressive and sporty look intact. The side mirrors are larger, while the front windows feature a small triangular segment, just like the second version of the concept which was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. Actually, the entire window area is pretty similar to what we saw on this concept. At the rear, the taillights are also larger, while the double exhaust, the large rear diffuser and the rear spoiler inspire brute force.
The interior is simple and pragmatic, the Japanese designers doing their best not to “stress” the driver with too many controls. The three spoke steering wheel and the instrument panel are classic, addressing to coupe purists, while the multimedia system features touchscreen display and the automatic air conditioning’s controls feature large button and displays. The black leather upholstery has contrasting red stitching offering a strong sporty feeling.
And too see the how careful Toyota designers and engineers were with the small details, the press release mention that the steering wheel’s diameter is 365 mm, being the smallest steering wheel available in the Toyota range.