Toyota has started the development of a small RWD sports car to sit below the GT86, claims a new report.
The Japanese company plans to offer a three-model strong line-up of sports cars, with the upcoming Supra sitting on top and a lightweight baby brother of the GT86 as the entry-level car.
Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the GT86, confirmed to Drive Australia that Toyota has started early development work on the small sports car project but didn’t get into further details.
“We have started on the car below the 86,” Tetsuya Tada said “it is not yet decided if it will be two-seat or two-plus-two; we are developing the concept now”.
The new model will be rear-wheel drive and will retain the fun-to-drive character of the GT86. “Rear wheel drive is the best solution for sportscar handling so this will be true for all three Toyota sportscars,” Tada added.
The new car is expected to be similarly sized with the Mazda MX5, weighing under 1000kg but the powertrain details still remain unknown.
What we do know though is that Toyota has been developing road-going versions of its racing hybrid system it uses in its Endurance racer for some time now, with the company to unveil one more Hybrid R concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
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