What is Toyota’s first car with a front-mounted, horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel drive? Surprisingly, even to most motoring hacks, it’s not the 86 (or GT 86 for European buyers).

It’s a car that goes back almost half a century: the two-cylinder, boxer-engined Sports 800. So there you have it: another piece of information with which you can impress your friends.

This is 2011 though, and the latest boxer-powered, rear-wheel drive Toyota is the much talked about 86. It may have been officially revealed four days ago (and unofficially even earlier), but the Tokyo Motor Show gives the public its first chance to see Toyota’s sports car in the flesh.

Even though Toyota claims a 50 year-old heritage behind the 86, as everyone knows – heck even Snooki should be aware of this by now…- the rear-wheel drive coupe has been developed in cooperation with Subaru, which in Tokyo is displaying its own version, the BRZ.

And that explains why the 86 is powered by a Subaru-sourced flat-four engine with a 2.0-liter displacement and an output of 200HP and 205 Nm of peak torque at a rather high 6,600 rpm.

Toyota’s input in the engine is the addition of its D-4S technology that, in plain English, means it has both direct and port injection and a very high compression ratio of 12.5:1.

We’ll pass on the “Neo Functionalism” design which, even though Toyota claims harks back to its old sports cars, is not as impressive (to put it politely) in the production car as the numerous concepts had led us to believe.

The 1983 Corolla Levin/Trueno AE86 may have been the inspiration behind the 86’s creation, or it may just be a the marketing department milking the drift pose’s nostalgia for a modern iteration of a 1980s classic.

AE86 heritage or not, what concerns us the most is the execution. On paper, at least, the 86 has what it takes to fulfill the rather bold claims made by its maker.

For starters, the numbers that matter seem spot on. At 4.240 mm long and 1,285 mm high, the 86 is the world’s most compact four-seater sports car, which means that it’s actually a 2+2. The token rear seats though are irrelevant compared to the nearly ideal 53:47 weight distribution and the very low center of gravity of only 460 mm.

The McPherson strut and double wishbone front and rear suspension respectively, a six-speed manual or paddle-shift automatic transmission, the limited-slip rear differential and the VSC electronic stability control system that can be completely switched off, are also among the key points of interest for the 86’s target group.

Speaking of target group, Toyota insists that the 86 is not aimed at power-hungry consumers, but rather those who value a pure sports car with direct response and great feel. In other words, those who want a car they can drive every day and get the maximum pleasure out of its dynamics. It remains to be seen if consumers think the same.

Kudos to Ryan H. for the video tip!

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5pCXsFDlvns

TOKYO MOTOR SHOW

EUROPEAN TOYOTA GT 86

JDM TOYOTA 86