It looks like the prayers of Toyota GT86 fans are about to be answered, as the Japanese carmaker is reportedly preparing a power increase for its popular RWD coupe.
The chief engineer for the GT86 project, Tetsuya Tada, has told Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald that his team is considering ways of increasing the coupe’s performance, one of which will definitely make it to production from 2015, when the GT86 will get its mid-life facelift.
“I hope to make an engine upgrade at least one time with this car. We have already tried all possibilities and there are several types of 86 prototypes at the Toyota proving ground now; one is a turbocharger, one is bigger displacement and the other is a special hybrid system,” Tada said. He added that at the moment, all possibilities are being considered.
No other details were given, but the publication cites inside sources saying the most likely option is an increase in displacement. According to these sources, the 2.0-liter boxer engine would be increased to 2.5-liters, with power to be boosted from 147 kW (197hp) to approximately 190 kW (255hp).
The increase in displacement would be preferred to the hybrid solution because of the lower weight. However, both the turbo and the hybrid may find their way on future GT86 versions. Tada also confirmed that he is already developing the second-generation GT86 and hinted that the new car could drop the boxer engine in favor of a turbocharged inline-four unit. Could this mean that Subaru will be dropped from the project? We’ll just have to wait and see.
By Dan Mihalascu
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