Report: Toyota planning a GT86-based sedan with a longer wheelbase and hybrid option
Motoring.com in Australia recently heard that Toyota could be expanding its 86 lineup, which consists right now of the GT86/Scion FR-S sports coupe. The expansion could include a new sedan to good, which means a longer wheelbase as well by about 100mm.
When it was first launched down yonder, Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada openly expressed interest in other variants, including a convertible, sedan, and shooting brake. But recently, we heard the convertible variant was put on hold, in which case, it was suspended for this possible sedan iteration.
The new 86 sports sedan would specifically be geared towards the “40-something” aged buyers who “honed their driving skills” in infamous Japanese sports cars like the original Corolla AE86, the Nissan Silvia (also known as the 180SX and 200SX), the Mazda RX-8 or the Honda S2000.
The GT86’s 2.0L Subaru-sourced flat-four will be used as the base model’s engine with a distinct possibility for a hybrid setup based on Toyota’s next generation system. This system was revealed on the latest Toyota Hybrid R sports car from Frankfurt—an F1-style KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) system.
A concept is due at next year’s Geneva auto show with a predicted product launch time in late 2016 or early 2016.
Source: Motoring.com.au
