Toyota FT-86 II: Pre-Production Concept Teased ahead of Geneva Show

An almost production ready iteration of the much-hyped Toyota FT-86 sports coupe concept will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva motor show in the beginning of March. Along with the announcement, the Japanese automaker also published a teaser shot of the FT-86 II hiding under a garage door. The picture shows the rear-wheel drive model's front end which features a modified bumper that does away with the side air vents and gains a slightly different center grille and more concave surfaces on both corners. Read more »

Subaru to Finally Present its RWD Coupe Concept at Geneva Motor Show

It's been a long time in the making but we're finally going to get our first glimpse of Subaru's version of the Toyota FT-86 RWD Coupe, which is a joint project from the two companies, at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March. The somewhat blandly named “Subaru Rear Wheel Drive Sports Car Technology Concept” will share the spotlight with the Impreza Concept (pictured above) and the Trezio mini MPV, both of which will receive their European premiere at the Swiss motorshow.

Despite rumors suggesting that Subaru may present an all-wheel drive version of the coupe project, the Japanese carmaker is keeping the rear-wheel drive setup, at least for now.

Not surprisingly, the Subaru coupe will be powered by a boxer engine, possibly the same four-cylinder unit lent to Toyota for the FT-86. Subaru did not release any photos nor any additional information on the Coupe concept model.

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Toyota FT-86 production cost increases than estimated

Toyota the Japanese car maker announced that development costs of the Toyota FT-86 car will result in a more costly product than originally estimated. The Toyota FT-86 Concept made its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

The Toyota FT-86 car is powered by a 200-HP 2.0L boxer Subaru engine system sending power to the rear wheels. Prices are set to start above $20,000. The research and development team is now focused on increasing fuel economy and is working to produce cleanest engine. This makes the price of the Toyota FT-86 to $23,000, with the range-topper model hitting a little above $26,000.

Toyota delivers attractive, lightweight, rear driver, with an extra few thousand green backs. The Toyota FT-86 is expected to start production at the end of 2011 shortly after Subaru version.

Tuning the Unknown: Toyota FT-86 RWD Coupe Customized by Japanese Magazine

We're pretty much used to seeing sketches and computer generated images of future models in magazines, but a decked out version of a car that has yet to be revealed in production form is a rarity, to say the least. The customized Toyota FT-86 coupe is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Japan's Option car magazine . Aside from the two-tone paint scheme, the artist's proposal also includes a bodykit and deep-dish alloy wheels.

Via: Noriyaro , Source: Option

2011 Subaru Coupe: Speculative Renderings and Rumors for AWD and Turbocharged Engines

The Toyota FT-86 coupe concept was only just introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show last week, but the internet-grapevine is already abuzz with speculation and chatter on its Subaru twin. These new speculative renderings of the Subaru-badged coupe that are based on Toyota'sFT-86 concept model were published in the latest issue of Japan's 'Best Car' magazine. The CGI's are accompanied by rumors of all-wheel drive and a turbocharged boxer engine for the Subie.

However, let us remind you that when Toyota and Subaru first announced that they jumped into bed together to give birth to an affordable pair of compact sports cars, the two Japanese automakers were pretty clear about both models featuring a rear-wheel drive setup.

Here's what the two companies said in a joint statement about the coupes in April 2008:

"Toyota Motor Company (TMC) and Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) - Subaru's parent company - are to jointly develop a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car that will be marketed by both TMC and FHI."

"The compact rear-wheel sports car to be jointly developed by TMC and FHI is envisioned to offer a new "fun to drive" experience based on an all-new vehicle platform powered by an FHI core-technology horizontally-opposed engine. Market introduction is targeted for the end of 2011. Production is to take place at a new plant to be built at FHI's Gunma Manufacturing Division in Japan's Gunma Prefecture. TMC will consign production to FHI."

We're not saying that AWD or even more plausibly, a turbocharged version, are out of the question, but we won't take anything for granted until we see an official statement or better yet, a concept version from Subaru that will give us an idea of the company's intentions.

The only thing that we can be sure about now is that Subaru will market its own version of the coupe. If it will be available in all markets or if Subaru will offer the option of AWD and/or a turbocharged engine is something that remains to be seen.

Photos: Best Car

Toyota FT-86 Sports Coupe: Video and Live Images from the Tokyo Motor Show Floor

The Lexus LFA may be the ultimate sports coupe at this year's Tokyo Motor Show but unless you or your 'daddy' have a wealthy bank account and at the same feel comfortable in spending $375k on non-exotic brand name (not that we'd have a problem if the car's worth it, but just saying...), the one to watch out for is the Toyota FT-86 Concept coupe. Jointly developed with Subaru, the sleek looking FT-86 can seat up to four people and has a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.

Under the bonnet of the 4,160mm long sports coupe is a 2.0-liter boxer engine sourced from Subaru that is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox. Toyota has not released any performance figures yet but it is believed that the naturally aspirated four-pot may be tweaked to produce close to 200 horsepower.

Toyota and Subaru's parent company Fuji Heavy Ind. plan to release a production version of the FT-86 concept onto the market in late 2011. According to an earlier statement from Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada, the production model's sticker price will be in the $20,000 range.

SPY VIDEO: 2011 Toyota FT86 - Subaru Prototype Captured on the Nurburgring

The oddly shaped coupe covered in layers of metal and camouflage tape that you see in this spy video undergoing tests at the Nurburgring race track is none other than a test mule for the upcoming Toyota / Subaru co-developed rear-wheel drive sport coupes. Understandably, there's no way of knowing if it's a prototype for the Toyota-badged model that will be previewed at this week's Tokyo Motor Show with the FT-86 Concept or for Subaru's derivative that has yet to be revealed or even named.

Not that it matters as both compact sport coupes will share the same mechanical underpinnings including a modified version of Subaru's 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine said (but not officially confirmed) to produce up to 200HP.

Both the Subaru and Toyota variants of the rear-wheel drive 2+2 coupe are to be produced in Japan at Subaru's Gunma factory with the first examples due to arrive in the market in late 2011.

Via: Jalopnik , Source: Ft86club

Toyota FT-86 Coupe Update: New Photo Album with 50 High-Res Images!

It's been a while since we were last excited about the launch of an affordable, driver-orientated sports coupe, but Toyota has certainly caught our attention with its promising FT-86 concept that serves as a precursor to a production model that will follow in late 2011. And while we're waiting for next week's Tokyo Motor Show to get all the juicy details on the rear-wheel drive coupe that will be powered by a Subaru-sourced four-cylinder boxer engine, a Toyota-loving forum has published a mega gallery with 50 new studio shots of the FT-86 that you can enjoy right after the jump.

Via: Jalopnik , Source: Ft86club