According to multiple sources, Toyota has begun working on the next generation of its GT 86 compact sports car, which it originally co-designed with Subaru.
Allegedly, the development team has already been appointed for the project. The primary objective, if we are to believe the reports, is to make a better vehicle than the latest Supra.
Everything seems to indicate that the new car will be considerably different from the old one. The chassis remains the biggest question mark so far: by design and tradition, the GT 86 is a rear-wheel-drive model, which makes it incompatible with Subaru’s latest SGP platform (FWD / AWD only). With the above in mind, we think the new GT 86 might make a switch to Toyota’s own TNGA architecture. Borrowing a Mazda chassis also looks like a possibility.
If the company continues its cooperation with Subaru, then we may expect the next-gen GT 86 to ship with a new Subaru engine under the hood. The recent 2.4-liter unit with 230 hp / 172 kW (non-turbo) and 260 hp / 194 kW (turbocharged) is a likely candidate. Given that the previous generation only had 200 hp / 149 kW at its disposal, there should be a tangible improvement in acceleration performance.