Subaru’s second-generation BRZ made its global debut in late 2020, and it’s scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2021, but Toyota’s version of the car remains shrouded in secrecy. Although it’s still on its way to production, a recent report claims its unveiling has been delayed by several months in a bid to differentiate it from the BRZ.
Rest assured, enthusiasts: What’s seemingly certain is that the 86 will return for a second generation. It will again be closely related to the BRZ, but Japanese magazine Best Car learned from anonymous sources that Toyota President Akio Toyoda ordered the delay to give the development team time to dial in more differences between the coupes. Visually, redesigned front and rear ends will bring the 86 in line with the rest of the Toyota range, though its body and proportions will be identical to the BRZ’s. The coupe will tip the scale at under 2,900 pounds.
Most of the changes requested by Toyoda are related to driving dynamics. He allegedly wants to make the 86 a little quicker than its Subaru-badged sibling, so engineers are tweaking the engine’s tune and changing the transmission’s gearing. Power will still come from a naturally-aspirated, 2.4-liter flat-four, however. It will send 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. Sorry, turbo fans, but it doesn’t sound like forced induction is in the pipeline — at least not yet.
Toyota hasn’t commented on the report, and it has remained surprisingly tight-lipped about the next 86. If the rumor is accurate, the coupe won’t make its debut until 2022, meaning we might not see it until the 2023 model year.
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