The wait for the most hotly anticipated (and teased, may we add..) sports cars of the year, the production version of the Toyota FT-86 2+2 coupe, is finally over as the Japanese automaker came out with all the juicy details ahead of the car's world premiere at the at the Tokyo motor show on November 30. In Europe, the new Toyota will be called the GT 86 in tribute to the Japanese firm's GT car heritage and especially the Corolla GT (or Levin) AE86, which inspired its creation. The Japanese domestic market version will be aptly called 86.
The GT 86 is the result of a joint Toyota and Subaru development programme that will spawn two more models, the global Subaru BRZ that will also make its debut in Tokyo next week in production trim, and the North American market Scion FR-S.
All three cars will share the same platform and mechanical hardware including the Subaru-sourced flat-four, with only minor styling differences between them. The story of the GT 86 began in October 2009 with the unveiling of the first FT-86 Concept in Tokyo and was followed by the almost production ready FT-86 II concept at the 2011 Geneva motor show this past March.
The exterior styling of the GT 86 is what we would best describe as more "Fast & Furious" than the original FT-86 concept, which had a sleeker, simpler and overall more European feel to it – but that was something to be expected after seeing the second iteration of the FT-86.
The interior design of the sports coupe is generally uncluttered featuring a three-meter instrument cluster arranged around a large tachometer and a large center screen for the audio and navigation systems.
The dashboard gets a carbon-effect trim, while there's all-black roof lining, red stitching on the upholstery, aviation-style rocker switches and lightweight, aluminium pedals.The GT 86 is also fitted with 365mm diameter steering wheel, which is said to be the smallest ever fitted to a production Toyota.
The GT 86 measures 4,240mm long (166.9-in.), 1,285mm (50.6-in.) high and 2,570mm (101.2-in) wide, which Toyota says make it the most compact four-seater sports car available in the market today.
Under the hood, you'll find Subaru’s new, horizontally opposed, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine upgraded with Toyota's D-4S direct injection technology that delivers 200PS (197bhp/ at 7,000rpm and a peak torque of 205Nm (151.2 lb-ft) at 6,600rpm.
A standard six-speed manual gearbox with a short-throw lever or an optional six-speed automatic transmission that can be controlled using paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel, drive the rear wheels via a limited slip differential.
Toyota says that both the powertrain and the driving position have been set "as low and as far back as possible to achieve the best balance" with the GT 86 boasting a near-perfect 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution – though the company has not yet announced the car's weight. The 2+2 sports coupe also has a very low center of gravity, at just 475mm (18.7-inches).
The suspension features MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the rear, while the standard version of the car rides on 17-inch wheels (18-inch for the JDM model) and is fitted with ventilated disc brakes all around.
Aside from the ABS, the GT 86 is also equipped with switchable vehicle stability control systems, which Toyota claims "have been tuned specifically to deliver dynamic stability at the limit of the car’s performance with minimal electronic intervention to help preserve the purity of the driving experience".
We'll keep digging for more information on the new Toyota GT 86 as well as its Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S siblings and bring it to you as we get it. In the meantime, hop over the break to check out the high-resolution photo gallery.
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