Pure sports cars are an endangered species on the market, and when the ongoing existence of a model appears to be at risk, to the barricades go a whole community of enthusiasts. At the same time, when there’s an announcement that such and such a model is returning, it’s time for a ticker-tape parade.
The latter happened, figuratively speaking, a few months back when Toyota and Subaru confirmed that they would continue on with the 86/BRZ joint project and produce a second generation.
The enthusiasm climbed another notch when we learned that the two automakers appeared to heed the advice of fans of the models and promise more power under the hood. The new engine will come from the Subaru catalogue, and indications are it will be the company’s 2.4L 4-cylinder turbo engine that delivers 260 hp. The structure will be Toyota’s TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform.
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Many had also critiqued the interiors of the first-generation 86/BRZ duo of sports cars, and there too the automakers have indicated they will seek to upgrade the passenger experience for Gen Two. No more cheap plastics… or fewer of them anyways.
Las but not least, is that in one of the cases, the model will get a new name. Don’t expect a radical change with the adoption of a real name, though: speculation is that Toyota will change the 86 to… the GR86. This would allow the automaker to more closely align the car with other products from its Gazoo Racing division, such as the GR Supra and the GR Yaris, just unveiled for global markets.
