Toyota has unveiled a convertible version of the GT-86 sportscar called the FT-86. The GT-86 was jointly developed Toyota and Subaru and was launched under three different names last year. For the European markets the car is known as the Toyota GT-86, in North America as the Subaru BRZ and in Canada as the Scion FR-S.
First a quick history lesson on the origins of the term FT-86. During the 1980’s Toyota produced a set of front engine + rear-wheel-drive cars called the Toyota AE86 or popularly known as the Toyota Corolla Levin (the Corolla was not always a bland four-door family sedan).
In Japan they were referred to as Hachi Rokus (86) and were highly popular for going sideways in a cloud of tyre smoke. The car was also highly successful in many forms of motorsports like rallying and circuit racing and is still used in many events for thrills it provides. The AE86 also found more popularity when it became the car of Takumi Fujiwara, the lead character of the Japanese Manga and later a set of video games called Initial D. The FT-86 has been named in honour of this car.
Coming back to the FT-86, it is exactly the same as its hard-top sibling save for the changes with regard to it becoming a convertible. Embodying the same combination that made its ancestor a hit (Front engine+ rear wheel drive) it is powered by a four-cylinder 2.0-litre Subaru boxer engine that churns out 197bhp and 205Nm of torque. The car can be had with either with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic and still retains its 2+2 seating combination.
For now the FT-86 will remain a concept as Toyota wanted to gauge the reaction of the public before launching the car across all three brand names. Sadly, since we have never warmed up to slightly cheap two-door sports cars (case in point: San Storm), it unlikely that the GT-86 or the FT-86 will ever make it way to our markets anytime soon.
