Hi, been lurking since the forum's first week. Didn't have anything to share until noww though. This is a good one

Toyota just showed off its FT-86 G sport concept car at the Tokyo autoshow!

project.sth posted these pics/specs at ft86club - http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=306

It's a little over the top for me personally but lose the wing and graphics and that is one sweet RWD little coupe!

Hey all, I'm Mike from New Zealand, I own a Celica GT-Four ST205.

I am very enthusiastic about my car and it's success in WRC, And in the Celica community I have heard of this new FT-86 platform before it was labeled FT-86.

At that time there were rumours of a 4WD 2.0 Boxer Turbo to be the rebirth of the Celica GT-Four and RWD 2.0 Boxer to be a rebirth of the Sprinter Trueno as the base model.

Now I haven't heard anything of a 4WD version, Did us Celica Rally fans get left in the cold?

The FT-86, in a nutshell, is based on a shortened Subaru Imprezza floorplan, converted to RWD only, and will have a Subaru boxer engine. So what is really going to make the car special to us Toyota purists? What will really give us an edge, a point of difference over the Subaru version? I reckon we need the KDSS system, Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, as currently available on the Landcruiser 200 series.
Its a system that optimises the front and rear sway bars using interconnected hydraulic dampers. Developed first in Western Australia, it was sold for use in the World Rally Championship, won there times, and also recorded wins in the (Paris) Dakar Rally Raid, before the world motorsport governing body, the FIA, banned it, so it must be good.
So, KDSS anyone?

Let's hope life imitates art!!

nothing we wouldn't have guessed anyway...

Paultan.org article yesterday:

"The business of selling cars is not so much of just selling cars but also by selling the parts required to maintain or enhance them. The aftermarket business is a lucrative one and more and more car manufacturers are starting to cash in. As more people start to keep their cars longer, the money lost in new car sales will be made up in the aftermarket parts sales. But aftermarket performance parts can only go so far with a product range that’s mostly focused on cars that are designed to go A to B while consuming the least amount of fuel as possible. There’s just not much excitement in it.

Which is what I think the production car based on the Toyota FT-86 Concept is designed to do – make some money off you once when you buy the car, and then continue to make money while you pimp up your car with various performance and aesthetics parts, which Toyota probably hopes you’ll buy from them or one of their associate companies. A normally aspirated 2.0 liter engine – boxer or not – will only go so far when it comes to the amount of power it can put out while remaining refined. There will surely be many that will be looking for turbocharger or supercharger kits for the engine.

In addition, when the FT-86 Concept was first announced, they specifically said it had Advics brakes. It was just announced earlier this month that Toyota-owned Advics was acquiring two brake units from Aisin to expand its brake businesses. I have a feeling Advics may be looking to build upon its brand name as one provider of high-performance brakes like Brembo."

What do you folks think? Will many people upgrade mechanicals before their warranty expires? Will the new gasoline DI engine version require some time before parts are optimized specifically for it?

Wonder where the FT-86 got it's styling cues, n such?

http://jalopnik.com/5375502/toyota-ft+86...-dissected

also similar tail lights? REDLINES anyone?

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Well.. You may or may not have heard it here first - but I think there's a very good possibility that this is going to be a Scion here in the U.S.... Time will tell.. Any thoughts?

Personally, I don't care what badge it gets. If I like the car, I like the car...

    Autoblog.com reports:

Despite dropping all the information about its Tokyo-bound concepts, Subaru hasn't hinted at when we'll be seeing its version of the Toyota FT-86 coupe. Thankfully, Japan's Holiday Auto has stepped up to the plate to throw more fuel onto the fire with a subtly modified sketch of the FT-86 and some possible powertrain information of Subaru's first rear-wheel drive coupe.

According to the report (and a heaping helping of common sense), the Japanese rumormongers expect the STI version of the coupe to debut at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show (after the standard model is revealed next year), complete with Subaru's 250-hp EJ25 2.5-liter boxer. Similar to the dual-injected, 200-hp EJ20 fitted to its Toyota brethren, the engine will remain naturally aspirated, but a turbocharged version hasn't been ruled out.

In addition to a wider track and upgraded tires, wheels and brakes, expect the STI version to don a gaping front fascia and a sizeable rear wing, similar to the camo-covered mule we saw in the latest round of spy shots. If Subaru wants to compete with the rest of the high-horsepower sports cars in the U.S. and Japan, it better get cracking, because competition is fierce, and the only way it can compete is to keep the price down and the weight in check.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/13/rende...-sti-trim/

I've been waiting for this moment for a while. I hope you guys enjoy these!

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This guy cracks me up! He speaks as a true enthusiast!

Tokyo 2009 Preview: Toyota FT-86 Concept Brings Us Back from Prius-induced Coma by Zack Klapman

The AE-86 is back. After a long vacation, and apparently some great plastic surgery, the little drifter that could may return to appease the masses of cheap RWD aficionados. This concept, dubbed the Toyota FT-86 or Hachi Roku, follows the same formula as the original: small engine, 2 doors, rear wheel drive and tight suspension. Toyota said that the auto market has become so focused on being green, eco-friendly and saving baby hummingbirds that they forgot some people like to keep their heart beating when they drive a car. Fine, some people get excited behind the wheel of their soap-shaped whale-saver. They watch the computer screen that tells them how great their mileage is at that exact moment, with little moving arrows that show whether the power source is the gasoline engine or the batteries. It's ironic for Toyota to acknowledge the lack of sporty cars, since they basically created the current hybrid craze when they introduced the Prius. But I tip my hat to them, because the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem.

So their solution is the FT-86 Concept you see here. It will be a 2 door coupe with seating for four. The power will come from a 2.0 liter opposed 4-cylinder, to keep the center of gravity low. A 6 speed manual delivers power to the rear wheels. Toyota also promises ADVICS brakes and a "race-tuned" suspension. Hopefully that carries a little more weight than the "S" badge on their last Corolla. The car is no doubt aimed at the younger driving enthusiast on a budget, the same market that the new Genesis Coupe competes for. I'm sure a lot of people will be hoping for a turbo-charged version of this car and although the original AE86 did not come with a turbo option, Toyota would be silly to leave that off the table. The tuning market has become such a big business that car companies are finally giving the masses production versions of what has been built in cold garages for years. It's that popularity that pushed Hyundai to make a "Track Pack" version of the Genesis Coupe, and made the WRX and Evolution such a success. Toyota will hopefully offer several engines; an efficient NA 2.0-liter to keep the gas-conscious happy, and a boosted version to give this car the heart-beat it deserves.

The body of the car is a sexy combination of supple curves and sharp angles, also similar to the Genesis. The aggressive face has a large fascia to pull in cold air, a muscular-looking hood, and headlights that look downright pissed. It's a simple look, but it works. The profile is aggressive, with flared fenders, thick rear haunches, and a thick C-pillar. The proportions are very sporty, almost R8-like (Don't worry, the Audi R8 is still way way cooler). In back there is a racey-looking trunk-lid and the taillights match the front's "slitted" look. Dual exhaust and a diffuser complete the package. The interior is pure concept-car, with weird lights, alien-looking panels, and some gimmicks. For example, instead of a normal CD drive, the car has a leather-bound zipper in the dashboard where you insert your CD or DVD. Yeah, that won't scratch your favorite driving CD. The sharp points are carried over from the outside, as seen on the HVAC vents, pedals, and even the rear-view mirror. This could be a safety feature though. If you're ever attacked in your car, just break off a piece of interior trim and use it as a weapon --- it looks like it would go through Kevlar.

Overall, I am impressed. I liked the look of the Genesis Coupe when it came out, and I think this car looks even better. The Toyota FT-86 Concept looks good from end to end, and the aggressive look is everywhere. I'm always disappointed when someone builds a car with a front end that looks like it will break the sound barrier, yet the rest of the car looks like it was bred to sit in a Hertz stable. I think Toyota is right on the money with the philosophy for this car. While people know that our world's attitude toward gasoline and greenhouse gasses has to change, they don't want to live their lives without any passion whatsoever. And while I have plenty of hobbies and passions outside of canyon-carving, none of them can replicate that particular excitement. I can listen to Blues Music, and appreciate the artistry, the complexity of the notes, and the story that it tells. But it will never get me up and out of my chair the way a great Metallica song will. The FT-86 is set to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show this year. Let's just hope Toyota makes this car correctly, with a proper engine, so it's not the next Corolla S. That would be like keeping a John Tesh CD in the Metallica case. You're not fooling anyone.