Toyota put to rest earlier rumors that the 86 will soon meet its end.
When cars stick around in the market for a long time without major updates, we start to wonder if it will actually live to see another generation. Yesterday, website Japanese Nostalgic Car quoted Japanese magazine BestCar in saying Toyota will not directly replace the 86. According to the article, BestCar is preparing to publish a piece to that effect on February 26. Now, however, Toyota has officially debunked the rumor.
Speaking to CarScoops, Toyota spokesperson Nancy Hubbell put this fledgling rumor to rest. She said, “As Akio Toyoda said at the reveal of the 2020 Supra, Toyota is committed to building exciting vehicles, including sports cars. The 86 has been in the Toyota family since 2013 and the plan is that it will continue to be a part of Toyota’s sports car lineup.” We and several other outlets posited that could open the door for an entry-level Supra to enter our market. After all, there is a four-cylinder Supra available in Japan. That model has roughly the same amount of power as the current Toyota 86.
It’s worth noting that the company tends to take longer than others to refresh its models, so we may yet see a new 86 soon. If so, let’s hope Toyota rectifies the current generation’s power issue. It’s a fun rear-wheel drive car, granted, but one thing it could use is a bit more oomph. While we don’t expect it to outperform the new Supra, the company may eke a few more horses from its Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter flat-four engine.
What about the Subaru BRZ?
Speaking of Subaru, yesterday’s rumor also cast doubt on the BRZ’s future. A few weeks ago, Subaru’s North American communications director mentioned the BRZ would stay in production as the company’s halo car, even if the 86 went away. Now, like the Toyota, it seems we’ll see a bit more of the BRZ. Whether that translates into a new generation of both models, we’ll have to wait and see.
