Ok, grab your biggest salt shaker before you venture further into this news; you're going to need it. The Website 4WheelNews.com is quoting an article published recently in a Japanese car magazine that is apparently called Best Car, and it seems Toyota->ke88 is working on a version of the GT86->ke4085 that is turbocharged and has all-wheel drive. Yes, this rumor is sprouting legs yet again.
According to the story, the turbo engine will be a 2.5-liter boxer from Subaru->ke86 with 300 horsepower. Right now the only engine Subaru makes that is a turbo 2.5 is the old EJ in the WRX STI. This is where I start to take some issue. First, Subaru has stated in the past that the engine in the STI is too tall to fit under the hood of the BRZ and GT86. Secondly, Subaru has been insanely strict about weight and center of balance on this car. Using the heavier EJ25 block instead of the new 2.0-liter FA20 engine that is in the current WRX->ke4657, seems like an obvious wrong choice. I also question the idea of adding AWD to the mix. Getting rid of the RWD setup will alter this car’s driving dynamic to a point that it will be unrecognizable.
Another odd piece of information in this piece is in regards to the transmission. Apparently, Toyota will offer an eight-speed auto with paddle shifters. Nothing in the Toyota or Subaru family has an eight-speed transmission, so I am suspect about this as well.
Only time will tell what is really going to happen. Rest assured, if there is a turbocharged and AWD BRZ/FR-S/GT86 coming, we will let you know as soon as we have proof.
Click past the jump to read more about the Toyota GT 86.
Why It Matters
The Toyobaru twins have been hot cars in the minds of enthusiasts since they were first announced, but sadly most feel like the horsepower just isn’t there. I am in the boat that the Miata is the better choice for a fun, cheap RWD toy. If the BRZ/FR-S cars had much more horsepower, they wouldn’t be in the same segment as the Miata anymore. They would be charging at things like the Mustang. With its sharper handling, and better looks, I would happily choose a 300-horsepower BRZ over a V-6 Mustang or Camaro any day.
I still think the addition of AWD would ruin the fun.
Toyota GT 86
The Toyota GT86 is a small sports car->ke506 that was developed in conjunction with Subaru. It is sold as the Subaru BRZ->ke3973 and Scion FR-S->ke3820 here in the United States. The design was created by Toyota, but most of the engineering was done by Subaru. It is powered by a 2.0-liter Subaru Boxer engine that makes 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, and this power heads to the rear wheels via a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional automatic.