Toyota is preparing to reveal its second-generation 2021 Toyota GR 86 on April 5 at an event that is also expected to lay out fresh details of its joint-venture partnership with Subaru.
Subaru, which last November revealed its sports coupe twin, the 2021 Subaru BRZ, posted the announcement on its official website in Japan this week with the catch-cry: “Let’s make ever-better cars together”.
Although neither Toyota nor Subaru have specifically said the next Toyota 86 to be shown at the event, the website blurb reads: “With Toyota Gazoo Racing [GR] Subaru, new jointly developed vehicle released.
“A good car together. Let’s make it! Talk session jointly held online on April 5th.
“The desire to pursue ‘making better cars’ talking about co-development history.”
Many details of the 2021 Toyota 86 are already known, thanks to Subaru’s unveiling of the larger new BRZ, which will be powered by a bigger, more potent 2.4-litre boxer engine (170kW/249Nm).
Six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions will again be offered on both models.
However, as we reported this week, Toyota boss Akio Toyoda has purportedly been lobbying for more changes to the new 86 coupe to better differentiate it from the next BRZ.
It remains to be seen how much information will be provided at the event, with some sources suggesting only the exterior design of the new 86 will be shown, with tech specs to come later.
The 2021 Subaru BRZ will go on sale in Australia in the second half of this year, with the local arrival of the new Toyota 86 expected late in the final quarter or early in 2022.
Toyota and Subaru’s Australian representatives were not prepared to comment on the upcoming unveiling. However, we expect to have more local intel in the next few weeks.
Subaru’s participation in the unveiling of the new 86 might seem strange, but the two car-makers are expected to talk about other joint-venture programs now in place.
Subaru and Toyota are jointly working on a new EV platform and Toyota is set to reveal its first mainstream global EV in mid-April.
Subaru is also preparing to show its version of this new full-electric SUV, too.