Toyota's 86 is getting a second-generation model, likely developed along with Subaru once again. That's according to Toyota Europe's Executive VP of Sales.
Speaking with Autocar, Matt Harrison said that the 86 has been "a successful ‘halo’ product for us. If you're worried that the Supra will push the smaller and cheaper 86 out, he added that "Supra is not to replace that car. They are for different audiences and are different products. We see a situation where they will sit alongside each other."
The Toyota 86 started production in 2012, as the Scion FR-S. It shared just about everything with the Subaru BRZ, including the flat-four engine, as the two were developed jointly. The FR-S became the Toyota 86 for the 2017 model year with the rebranding and binning of the Scion name. Harrison told Autocar that it was "a safe assumption" that a second-gen car would keep that Subaru partnership.
Toyota's Gazoo Racing boss, Tetsuya Tada, has previously said that he wants Toyota to have three sports cars in production. The new Supra, an MR2 replacement, and the third would appear to be the new 86.
As far as sales targets for the compact sports car, "Its role is not one particularly about volume globally. It’s about adding excitement to the brand and emotional appeal," Harrison said. "The GT86 has definitely been successful for us in achieving that."
No word on when we could expect to see or hear any more about the new model, though with the current car now seven years old, we'd hope for sooner over later.
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