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2013 Toyota GT86 TRD - front three-quarter view

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According to the Toyota UK blog, engineers for the automaker were so excited developing the GT86 coupe that they investigated producing a whole family of models based on the rear-wheel drive sports car. And at least one engineer – product chief Tetsuya Tada – still hopes it can happen, even if not everyone at Toyota is onboard. Tada: “Actually we tried to do this secretly but the executives found us out. They said: ‘What are you doing? Will you please focus on the coupe.'”

Those mooted variants included both a four-door sedan and a shooting brake. Why? Aside from the pure excellence of a lightweight, brilliantly handling hatchback, Toyota was keenly aware of the fact that it may need to spread the cost of development out across several models. Tada says that’s part of the reason why it was so easy to create the convertible. The company knew from the outset that a softtop version was in the cards, and built the machine’s structure to accommodate having the roof sliced off.

Tada also made mention of the already-announced collaboration between Toyota and BMW. The engineer said that the GT86 was particularly helpful because it demonstrated just how successful a product conceived and designed by two different companies can be. While he didn’t say exactly what Toyota and BMW are up to, it’s clear the two are looking into a number of possibilities. It’s an interesting read with a lot of

Toyota GT86 engineers explored shooting brake and sedan variants, are they still in the cards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

Toyota GT86 TRD at Paris Motor Show reveal - front three-quarter view

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From what Autocar has to say, Toyota has even more plans for the GT86 beyond the convertible concept we just saw at the Geneva Motor Show. Along with a planned midcycle facelift, Toyota is reportedly looking at how to pack some extra ponies under the coupe’s hood, and while there has already been a lot of talk about superchargers and turbochargers, it sounds like a performance-boosting hybrid system could also be in the works.

Talking to Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada, Autocar has learned that the automaker is considering an electrical motor assist for the sporty coupe to improve performance without harming fuel economy. In attempting to keep weight – and, presumably, costs – down, the article mentions the use of a system closer to what Honda uses for its Integrated Motor Assist rather than a full Hybrid Synergy Drive system used in current Toyota hybrids. Tada says the added weight of the system could be offset by weight reduction, while aerodynamic changes and a lower center of gravity could improve the car’s handling.

No word yet on whether a mild hybrid system would find its way to North America’s Scion FR-S – let alone its Subaru BRZ twin – but the thought is certainly an intriguing one.

Toyota pondering high-performance GT-86 hybrid? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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