Toyota has confirmed that the GT86 will not be scrapped in favor of a base-model 2020 Supra as had been originally feared.
A few weeks back, we heard rumors that the Toyota 86, the lovable sports car built by Subaru and then given over to Toyota for their badge of approval, was going to be killed off due to the arrival of the 2020 Supra. After all, sports cars are a dying market, so why would any company have more than one in their lineup?
However, there were some doubts. The Supra (at least, in North America) was a $50,000 sports car while the Toyota 86 topped out at around $30,000--two completely different market segments. On top of that, Toyota confirmed that the 4-cylinder base-model of the Supra would not come to North America, meaning that we’d only get the turbocharged 6-cylinder version.
This seemed to indicate there would still be room for the lowly 86 to ply its trade. Now we’re receiving official confirmation that the 86 will live on for at least one more generation.
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Speaking to Go Auto, an Australian car site, Toyota Australia public affairs manager Brodie Bott confirmed flat-out that a second generation 86 is coming: “there will be, we’ve seen it, it is coming.”
A similar confirmation was given to Motor1 from a Toyota spokesperson. "As Akio Toyoda said at the reveal of the 2020 Supra, Toyota is committed to building exciting vehicles, including sports cars,” the publication was told. “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 line-up."
Technically, the 86 has been in the Toyota family since 2011, but whatever. We’re just happy the 86 will live on a bit longer.
Also from Motor1 comes rumors that the 86 will get a bigger, turbocharged engine for its second generation. The 2.4-L flat-four from the Subaru Ascent seems to be the likely target, pushing ponies above 250. That seems to push the 86 into Supra territory, so we don’t know how accurate this prediction will be. It also ruins the 86’s demeanor as an entry-level sports car, so we hope this isn't the case.