Rumor of the Day: Toyota Planning Baby FT-86 RWD Coupe

We'll take this one with a grain of salt, but let's take it nonetheless. The folks over at Road & Track are claiming that Toyota is working on a new rear-wheel drive sports coupe that will be less pricey but smaller in size and with a much less powerful engine compared to the production version of the forthcoming FT-86 RWD coupe.

Question 1: Why? According to the report, the mounting development costs of the FT-86 are pushing the sports car's market price over instead of under $20,000 that Toyota originally aimed at, so the Japanese automaker decided to create a second small RWD coupe priced about $5,000 less.

Question 2: The magazine's source? Unknown, with the author of the article stating the vaguer-than-vague "we hear Toyota is also working on milder sports car" - whatever that means...

The article goes on to say that the small coupe will measure about 150-in. or 3,810 mm in length (FT-86 study: 163.7-in. or 4,160mm) and it will feature a front-engine/rear drive layout with power coming from the company's 3SZ-VE engine, a 1.5-liter four-pot that delivers 109HP.

It is also claimed that this model will make its debut sometime in 2012, which sounds a bit too optimistic, but hey, it's just a rumor...

Any thoughts?

Source: R&T (Via: FT86)

Toyota FT-86 Gallery

Japanese Mag Speculates on Hardcore Toyota FT-86 "F" Variant

Another edition of Best Car, another rendered speculation. In its latest edition, the Japanese magazine features a story on a more hardcore version of Toyota's forthcoming rear-wheel drive sports coupe which it names the "FT-86F".

Being that the article was written in Japanese, details are limited, but we assume that the magazine suggests the "F" version would fit between the standard FT-86 and the track-ready "G" model that was previewed in concept form at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon in January.

The speculative renderings show a more aggressive outfit for the FT-86 "F" with a new hood, massive air-intakes on either side of the new front bumper, side air vents, a large rear wing and center-mounted exhaust tail pipes.

Via: Best Car