Autoblog

Toyota GT86 to make British motorsport debut in Britcar 24 Hours wearing AE86 livery [w/video]

George Kennedy — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Japan, Toyota, UK, Design/Style

If you liked the Martini Racing Porsche 918 Spyder we just brought you, then you ought to dig this, too. Toyota is bringing back its Team Toyota GB livery for the GT 86 entry into the Britcar 24 Hours. Unlike the the classically decorated 918, we can confirm that the so-hot-right-now Toyota coupe will actually be racing.

The livery harkens back to the AE86 of the raging 80s for the Japanese-British race team. Successfully campaigned by Tiff Needell and others, it took on the likes of an Atari-sponsored Mitsubishi Starion. How's that for getting your 80s fix?

Team Toyota GB ran with great success in the British Touring Car and British Rally Championships in the 80s and early 90s. The rendering released by Toyota, seen above, boasts the livery of that heyday in lightweight Japanese racing.

This will not be the first time that Toyota has entered a GT 86 in competition. The Japanese automaker ran it at the Nürburgring 24 hours, but Toyota has now decided to pull at the heartstrings of nostalgic race fans.

We can't wait to see what this throwback racer will look like for real when it runs at the Britcar 24 at Silverstone, on September 22 and 23. Click below to watch a video of Tiff Needell carving it up in an original AE86.

Continue reading Toyota GT86 to make British motorsport debut in Britcar 24 Hours wearing AE86 livery [w/video]

Toyota GT86 to make British motorsport debut in Britcar 24 Hours wearing AE86 livery [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota to field GT 86 pair at the Nürburgring 24 - could WRC be far behind? [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota, Racing

You don't build a chassis as superbly balanced and capable as that which underpins the Subaru BRZ, Toyota GT 86 and Scion FR-S without taking it racing. Fortunately the Japanese auto marques involved have plenty of competition spirit coursing through their veins, and are already gearing up to take the nimble little sportscar racing at events around the world.

Subaru recently unveiled the GT300 racing version of the BRZ which it will be fielding in Japan's SuperGT series, and now Toyota is following suit with the announcement that it will be bringing not one, but two examples of its GT 86 to the Nürburgring to compete in the grueling 24-hour race there next month. The pair of cars - whose level of modification remains unclear - will be fielded by the company's own Gazoo Racing team alongside one Lexus LFA.

Toyota's racing plans for the GT 86 extend beyond the 'Ring, however, as it has revealed a program to support privateer teams fielding the car domestically in both the Super Taikyu Endurance Series and All-Japan Rally Championship. The latter announcement crucially comes at a time when rumors have resurfaced of Toyota preparing to re-enter the World Rally Championship - a series which the Japanese automaker dominated in the 1990s with four Drivers' Championships and three Constructors' Championships.

The company shut down its WRC operation to branch into Formula One, but now that its F1 program is long gone, could the time be right for Toyota's return to the pinnacle of rallying? Only time will tell, but for now you can scope out the press release and video footage by scrolling below to see what Toyota has in store in the short run.

Continue reading Toyota to field GT 86 pair at the Nürburgring 24 - could WRC be far behind? [w/video]

Toyota to field GT 86 pair at the Nürburgring 24 - could WRC be far behind? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well That Didn't Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing

Chris Paukert — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Hatchback, Lexus, Toyota, Racing

Cash-strapped enthusiasts may not have had much to get all sticky over from Camp Toyota in recent years, but the automaker's new GT 86 / Scion FR-S coupe promises to mine a rich paystreak of driving enjoyment. And while we're big (okay, huge) fans of the car's low-speed dynamic thrills, not every enthusiast is so forgiving of its rather middling power and acceleration figures. We knew it wouldn't take long for the aftermarket to remedy this perceived power deficit with things like forced induction and ECU reflashes, but we foolishly expected a full engine swap to take a bit longer than it apparently has.

What you're looking at here is Manabu "Max" Orido's Toyota GT 86 prepped for drifting in D1 Grand Prix events. In this case, that means the two-door has been gutted and stuffed with the 5.0-liter V8 from the Lexus IS F, one of Toyota's more emotive offerings thanks to its honkin' great eight.

Orido's GT 86 is shown here undergoing shakedown testing, and from the looks of things, the transplant appears to be going rather swimmingly. At first glance, we even dig the more aggressive widebody look, lack of paint and all. Check it out for yourself below, and be sure to have your speakers on.

Continue reading Well That Didn't Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing

Well That Didn't Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota GT 86 makes a compelling case for itself

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:46:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota

Certainly for the moment, this is the biggest competition the Subaru BRZ has: its twin, the Toyota GT 86. The volcanic orange coupe was unveiled in another corner of the Tokyo Motor Show, and frankly, it's got a lot to recommend it. The frontal treatment is slightly different than on the BRZ, but the only digression out back is the lack of a spoiler, and the GT 86 looks pretty good without it.

Inside, it's a tale of two cabins. Clearly Toyota has brought a higher-spec cockpit to the party, and although you might not dig the red two-tone scheme, the iPhone cradle, toggle switches and white gauges are nifty. Of course, that niftyness will cost you a navigation screen, but these are exactly the kinds of choices the GT 86 vs BRZ crowd will need to make. Brush up on the specs in the release after the jump and take a walk around it in our high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Toyota GT 86 makes a compelling case for itself

Toyota GT 86 makes a compelling case for itself originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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