The Toyota 86 Has Been Delayed To Make It Less Like The Subaru BRZ

Four months have passed since the reveal of the new Subaru BRZ, and we’ve still not heard a peep from the Toyota camp regarding its ‘GR86’ jointly-developed version of the sports car. We’ve seen its front end thanks to some patent images, but that’s it.

Judging by a report from Japanese publication Best Car Web, we might be waiting a little while for the replacement of the GT86. It seems Toyota wants to avoid having an almost identical car to the BRZ this time around, as there are said to be orders from Akio Toyoda himself to differentiate the GR86 from its sibling.

According to Best Car, this will involve some fettling of the 225bhp 2.4-litre boxer-four engine, and tweaks to the gearing to alter how the GR86 feels when accelerating. This extra development work means Toyota’s version of the BRZ won’t arrive until next year, despite the Subaru - which will be built on the same production line - being set to go on sale from this autumn.

Us Brits will need to be especially patient, as the BRZ won’t be coming to the UK. Toyota has as good as confirmed that the GR86 will be sold on our shores, thankfully, but until it arrives, there’s nothing to fill the void. Production of the original stopped last summer, and the last of the dealer GT86 stock disappeared a few weeks ago.

Hopefully, the new one will be worth the wait.