Subaru, Toyota Releasing "Final Editions" For 86, BRZ

With confirmation that the second-generation 86 and BRZ are coming by mid next year, Toyota and Subaru are readying their own respective final editions of their rear-wheel drive sportscar.

Both the Subaru BRZ Final Edition and the Toyota 86 GT Black Limited get the same sort of upgrades—special 17-inch alloy wheels, vented Brembo disc brakes, and SACHS performance shock absorbers.

Inside, the Subaru adds blue stitching to its seats and dashboard, while for the Toyota it gets bronze-colored ones. In the case of the 86 though, it adds a “Black Limited” logo stitched on the dashboard and a suede-like material for instrument panel hood.

For Toyota, the color scheme is reminiscent of the special edition GT Apex Black Limited which was the last special model of the AE86 Sprinter Trueno. For the Subaru though, there will be two colors on offer—Crystal Black Silica or WR Blue Pearl.

Mechanically, both versions remain unchanged. This means being powered by a normally-aspirated 2.0-liter flat-4 making 200 horsepower and 205 Nm of torque mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.

Either way, these sportscars are rare. So far, Subaru Germany will be releasing 100 units of the Subaru BRZ Final Edition, while for Toyota, only 86—43 manual and 43 automatics will be on sale in its home market of Japan.

All-New Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ Coming in 2021 and Will Pack 255 Horsepower

With the current Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ nearing the end of its lifecycle, rumors are starting to swirl about its replacement. Confirmed that the collaboration between Toyota and Subaru will continue for the second-generation model, there are now reports that it’ll pack more power, ride on a new platform, and for Toyota, a brand-new badge.

Autoblog via Motor1 reports that the all-new Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ will debut sometime in the summer of 2021, possibly July for the U.S. market.

More than just the launch window, the leaks show that the second-generation sportscar will migrate to Toyota’s TNGA platform (the current one uses a Subaru platform), and will pack a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Power is said to be in the region of 255 horsepower—a 50 horsepower jump over the present model. It’s also understood that along with the new engine and platform, the twins will also benefit from an upgraded interior.

Meanwhile, Toyota is keen to extend the “GR” family with the 86 officially changing its name globally from “Toyota 86” to “Toyota GR86.” This naming convention is already in place in Japan.

Aside from the all-new Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ, the leaks also detail that the Camry will be refreshed sometime this year (as a 2021 model). In 2021, the carmaker will then release the all-new Tundra, a Corolla-based crossover (that’s not the RAV4), and a small high-performance hatchback (that’s not the GR Yaris). The RAV4 is also expected to be refreshed by this time.

Toyota Buys 20 Percent of Subaru, Makes Next-Generation 86, BRZ Happen

After months of intense speculation, Toyota has finally confirmed: they are co-developing the next-generation Toyota 86 with Subaru. The confirmation comes as part of Toyota and Subaru’s increasingly intertwined relationship which sees Toyota getting a larger stake in the all-wheel drive specialist.

Citing increased competition in the realm of CASE or Connected Autonomous Shared and Electric vehicles, Toyota has acquired additional shares in Subaru, increasing it from the current 16.83 percent to 20 percent. Furthermore, Toyota actually foresees that Subaru will become an affiliated company in the future like Daihatsu.

Corporate changes aside, Toyota says that they will be jointly-developing all-wheel drive models that “offer the ultimate sensation in all-wheel driving” as well as the aforementioned next-generation Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. These announcements are on top of the dedicated battery-electric vehicle platform that the two companies have announced previously.

In a separate report courtesy of Which Car/Motor, Toyota GR Supra Chief Engineer Tatsuya Tada was quoted that the next-generation Toyota 86 will surpass even the almighty Toyota/BMW flagship sportscar.

For its part, Subaru will gain more access to Toyota’s gasoline-electric hybrid system and will benefit from Toyota’s resources in fast tracking its development of connected and autonomous driving vehicles.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda has nothing but praises on the new agreement, saying: “I, myself, am a rallyist, and, through my experience of training hard in an Impreza, I have felt in my veins the wonders of Subaru’s AWD technologies… Our companies, both of which have long pursued driving enjoyment, now want to pursue the possibilities of making ever-better cars suitable for the CASE era by bringing together our strengths and by further deepening our relationship.”

Additional Sources: Which Car

Toyota 86 Embraces Japanese Roots with Hakone Edition

Last February, Toyota showed off the Toyota 86 finished in the motorsports-inspired British Racing Green. It was originally supposed to be a JDM model only until Toyota USA raised their hand and said, they wanted one as well. Here now is the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition.

Named after the Hakone Turnpike—one of the greatest driving roads in the world (made even more famous by the manga/anime Initial D), the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition drops the British Racing Green name for Hakone Green. It appears to be the same shade of color and this makes it all the more funnier because it reiterates that the East typically looks at the West for inspiration and vice-versa.

Aside from the Hakone Green paint job, it sports 17-inch bronze wheels and a black spoiler, you know exactly like the JDM British Racing Green Limited model.

Like its Japanese market counterpart, the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition gets black and tan Alcantara seats and a black sliding armrest with tan trim. There’s also a Toyota 86 logo embroidered on the passenger side dashboard to help you remember what car you’re in while the steering wheel, parking brake cover, and shift boot all get tan stitching. It also gets a trunk carpet with an embossed 86 logo too.

Oh, and every 86 Hakone Edition gets a pair of tan key covers and a folio cover with a debossed 86 logo and black stitching.

Mechanically, it remains unchanged and thus still comes with a normally-aspirated 2.0-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine with 205 horsepower. It’s available in both manual and automatic transmission flavors too.

Safety Advocate Wants to Probe Subaru/Toyota Valve Spring Recall

A US-based safety advocate wants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate how Subaru, but more specifically, Toyota is handling the valve spring recall after complaints are starting to mount of engines knocking and stalling after the recall work was done.

A report from Automotive News says Jason Levine, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety is calling the NHTSA to review the ongoing recall remedy after numerous customer complaints began to surface about engines seizing after the defective valve springs were replaced. He went so far as to suggest that Toyota and Subaru “cease recall repairs and provide vehicle owners who received the repair a loaner [vehicle] until the problem is identified.”

Though the valve spring recall is affecting various Subaru models, Levine is zeroing in particularly on the Subaru BRZ / Toyota 86.

Owner forums have suggested that Toyota dealer technicians may not be as adept at handling horizontally-opposed Boxer engines as Subaru, resulting in the engines breaking down after the valve spring recall work had been done on them. One theory is that Toyota technicians may be improperly applying RTV sealant to the engine during re-assembly. Loose pieces of cured sealant could potentially clog oil passages restricting oil flow and potentially causing damage. This has been corroborated by a spokesperson from Subaru of America who confirmed that only “one person returned for a post-recall fix.”

At this point, it’s worth pointing out that fixing this valve spring defect is a very intricate process and requires a very good understanding of how Boxer engines work. Thus, it’s advisable that only certified technicians handle it. It could possible serve as a lesson that if you plan to buy a Subaru-engined car, perhaps it is best to stick to something with a Subaru badge upfront.

For security and peace of mind, Motor Image Pilipinas says they are pointing owners of affected vehicles to their C5 – Pasig and Manila Bay dealerships because the valve spring work can only be done by their most senior (and seasoned) technicians. Since this work will require about 12 hours, it is critical to set an appointment ahead of time to make sure your unit can be accommodated. Regardless, any work on the valve spring at any authorized Subaru dealer carries a separate one-year warranty against any defect.

Source: Automotive News

Toyota and Subaru to Collaborate on Second-Gen 86 and BRZ

After sort-of-confirming that a second-generation Subaru BRZ is coming, Toyota has pretty much done the same and confirmed that a second-generation 86 is coming and it’ll continue to be a collaboration with Subaru.

This piece of great news comes after speculations arose that the Toyota 86 may not be long on this world due to its low sales volumes and shifting customer preferences towards crossovers and SUVs. However, in an interview with Toyota Europe’s marketing boss, Matt Harrison, he said that the Toyota 86 continues to be a “successful halo product for Toyota” and that “the 86 and the [newly-launched] Supra is not about volume, but about adding excitement to the brand.”

The second-generation Toyota 86 will sit below the Supra and will likely wear the GR (Gazoo Racing) badge.

Source: Auto News