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Will the Toyota 86 Be Discontinued?

Remember what Akio Toyoda said at the grand reveal of the 2020 Toyota Supra? The great-grandson of the father of the Japanese industrial revolution is committed to building exciting vehicles, and sports cars like the 86 aren’t going anywhere.
2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition 45 photos
Photo: Toyota
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The hearsay originates from Japanese Nostalgic Car, but Toyota debunked it all in an e-mailed statement. “The 86 has been in the Toyota family since 2013, and the plan is that it will continue to be a part of the lineup."

Stemming from a collaboration with Subaru, the 86 is manufactured by Subaru in Japan. As was the FR-S before Scion folded into oblivion. Both parties also share hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology, a partnership embodied by the XV e-Boxer and Crosstrek Hybrid.

Back in 2014, Toyota of Europe executive vice-president Karl Schlicht declared that the second generation of the Hachi-Roku “is down the road.” Two years later, the higher-up added thatthe GT86 will carry on. There are a lot of reasons to continue with Subaru.”

Plans can change in the blink of an eye, and even though the 86 might be put to pasture, the MR2 or Celica could be re-introduced. Remember the S-FR Concept from the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show? That would be the perfect building block, serving as a nod to the Sports 800 from 1965.

Best Car Magazine believes the four-cylinder Supra will replace the BRZ and 86, but we’d doubt that despite the fact sports cars aren’t selling as well as crossovers and utility vehicles. The question is, when did sports car outnumber crossovers and utility vehicles, starting with the 1990s?

The Japanese publication also brought back the mid-engine Subaru rumors despite the fact the Ebisu-based automaker hasn’t been spied testing such a vehicle. Subaru’s top priorities are to roll out the global platform to the WRX and WRX STI, Levorg, focus on electrification, and upgrade EyeSight with autonomous driving technologies.

Looking at the bigger picture, Toyota continues to believe in lightweight, fun-to-drive, rear-wheel-drive sports cars. And that’s all that matters going forward into the 2020s, whatever this decade may bring.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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