Report: Supercharged Toyota 86 being developed by TRD!!

[Craikeybaby]

It seems that even the mainstream automotive press are in a frenzy over this car and trying to make a story out of anything:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/260343/

Personally I'm not that fussed about a more powerful version, but I know that there are people who would be.

Hot Toyota GT 86 planned

Toyota is already hard at work evaluating a high performance version of the new Toyota GT 86 sporting coupe. Chief engineer Tetsuo Tada says that not only is a supercharged GT 86 envisaged, test cars have already been made and are being evaluated by Toyota Racing Developments, the Japanese giant’s in house tuning division.

Tada-san favours the supercharger approach because it is simpler to achieve than increasing engine size and doesn’t wreck throttle response as turbocharging might. Indeed Toyota says that turbocharging along with four-wheel drive and wide tyres are what make sports cars boring to drive.

Supercharging is also a key competence for TRD which has been offering this kind of forced induction as an aftermarket kit for Toyotas since 1998. He would not be drawn on what kind of power a supercharged GT 86 might develop but Toyota is known to consider the car’s chassis could easily handle an additional 50bhp to go with the 197bhp already generated by its Subaru 2-litre flat four motor, a view with which, having driven the car, we wholly concur. However he says the TRD is also looking at ways of modifying the suspension to cope with the extra power, raising the possibility of a still more substantial power hike.

TRD’s most popular supercharger conversion is applied to the American market Tacoma pick up, boosting its 4-litre V6 engine from 233bhp to 301bhp suggesting that a 280bhp GT 86 with, critically, a massive boost in the low down torque the car currently lacks would be easily achieved. Even in the unlikely event that all the modifications added 100kg to the weight of the car, its power to weight ratio would still at least equal that of the 326bhp Nissan 370Z, a car capable of hitting 62mph from rest in 5.3sec and recording a top speed of 155mph. The standard GT 86 needs around 6.8sec and does 143mph. It is not yet known whether, if approved, the supercharged GT 86 would be offered as an aftermarket pack or as a model in its own right.

Tada also confirmed that it was so important to his team that even the standard GT 86 drifted properly that special tests were incorporated into the car’s development programme specifically for this purpose, ‘the first time this has ever been done on any Toyota.’

[blur]

Big news if true.

[wcbjr]

Doubt Toyota would leak that kind of information as it would kill sales of the initial run.

[Dark]

It will not kill any sale. There are many purists in the world.
Edit: it was posted in Subie forum earlier.
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2587

[dilly-o]

im surprised this thread isnt getting more action. sure, this could be yet more misinformation (of that there is plenty). but if true, its exactly what the MOAR POWER people have been looking for.

[Gearbanger]

Lets hope they go boosted.

[Neutral_Eyes]

Smells like rubbish.

[Ryephile]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2587

Repost. Admin combine?

[DuMa]

I like how the article assumes toyota thinks turbo awd wide tires are boring.lol

[ManOfStiehl]

Long time (13m) lurker, first time poster, but hear me out.

This actually makes a lot of sense to me. I know a few years back Scion offered a TRD Supercharger option for the tC, even if it wasn't the most powerful and kind of expensive.

http://www.coolcartuning.com/scion-tc-trd-supercharger/

While this one doesn't pull all that much more than the stock tC engine, I would imagine TRD could build something similar for the FR-S/BRZ/86 and offer it as a factory/aftermarket option. If they have to do significant mods to the engine (what with that 12.5:1 ratio) then I could see it coming as a performance spec model.

That said, I'm not sure exactly how the supercharger would pop onto a boxer, especially one as tightly packed as the D4S in the 86. Maybe have it sit in the middle in front?

[wcbjr]

Like this?

[Sparkplug]

Hell. Fricken. Yes! (If true)

I actually will prefer a factory supercharger instead of a turbo.

[Crashoverride]

awesome! I'm down.

[Mari0]

If true, it will most likely be offered as an option from Scion here in the US. Either way, I am not THAT interested. I am sure that if they don't develop one, someone else will.