Quote:
Originally Posted by krayzie
In Japan it was always called "86" since the top trim is known as "GT Limited".
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And "GT" is nothing more than a throwback to the 2000GT name.
The ONLY reason this car is called an "86" is for marketing purposes. It gives the enthusiasts something to hang a reference on. It doesn't share any styling cues with the AE86, nor does it share any technical inspiration other than being RWD. It's not any more a relative of the AE86 than a second step-cousin twice removed.
The style of this car is based on the 2000GT. The underpinnings are new. But if Toyota had said, "We're bringing back the 2000GT," the majority of potential buyers would have said, "The
what?" Then, since the 2000GTs that still exist are going for $1M or more, people would have concluded that the new car would be expensive. So they hung the 86 on it to imply that it would be cheap.
This forced "lineage" is goofy.