Email from Key Toyota Engineer regarding FT86

[serialk11r]

boooo stick to buttons and knobs, screens are distracting and expensive.

[iff2mastamatt]

Originally Posted by bofa

Haha so true. Although... a mac touchscreen interface sounds kinda nifty. We'll give the track junkies a light weight etch-a-sketch.

Windows 7 has yet to crash on me, but we're getting a little too off topic. The whole focus of this car was based off the driver experience, so I'm assuming the concept (MKI) had all the controls in the dash to emphasize the driver's need to focus on the road and not worry about anything else. I doubt the interior is finished yet, but I'm interested what Toyota will do with it.

[Allch Chcar]

Originally Posted by zigzagz94

Guessing the "hot version" is the one with the giant spoiler and body kit. Didn't see an intercooler on that in any of the pics so it's probably a tuned version of the N/A FB engine.

Wasn't there a quote from one of the engineers a while back saying they could easily get 230ps out of this engine but they were tuning it for more fuel economy? The hot version is probably just tuned more for performance.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...03&postcount=2

"Subaru 2 Liter Boxer Engine's Mark Performance is 230ps, but I feel that this number is bit greedy. If we can hold the car's weight to 1200kg (2645 lbs), 180~200ps should be plenty of power"

230-250ps in a high revving NA FB would be awesome assuming the weight of 1200kg.

AFAIK they haven't completed testing of turbo FB engines and that is why the next gen STi impreza's have been delayed, right? Maybe ichitaka could provide more info on that.

Hint it was in a video interview .

Originally Posted by cyde01

actually assuming that that sentence about the 230 hp was a quote from tada-san is quite an assumption.

i do remember reading that article now but i brushed off that 230 hp mark, because there are no quotations around that sentence. it is quite clear to me that this is more conjecture by the writer of the article that the limits of an n/a subaru boxer is 230 hp. remember too, this article was written back when the FB series wasn't announced. everyone including the automotive press was still assuming that this car would have a modified EJ motor.

so to sum it up, the above quote was by a writer (and NOT an engineer)for the car website Hobista Auto assuming that the n/a limit for an EJ20 was around 230 hp.

if they do make a hardcore n/a high power model i'd be surprised, but the cost/hp crowd probably aren't gonna be impressed.

Hint It was not a quote from a writer.

Originally Posted by TRDLiquidSilver

actually the things that the car doesn't need (e.g. nav or leather, park assist etc...) is not being added by t.m.m. but t.m.s. which is a distributor not manufacturing. when a land cruiser goes to south africa they could care less about park assist. t.m.m. will ask the distributor what they want and build a vehicle specific for their region based on what the distributor thinks would sell.

don't place too much blame with manufacturing its the distributors that you need to get angry with. fyi: pwr seats and moonroofs won't make it into the fr-s. they were also tinkering not having any pwr win/lks at all and making everything manual but that was quickly shot down.

GORRAMIT!!! SCION!!!!



Thanks again for contributing TRDLiquidSilver.

Originally Posted by bofa

...I'm glad the power windows/locks idea was shot down. But it would be cool if you could order a barebones model for the track junkies.

Okay, but you're still a nub for being glad about it.

Originally Posted by Dark

Say what? No power window? I'm not going to want to roll the window in 21st century car...

Grrr?

Originally Posted by PAImportTuner

Confirms that, I was told the idea of base having no power options was brought up and was shot down almost immediately, does not go with the Scion line and doesn't agree with 2012. I wanted the no pwr option btw.

It doesn't count if you say it after someone confirms it. No rep points for you.

[bofa]

Originally Posted by Allch Chcar

Okay, but you're still a nub for being glad about it.

Whatever.. it's flippin hot down here and being able to roll my windows down with my key fob is awesome. This car will see more DD use than track use for me. If I'm worried about the extra 3-4 pounds it might cost me, I'll eat an extra fiber bar.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by TRDLiquidSilver

.... you will see more spy photos when we bring it to the desert.

wait that means, I might see this prototype in my state?

[Neutral_Eyes]

I'm all for manual windows/locks, radio delete, cloth door handles, no sound deadening, lightweight roof, etc. for options. Sadly, I don't any of these happening, especially with Scion being the US connection to the FT-86.

[Aki]

Yay for no moonroof! That puts weight at the worst place on the whole car.

I'm hoping for a stripped down version later down the line though.

[blur]

Originally Posted by Aki

Yay for no moonroof! That puts weight at the worst place on the whole car.

I'm hoping for a stripped down version later down the line though.

Yes, the cheaper AND more functional version. Sign me up. I just hope the interior is well made and comfortable, tbh.

Hey TRD, while you're here, any idea what the weight figure would look like?

[colHolm]

Originally Posted by Neutral_Eyes

I'm all for manual windows/locks, radio delete, cloth door handles, no sound deadening, lightweight roof, etc. for options. Sadly, I don't any of these happening, especially with Scion being the US connection to the FT-86.

There is always a future Release Series that could be track themed...

Or look back a few years at the "Spec Package" Scion did on the tC...

[Ryephile]

Originally Posted by TRDLiquidSilver

......... fyi: pwr seats and moonroofs won't make it into the fr-s. ....

That makes my day.

Opting for manual seats and a solid roof means they are on the righteous path to lightness. I do understand that power doors/mirrors/locks are almost mandatory these days. The motors used these days are barely heavier than cranks and actually do last a long time compared to power window setups of yore. Hopefully since they're doing power windows they actually program auto down and up for both windows. I just don't understand why some brands refuse to add that zero-weight but super-convenient feature. Having just one window go auto-down simply reeks of cheapness and rationing-out the features for no good reason other than being cheap.

Originally Posted by Neutral_Eyes

I'm all for manual windows/locks, radio delete, cloth door handles, no sound deadening, lightweight roof, etc. for options. Sadly, I don't any of these happening, especially with Scion being the US connection to the FT-86.

You can't get even a street-legal Lotus stripped out that hardcore from the factory. The Porsche Boxster Spyder is a bloated pig compared to your preferences, even if they checked off some of your boxes. You're better off stripping out your own car as you see fit. Furthermore, stripping out a pig of a car to make it lighter is a waste of time compared to starting with a light car with minimal factory junk. Let's be honest, you're in the vast minority of super-mega hardcore people that aren't worrying about being comfortable or getting laid. It sounds more like you're looking for an Ariel Atom, Lotus 2-Eleven, Radical, or shifter kart, not a road car with a heavy license plate and headlights.

The marketplace for super-visceral hyper-minimalistic cars is as sparse as the car is extreme. Toyota/Subaru are building a real car you can drive on the road without assaulting your senses. Think of the majority of enthusiasts and even among there are very few highly-visceral cars. Lots of //M3's, Evo's STI's, misc. Hondas and Mazdas. The FT-86/FR-S will be about as hardcore as a stock Miata, which is plenty of sensation and feedback but livable day-to-day.

[iff2mastamatt]

Originally Posted by Ryephile

That makes my day.

Opting for manual seats and a solid roof means they are on the righteous path to lightness. I do understand that power doors/mirrors/locks are almost mandatory these days. The motors used these days are barely heavier than cranks and actually do last a long time compared to power window setups of yore. Hopefully since they're doing power windows they actually program auto down and up for both windows. I just don't understand why some brands refuse to add that zero-weight but super-convenient feature. Having just one window go auto-down simply reeks of cheapness and rationing-out the features for no good reason other than being cheap.

Considering that the FT-86 will only have 2 windows to adjust, I would hope that they were both power up/down. It's annoying to hold down the other window when the one is auto, so I know what you mean. However, I think most manufacturers don't put it on both to save $$$; not weight.

[ftw-86]

I should have worked at toyota when I had the chance. Now i'm stuck at a medical company surfing the forums for ft 86 news. I want turbo!

[Matador]

Originally Posted by TRDLiquidSilver

don't place too much blame with manufacturing its the distributors that you need to get angry with. fyi: pwr seats and moonroofs won't make it into the fr-s. they were also tinkering not having any pwr win/lks at all and making everything manual but that was quickly shot down.

Perhaps for a competition/ track spec model?

[PAImportTuner]

Originally Posted by Allch Chcar

It doesn't count if you say it after someone confirms it. No rep points for you.

What about saying on Monday that Subaru was in the states and CA car was theirs and everyone told me on what basis or no it has Toyota plates on it, I knew already it was, then today pics are released, it has G ball, and steering wheel. Being only 40min from SOA is a plus and our company has a relationship with Subaru and all the aftermarket companies for them, so sometimes I can get some important crumbs.