No 2021 model

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Yea but if you are going to have a car for sale in less than 9 months, don't you have to have a working final prototype by now?

Maybe they do hidden away somewhere, but its the marketing piece I don't understand. You would think they would at least confirm it's coming at this point.

Yes they should have a working porotype by now if they are looking at a spring release.
The probability of them using foreign tracks to test right now is remote though. Everybody seems to think we are back to normal but all the auto companies still have travel bans in place so any testing will be close to home.
One of the LAST places I would expect them to be approving unessential travel to would be Texas. Maybe they can stop by in Florida and California on the way?

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Yes they should have a working porotype by now if they are looking at a spring release.
The probability of them using foreign tracks to test right now is remote though. Everybody seems to think we are back to normal but all the auto companies still have travel bans in place so any testing will be close to home.
One of the LAST places I would expect them to be approving unessential travel to would be Texas. Maybe they can stop by in Florida and California on the way?

OK, now that makes sense. Thanks.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Yoshoobaroo

Subaru tests prototypes at the Nurburgring all the time.



Agreed, not a world tour, but few manufacturers resist testing on the ring.

Those BRZ spy shots are so old that they probably hadn't even started working on the next gen yet. Obviously just an 86 bumper under the camo and the only visible difference is some vents in the fenders. Could just as easily (and more probable) be testing from some brake ducts or such for Sti. The simple fact it has camo does not make it a next gen mule no matter what the clickbaits say.
If by some weird chance they are next gen mule shots then the minor changes they would indicate go back to the question of just how much needs to be different to warrant the term "next generation"?

[Yoshoobaroo]

Eh I don’t care if they call it a new generation or a 2nd facelift.

That said, Covid got bad very quickly. It’s entirely possible that certain prototypes were already doing international testing in ~March. Subaru and Toyota both have engineering and test facilities outside of Japan, where non-Japanese people work.

I admit I’m speculating, but assuming the timeline is anywhere near on track, test mules have been out there. I don’t know much about the Japanese design cycles, but German cars can be spotted in camo up to 3 years before release.

Edit: Looks like the BRZ test mule was first spotted just 19 months before first deliveries, so maybe the Japanese just don’t test as much outside their facilities.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Yoshoobaroo

Eh I don’t care if they call it a new generation or a 2nd facelift.

That said, Covid got bad very quickly. It’s entirely possible that certain prototypes were already doing international testing in ~March. Subaru and Toyota both have engineering and test facilities outside of Japan, where non-Japanese people work.

I admit I’m speculating, but assuming the timeline is anywhere near on track, test mules have been out there. I don’t know much about the Japanese design cycles, but German cars can be spotted in camo up to 3 years before release.

Edit: Looks like the BRZ test mule was first spotted just 19 months before first deliveries, so maybe the Japanese just don’t test as much outside their facilities.

Yep. They have plenty of facilities much nearer home for early tests. Don't need to haul them all to Germany for basics. By the time they are testing out of country the car is well on it's way to being complete and they are ready for it to "leak".
I have always thought that many "spy shots" started with a call from marketing that went something like "Hey, if you happen to have your camera by the track on this date..."
It isn't the spy shots that get me so much it is the total lines of crap that people totally make up to go with them. That BRZ one was a blast since people were saying it was positive proof there was a turbo coming since there were fender vents.


What they did in the past is in the past. https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...the-nrburgring

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by Yoshoobaroo

I wouldn’t be surprised this ended up being one of the 2nd gen test mules. None of the body changes we can see here were implemented this gen, and testing last September was too late for 2020 models anyway.

inside on our sister forum did say it was a test mule for 2nd gen 86.



on a side note, you guys do know that Toyota now has their own private testing track. the same track that was used to test the 2021 Lexus IS. which there also wasn't any spy shots of the final product before the unveiling.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by gymratter

on a side note, you guys do know that Toyota now has their own private testing track. the same track that was used to test the 2021 Lexus IS. which there also wasn't any spy shots of the final product before the unveiling.

@Tcoat beat you to the punch by one post on that one. (See link)

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

@Tcoat beat you to the punch by one post on that one. (See link)

i started writing before he made that post, but got distracted with something else and finally pressed the post button.

i have also mention that track many times in the past. (see on the countless other 2nd gen 86 threads).

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by gymratter

inside on our sister forum did say it was a test mule for 2nd gen 86.

Another forum is not a way to verify things said on a forum. A forum is often the very least reliable of the sources of information no matter how many times they appear to be "right". People just ignore the thousands of posts with wrong info and point at the right stuff and say "see they knew".

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Another forum is not a way to verify things said on a forum. A forum is often the very least reliable of the sources of information no matter how many times they appear to be "right". People just ignore the thousands of posts with wrong info and point at the right stuff and say "see they knew".

well even the site moderator has said the same thing and he has a pretty good track record with Toyota info. i hate to keep going down the same rabbit hole; let's just end it at we'll know for sure in about a year from now.

https://www.supramkv.com/threads/the...a-models.1500/

https://www.supramkv.com/threads/off...ctacular.1501/

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by 14stu

So, I'm an instructor at our local track and the track manager is a friend of mine. He told me that Toyota (this is the closest track to their US headquarters) is doing some marketing type stuff at the track in the very near future and that he knows the test driver for the next 86 (he's friends with Randy Pobst, and was a test/development driver for Cadillac back when they were doing the first CTS V).

Toyota is hosting a tech tour at the track on Saturday (it's for the Supra though) and I plan on trying to find out if they have any info on the new 86. My friend couldn't outright tell me anything, but with a wink and a nod he let me know that the new 86 will be at the track doing a photo/video shoot in the next couple of weeks (could have happened as early as this week). I didn't press him for too much info since he was giving me as much as he was allowed to without violating any NDA's.

I've got a few member day passes, I'll let him know that I want to use one on the day Toyota will be there (or just find out more details). He made it sound like the car is pretty much ready to be announced/unveiled and they are just waiting for the proper timing. It seems too late for a 2021, but I would be surprised if the new 86 isn't a 2022 model.

If you manage go to this event you only have to confirm one thing.
From your observation of any 86 test mules and lines under the camo, does the car appear to resemble those red MagX renders that seems to suggest is sort of the final design for the car.

[14stu]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

If you manage go to this event you only have to confirm one thing.
From your observation of any 86 test mules and lines under the camo, does the car appear to resemble those red MagX renders that seems to suggest is sort of the final design for the car.

I'll post anything I'm not specifically asked not to. I'll also find out when the next gen will be at the track for the photo shoot/ad thing and do my best to make it out there (as long as there's not a work conflict).

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

If you manage go to this event you only have to confirm one thing.
From your observation of any 86 test mules and lines under the camo, does the car appear to resemble those red MagX renders that seems to suggest is sort of the final design for the car.

Originally Posted by 14stu

I'll post anything I'm not specifically asked not to. I'll also find out when the next gen will be at the track for the photo shoot/ad thing and do my best to make it out there (as long as there's not a work conflict).

do you mean the ones from Bestcar?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by gymratter

well even the site moderator has said the same thing and he has a pretty good track record with Toyota info. i hate to keep going down the same rabbit hole; let's just end it at we'll know for sure in about a year from now.

https://www.supramkv.com/threads/the...a-models.1500/

https://www.supramkv.com/threads/off...ctacular.1501/

Oh a site moderator. It is official then. Nobody but a true insider expert can moderate a forum.
A year from now something will show up and if close you will say they knew. If not nobody will say shit and their inaccurate info will be brushed aside.
It is the way of the internet.