Richard Hammond writes The Mirror's weekly Friday motoring column and has co-presented Top Gear since 2002. He has mentioned the Toyota FT-86 Concept already 3 times in his blog: http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/cars-motorbikes/richard-hammond/
Should we mention that he is very happy about the project?
First FT-86 appearance in Richard Hammond`s blog:
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/cars-motorbikes/2009/10/toyota-and-subaru-marriage-is.html
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Toyota and Subaru marriage is very exciting
By Richard Hammond on October 15, 2009
In the past week I've read about two interesting and rather unlikely relationships.
The first is between the short jazzmaster Jamie Cullum (nowt wrong with being short, of course) and the considerably taller supermodel Sophie Dahl. The second is between Toyota and Subaru.
I'm not fussed by which celebrity is marrying who but I'm very excited by the prospect of a union between the company that brought us the Supra Turbo and MR2 and the one that brought us the Impreza WRX.
The plan is for Subaru to manufacture a rear-wheel drive coupe that both companies will then sell. Both will be powered by Subaru's famous flat-four boxer engine but each car will have its own identity.
Toyota's version will look very similar to the car that you're looking at right now.
Next week this concept car will be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota is calling it the FT-86 Concept. If you're an anorak who specialises in Japanese performance cars from the 80s you'll know that the AE-86 was the code for the twin-cam rear-wheel drive Toyota Corolla that is a bit of a cult classic in Japan. You will surely agree that the FT-86 concept looks a bit special.
The Japanese are talking about a price on home turf of around £14,000 but by the time the car lands here in 2012, it'll probably be nearer £18k. That's still not bad for what promises to be a very desirable motor.
The Subaru engine is a perfect choice. Because of its flat-four layout it can be mounted very low in the chassis, which is handy for keeping the centre of gravity low down, and that is a nice thing for handling. Subaru's engines are crackers and although they were once a bit thirsty, Subaru has cleaned them up a lot.
I'd guess that an entry level Toyaru or Subota would have about 140bhp but a turbo engine from the Impreza could be fitted to top-of-the-range models to create a real tyre smoker.
This is a car that's going to really appeal to younger drivers. The FT-86 is shorter in length and height than the Audi TT, and also narrower. Toyota says that it'll be fun and easy to drive with "strong emotional performance". I think that means it'll make you smile when driving it.
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Second FT-86 appearance in Richard Hammond`s blog:
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/cars-motorbikes/2010/02/toyota-will-be-glad-to-show-of.html
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Toyota will be glad to show off FT-86
Toyota has not had much to celebrate recently, so the company will be glad to show off some new kit at Geneva.
Top draw will be our first look at the FT-86, the rear-wheel drive coupe it is building with Subaru.
Then there's the Auris HSD, a hybrid-powered motor that's going to be made at Toyota's Burnaston factory in Derbyshire.
Lastly, there'll be a plug-in hybrid of the Prius - an electric car and a fuel cell hybrid concept car.
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Third FT-86 appearance in Richard Hammond`s blog:
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/cars-motorbikes/2010/03/ft-86-coupe-to-revive-toyota.html
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FT-86 coupe to revive Toyota
By Richard Hammond on March 17, 2010
You wouldn't want to have been working at Toyota for the past month - especially in quality control or public relations.
But the firm has been building reliable motors for decades, bought because they tend not to go wrong. Virtually every tourist on the planet will have travelled in a Toyota Hiace van from airport to hotel, often badly driven and falling to bits, but still going strong.
So why are all Toyotas rubbish overnight? They're not, of course.
By the time the FT-86 arrives on our shores, its current troubles will be forgotten and I predict it's going to be a massive success.
First off, it's rear-wheel drive, which means it is going to be fun to drive and will probably handle rather nicely. It'll have about 200bhp which doesn't sound much (the Ford Focus RS has 300bhp and the Megane RS 250bhp) but, because it's rear-wheel drive, you'll be able to put all the power down easily.
And it looks fantastic. It's a proper coupe and that's crucial. Coupe says that you're young and fancy-free, and that you don't need space for prams. Pretty important to get that message across even if you're 40 and have two kids. With some of the spirit of the 1980s' Toyota Corolla, specifically the AE-86 model, the FT-86 will be powered by a flat-four engine built by Subaru, which should give it an interesting character.
But the best thing is that when it arrives in late next year it will cost less than £20,000. It won't be perfect but will be a lot of fun and unlikely to have a sticking throttle pedal.
small reflection about the model and the Toyota brand ...
Why the MR2 picture is posted? Maybe because it was the last light-weight RWD rather MR model?