Senior employees at both Toyota and Subaru have dismissed rumours that the GT86 and BRZ compact sports cars face the axe.
Last week
(citing another report from an upcoming tabloid story) reported that the rear-driven Toyota, along with its Subaru BRZ twin, would be cancelled due to the two companies having “deviated on their development policies”.
But since then there have been denials on both fronts.
Toyota Australia’s public affairs manager Brodie Bott has told
that there will indeed be a new-generation GT86. “We’ve seen it, it is coming,” he told the Australian website.
“When those reports blew up, we had a few chats internally and I can tell you right now, the car is coming,” Bott said.
He also reiterated that the GT86 was an important car to Toyota and that it would serve as a “little brother” to the Supra.
Meanwhile, a spokesman from Subaru’s US division, Ron Kinno, has told
that a new BRZ is on the horizon too.
“We do not endorse this report coming from Japan’s Best Car. We are moving ahead with a next-generation Subaru BRZ, but have no further details at this time,” he told the website.
And that’s the rub. Both Japanese carmakers are remaining silent on any details pertaining to the newcomers as they are still likely quite far off, and at this stage we don’t even know if the new GT86 and BRZ will be related, or developed separately altogether.
Yet following the fairly widespread criticism of the junior rear-driven sports cars being underpowered, it is likely that in one way or another, they will be given more power.
But will either of them go the turbocharged route? Fans will certainly be hoping so.