Toyota GT 86 hits the track (video review)

Toyota GT 86 hits the Fuji Speedway

Yesterday we had the first photos of the production version of the FT-86 – the Toyota GT 86 – and today we get the first video.

Yesterday we had the first look at the production version of the Toyota FT-86 Concept and learnt it will in fact be the GT 86, but only in Europe. In Japan it will be just the Toyota 86 and in North America it loses its 86 tag completely to be the Scion F-RS.

And after endless teases and more than one FT-86 concept in the last years, the GT 86 is exactly what we expected. Yes, it’s more money than Toyota reckoned it would b e when they first revealed the sports car project, but that was always going to be the case.

It gets a decent level of power (197bhp), a nice balance with a low centre of gravity and it takes a nice size 10 skin – the GT 86 is no size 16 bloater. So it offers a lot of promise; if nothing else it shows Toyota are heading in a more interesting direction than the beige one they’ve pursued in recent years.

Now we get the first look at the GT 86 on track from Japan. True, we don’t have a clue what anyone’s saying, but the GT 86 looks pretty good on the move.

The video – from Love Cars in Japan – isn’t exactly a no-holds barred shake-down of Toyota’s new toy (it looks like a press driving day) but there’s plenty of footage of the GT 86 on the go at the Fuji Speedway and, for a (still) modestly priced sports car, it looks good.

We’ll get more on the GT 86 this week as the Tokyo Motor Show kicks off, but now we’re waiting for news of the GT 86′s sibling – the Subaru BRZ – which is due to debut this week too.

We’re rather looking forward to the Toyota GT 86.

(13 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK