Toyota has always famously defended keeping the GR86 supercharged and light, but a new report out of Japan The best automotive web claims that the GR86 could undergo some significant changes for the next generation.
Some of these changes include things like platform switches, new engines, and even electrification, all of which sound like departures from the usual formula.
Read more: Toyota is testing the GR86 coupe, equipped with the 300-horsepower GR Corolla turbo
The car will reportedly ditch Subaru’s current platform for Toyota, but instead of going underpinned by the TNGA, it will instead ride on a shortened Lexus IS platform for the extra space it provides. The next part of the rumor is that it will be a hybrid, probably as a way to meet strict emissions regulations. As for the engine component, the report claims that the most likely candidate is the 1.6L turbocharged three-cylinder G16E-GTS found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
It is believed that next to this engine will be the electrical component of the new one CrownHybrid Max system. The total power will theoretically be 300 hp. (304 hp / 224 kW). GR Corolla makes that much power with just the engine, we can’t imagine it’ll be hard to eclipse with an electric motor. What we find a little harder to believe is that despite this new electrified powertrain, the GR 86 will still offer a manual gearbox anyway.
See also: Toyota reportedly has no plans to release any other GR Performance models
To top it all off, adding a hybrid system would likely make the car too heavy to fit the lightweight philosophy the 86 strives to embody with each generation.
While there are some parts of this theory that are feasible, such as switching to the G16E-GTS, the whole reason Toyota is able to sell the GR86 at such an affordable price thanks to its partnership with Subaru. Strip away the cost savings of sharing a chassis and not having to develop an entirely new powertrain, and you’re left with a heavy, complex and expensive version of a car whose whole point is to be light, simple and affordable.
https://www.carscoops.com/2022/10/rumor-claims-toyota-gr86-could-go-hybrid-for-next-generation-use-gr-corolla-engine/
