New car news

19 October 2011 - 15:00

Toyota FT-86 and Subaru BRZ coupes finally revealed

It's been a long time coming. Toyota and Subaru have announced that they'll be showing their co-developed Toyota FT-86 and Subaru BRZ sports coupes at the Tokyo motor show next month. Finally.

Pics of the Toybaru

They go on display ahead of their UK launches next summer, and, if the numbers come correct, we reckon they may well salvage both companies' currently rather dull images.

Both get a Subaru-derived flat-four engine and six-speed manual ‘box, with the option of a six-speed auto. Though ticking that one would be unbridled heresy. Output differs between the marques - the Scooby BRZ gets "less than 220kW" while the FT-86 dangles around the 150kW mark.

Underneath, they'll be identical, both getting limited-slip differentials and independent suspension. On the outside, they'll be differentiated by grills, badges and wheels.

The FT-86 especially is designed to appeal to the drifters - the stability control system even allows a dab of sideways before it tells you off. It'll be lithe, too - Toyota says it's 200kg lighter than a VW Scirocco (around 1100kg). It gets some trick suspension refinements, too - top-spec dampers and Euro-biased handling. Price? Around $45,000. Which seems very reasonable.

Details on the Subaru are a bit hazier. But we do know that it won't be four-wheel drive and will be a touch dearer - around $50,000, though no numbers have been confirmed - on account of the extra 60-odd killer watts.

Both sound pretty promising. And we've been waiting a quite a while... But which would you buy, TopGear.commers?