A Toyota open-top sports car would be great.
Just after the original 2012 model year car was released, Toyota teased a convertible version. There were rumors at the time that Toyota was considering such a model. However, all indications pointed to it being delayed until 2014. It didn’t happen. It never came to pass. Yesterday, Toyota refreshed the coupe. While there wasn’t mention of a drop-top model, it didn’t stop X-Tomi Design creating one.
Open-air styling gives the coupe an Miata-like appearance. However, it’s not a problem. Official rendering cuts off the roof of the GR 86 while keeping the rest intact. Soft fabric was the top of the Toyota drop-top 86, which was teased many years ago. Toyota was focused on reducing the fat in the 2022 redesign, so installing a hardtop convertible would have been counterproductive.
Toyota does not disclose how much fat was removed from the hardtop. However, the company noted that the roof and fenders were made of aluminum. To improve handling, the company modified the front seats as well as the mufflers. A lighter roof and fenders gives the two-door a lower centre of gravity. Convertibles can add weight, but open-top motoring has its benefits.
Toyota GR 86, the new model will be available for 2022 model years and features many improvements over the previous model. The 2.0-liter engine is replaced by a 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated boxer engine. The engine produces 232 horsepower (173 milliwatts) and torque of 184 pound-feet (253 Newton-meters). Toyota has reduced its 0-62mph (100 km/h) time to 6.3 seconds. Although the new Toyota GR 86 will be available in Japan this fall, we will need to wait to hear more about its North American debut.