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On the eve of the 2016 Festival of 86 in Canberra, Toyota has sprung a huge surprise with the unveiling of its dramatic new “Shooting Brake” concept of its iconic 86 sports car.
The prototype was conceived and developed by Toyota Australia’s product design team and hand-built in Japan under the direction of the global sports car division.
The global premiere of the Toyota 86 Shooting Brake, in the unlikely location of the Sutton Road Driver Training Centre just outside Queanbeyan, is another in a sequence of 86 concepts, satisfying chief engineer Tetsuya Tada’s long-held ambition to eventually create a family of 86-based models.
The shock arrival of the 86 Shooting Brake concept will delight the huge crowd expect at the festival on Saturday.
Tada-san, usually very protective of his 86 baby, is more than happy with the Shooting Brake look, which he says retains the purity of the original design.
It weighs 39kg more than the coupe on which it is based, with most of the additional mass rearward, actually helping the weight distribution reach an almost ideal 51-49 balance.“The nicely weighted and direct steering of the 86 ensures the car retains the involving drive experience of the coupe with a slightly more neutral feel in tight corners on a driver’s favourite road,” Tada said.Tada-san said Toyota wanted to gauge reaction to the concept, although it was conceived as an internal design study and there were no plans for production. Production may be a long shot, but Tada suggests its creation is a demonstration of the passion within the automotive giant.
“However, like a good parent saying ‘no’ to too many sweets, we made the conscious decision to keep as much of the original 86 as possible, only changing what was absolutely necessary.“The silhouette is still sporty, taut and energetic, but it’s more practical as it allows the roof to be used to carry surfboards, bikes or storage pods for a weekend away while the larger opening of the new boot enables much easier loading.”
