Toyota GR86 passes to the hybrid segment: the decision of the Japanese construction company, which aligns with international regulations on emissions.
A short time has passed since the debut, also in Italy, of the Toyota GR86 that the Japanese manufacturer is preparing to launch a variant with hybrid engine. It is not a surprise given that the world regulations on cars are increasingly stringent and proposing a car capable of offering low CO2 emissions is practically becoming an indispensable move for the big brands.
There are no official confirmations yet, but it is clear that everything has already been decided at Toyota. The deadline, according to sources very close to the Japanese manufacturer, would have been set by 2025 and will see the GR86 move from the Subaru platform to the Toyota platform.
The reason? The architecture for hybrid engines conceived by the house in the land of the rising sun would not integrate perfectly with the current GR86: this is why we are thinking of using the Lexus ISin order to allow correct installation of the entire hybrid part in the new version of the car.
Toyota GR86 hybrid: how powerful will it be and where will the current GR86s go?
Let’s talk about technical data. The same rumors that launched the news make it known that the new Toyota GR86 with hybrid engine will have a turbochargerinheriting the solution seen with the 1.6 turbo on GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
The difference will all lie in the basic construction, devoted to the hybrid, which will exploit the electrical parts of the excellent engine Hybrid Max, which we saw in action in the latest Toyota Crown. However, only a rear-wheel drive configuration will be used in the GR86.
Okay, what power should we expect then? It is estimated that the new Toyota GR86 hybrid will be capable of even exceed 300 horsepower. A detail that in truth is not too surprising: the configuration that combines thermal and electric will require substantial changes to the car, such as to make it decidedly heavier and more complex also from a technological point of view.
It is thought that Toyota may also consider offering one variant with manual transmission, but there is no certain news to this effect. What is certain is that we will be dealing with a machine with a very different design, although it will keep the same name as the current GR86.
And speaking of the latter, what will happen to it? Toyota’s intention is not to make any further changes: the car we saw this year will presumably also accompany us in the next 2-3 years, pending the debut of the hybrid configuration.
A necessity that arises due to force majeure: as mentioned, international regulations push more and more up hybrid and electricin order to reduce CO2 emissions before reaching the total ban on thermal cars.
