I have said it may times before about Toyota being a boring brand lately and the only thing exciting lies with the Lexus brand in the ISF and the virtually unattainable LFA. A report by Autocar confirms the automaker has starting work off of a hot-hatch concept that will be a low-cost, rear-wheel-drive coupe. Supposedly this new hatchback is being made in a tribute to the late Hiromu Naruse, Toyota’s chief test driver and godfather of the Lexus LFA who was killed in a road accident while driving a LFA prototype.

The new Toyota coupe is to be based on the GRMN Hot Hatch Concept that was previously revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon this year. The new coupe will be positioned below the upcoming FT-86 but based on the same formula for being an exciting rear-wheel drive vehicle targeting young buyers.

Hiromu Naruse was the man who gave Toyota many of its exciting products such as the Toyota Supra. One of the latest pet projects of Naruse aside from the LFA was said to be the idea of a front-engine rear-wheel-drive model for young auto enthusiasts. Does this mean the Toyota FT-86 will be the “new Supra” since it will be positioned above this new baby coupe?

Currently there is speculation that we may see a form of the GRMN Hot Hatch Concept in coupe form come to fruition in 2012 sporting a 1.5-liter engine driving the rear wheels well before the FT-86 hits the market. Price rumors from insiders are said to be around $15,000usd.

[source: Autocar]

We all remember the Toyota Corolla RWD AE86 coupe, which is a drifter’s dream car. It seems we are getting more and more confirmations of a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru making a come-back in this missing-link that Toyota as had for over a decade now.

A “Toyota Insider” has some new information for us revealing that this new car, code named 086A, will be lower and wider than the out-going Toyota Celica (2000-2006) with an “orthodox 2+2 coupe style and a silhouette resembling the Lexus LF-A“.  

A new rendering from 7TUNE reveals what this new coupe could look like. Now that I think about it, this looks similar to much older renderings that we use to speculate being the new Toyota Supra. Well, maybe Toyota has had this car up their sleeves for longer than we think.

Toyota/Subaru, according to the “Toyota Insider”, will still attempt to keep the price relatively low around the $25,000usd mark.

The stats for the 086A are as follows:

I have posted a few older renderings and photos, including one of a Toyota prototype thought to be the 086A, “Lexus IS500″ or next generation Lexus SC spotted on the Nurburgring for your enjoyment and comparison to the newest rendering. Enjoy!

Other image renderings of the “Toyota/Subaru 086A RWD Sports Coupe”

[source: 7TUNE, Road and Track]

We have said Toyota was plain boring before especially when it comes to sports cars or even “sporty” coupes. The question I have been asking for several years now, where is Toyota’s AE86 Corolla for the new millennium? Well, I think they have answered my question (and prayers). Toyota and Subaru, in a joint venture, plan to introduce a rear-wheel-drive sports coupe in 2011 or 2012.

Subaru is already an exciting brand but it is pretty sad that it takes Subaru to inject some excitement into Toyota. But anyway, it is going to happen and it is putting a big smile on my face already!

Road and Track explains in their July 2009 publication that Toyota will be entering into the affordable sports-coupe game with a new RWD model sporting 200hp and a $20K to $25K price tag. Those numbers remind me of the seventh generation 2000-2006 Toyota Celica only this time it will be rear-wheel-drive sports coupe.

Powering the coupe will be a Subaru 2.0 liter flat-4 power plant with 200hp and 145 lb-ft. of torque. Road and Track is predicting that the car will weigh in at about 2700 lbs. That would make this a pretty quick car pushing 0-60mph around 6 seconds or better. The chassis will be based off of the Subaru Impreza and Legacy and code-named 086A which is, as you may have guessed, reminiscent of the 1983-1987 Corolla/Levin AE86. Time for some drifting!

The joint venture is more along the lines of the brother-hood of Toyota and Pontiac building the Toyota Matrix along side of the Pontiac Vibe. Now with the out of Pontiac, Toyota will be forming some new alliances and this is one that I am really looking forward to!

This sounds like a tuners dream car!  I can only imagine the mods that come out for this thing. Should we call up BMW and tell them they have a contender for the 135i? Okay, I am jumping the gun.

[source: Road and Track]

Other image renderings of the Toyota/Subaru 086A RWD Sports Coupe