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Toyota GT86, Scion FR-S sales disappointing worldwide?

Okay, folks - it appears we've got a problem. The Toyota GT86, Europe's counterpart to our own beloved Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S coupes, is apparently not selling too well. This, according to Toyota's European Vice President of Research and Development, Gerald Killman, is what's limiting plans for additional variants of the rear-drive coupe.
"A faster version of that car would be at the top of most people's wish lists, but like the cabriolet, it is hard to justify a business case to push either model into production based on the current sales," Killman told AutoExpress. "Personally, I think that engine could use a little bit more," he added.
More troubling is that slow sales aren't limited to the Euro-spec car, with Killman claiming that the GT86 have been missing sales targets in major markets around the globe. It may not be that the US is one of those major markets, though. Scion's Vice President, Doug Murtha, tells Autoblog that his brand is happy with the sales of its version of the GT86, the FR-S. 18,000 units were sold last year, which Murtha says is "generally in line with original expectations for the car."

The Toyota GT86 Shooting Brake Concept is real

As a two-door wagon the shooting brake exists at the unusual but captivating intersection between practicality and sportiness. This Toyota GT86 Shooting Brake Concept is no different – it's a standard GT86, with no mechanical alterations save the grafted-on wagonette roof and hatch. It's fully functional, too, having turned some laps on Toyota's test tracks. It even has the blessing of Tetsuya Tada, the father of the Toyota 86 and its Subaru BRZ and (now rebadged) Scion FR-S, who's been protective of the original GT86 concept to the point of strenuously resisting any serious power upgrades. This isn't the first shooting brake concept we've seen from the Toyobaru twins, but it's the first Toyota-badged one. Subaru brought the Cross Sport Design Concept to the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. So how did the GT86 Shooting Brake Concept happen? The story, as Toyota tells it, involves the company's Australian design team. They created a 1/4-scale clay model of the shooting brake, and showed it to Tada when he visited in late 2014. He was so impressed, Toyota says, that he had his hand-picked craftsman in Japan bring the idea to full-scale fruition. The Australian design team, in the outdoor-loving spirit of their country, immediately thought that the longer roof would be perfect for carrying surfboards and other unwieldy sports equipment. And it would be. Meanwhile, Tada and the rest of the Toyota corporation want to tamp down expectations. It's a design study, the company says, and it's just "testing the waters." Toyota won't rule anything out, and Mazda recently surprised everyone with the MX-5 RF's unusual and attractive targa model. Maybe in a world where Mazda felt confident enough to introduce the RF, Toyota can be daring enough to bring a sporty wagon to the masses. We can hope, and maybe if we all make enough noise together Toyota will make it a reality. Related Video: Featured Gallery Toyota GT86 Shooting Brake Concept Scion Subaru Toyota Coupe Hatchback Wagon Concept Cars Performance shooting brake toyota gt86 gt86

2017 Toyota 86: The car so nice it's been rebadged twice

When the dust settles and the Scion brand is no more, the car we currently know as the Scion FR-S will be rebadged. Again. If you remember the excitement that surrounded the Toyobaru/Subota rear-drive sports coupes' introduction, you'll recall that Scion's Subaru BRZ twin landed in here as the FR-S. That car, along with the new iA and iM, will get a stay of execution next year when the brand bids adieu. We know it will wear a Toyota badge in dealers from then on, and there's a good chance it will get the 86 badge European models wear. Toyota's version of the car goes by several different names depending on the market. It's only a Scion in North America, while it's sold as the Toyota 86 (in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa), Toyota GT86 (in Europe and New Zealand again), and Toyota FT86 (in Nicaragua and Jamaica). The 86 part of the name is a nod to the rear-drive AE86 Corollas of the 1980s. That's a history lesson Toyota likely won't have to teach its core demographic. Then again, this car's core demographic probably already bought one. There's also a possibility that this car will get yet another name combination: Toyota FR-S. For the sake of simplicity, let's hope not. View 7 Photos So yes, the rebadged 86 will be re-rebadged back to a Toyota. Functionally this means almost nothing. Buyers who were ordering badge-swap kits from overseas will save some money. Some enthusiast forums might need to change their names. And people visiting from Japan or Europe will feel a little more at home when they see a rear-drive Toyota sports car on the street. Meanwhile, FR-S – a name that may or may not have stood for "front-engine, rear-drive, sport" – will be quickly forgotten. Related Video: Scion Toyota confirmed toyota 86