Toyota FT-86 Sports Concept II: New Pictures and Video from Brussels Photo Shoot


We’ve already seen and gone over all the juicy bits of the near-production Toyota FT-86 II sports coupe, but the Japanese automaker’s social media crew went over to the firm’s European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, for a new photo shoot last week offering us a fresh batch of pictures as well as a behind-the-scenes video.

The second iteration of the FT-86 study made its first public outing at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. Its main purpose is to preview actual production model that will go on sale in late 2012. The well-received styling of the original concept model evolved gaining new front and rear ends, more pronounced surfaces and a host of other fresh details, with Toyota claiming that the design changes were made for safety regulations as well as for practical reasons.

The new rear drive coupe is being developed in cooperation with Subaru that will present its own version in the near future. Both cars will share the same underpinnings and mechanical hardware including the 2.0-liter boxer engine and 6-speed transmission.

Toyota says the sports coupe will stand out for its light weight and low centre of gravity, offering an “optimum power-to-weight ratio”.More details are expected to be released later this year.


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New 300HP Toyota Avensis BTCC Racer Revealed in the Flesh [with Video]


The two new Toyota Avensis “Next Generation Touring Cars” (NGTC) received their public debut on Thursday at the Silverstone circuit today, a week before the start of the British Touring Car Championship. The Avensis racers went on display wearing the liveries of privateer teams Dynojet Racing and Hughes Motorsport/Speedworks.

The Avensis race cars will be driven by Frank Wrathall Jr. and Tony Hughes. “The Toyota looks amazing and we are all delighted with it," said Wrathall. "Yes, it is frustrating not to have done more testing, but the first few rounds were always going to be tough for us, so we will just get on with it and do the best, most competitive job that we can."

Both cars have been built by GPR Motorsport on bodyshells from the production line of Toyota's Burnaston plant. Under the bonnet of Wrathall's Avensis lies a 2.0-liter turbocharged Toyota engine developed by X Ctech R that puts out more than 300 horsepower. The team’s engineers hope this unit will prove to be one of the lightest and most powerful engines of the championship.

The 2011 BTCC will enjoy a record 27-car entry, with 10 different manufacturers represented: Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Proton, SEAT, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

Out of the 27 cars, 13 different models will be fighting for honors: Audi A4, BMW 320si, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Lacetti, Ford Focus, “Global” Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Honda Integra, Proton Gen-2, SEAT Leon, Toyota Avensis, Vauxhall Vectra and VW Golf. Scroll down to see the NGTC-spec Toyota Avensis in action during preliminary testing.

By Dan Mihalascu


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