Work continues on a new compact Toyota sports car priced around $20K
More details have emerged about the all-new compact Toyota sports car we reported first details about late last year, when it emerged that the small two-door rear-drive coupe is being developed to slot beneath the 86 at a price of around $20,000.
According to sources in Japan, Toyota’s mini-coupe – codenamed 69DZ – will employ a 97kW 1.5-litre engine and tip the scales at around 980kg, giving Toyota another rival for Mazda’s new-generation MX-5.
“Designers have a final prototype that could very well go into production as is,” said a source close to Toyota, who added that the 69DZ will pay homage to the Toyota 800 — the car that revolutionised the company’s sports car program back in the late 1960s.
“The new coupe’s exterior look was inspired by the Toyota Sports 800 of 1965, but reinterpreted for the 21st Century,” he said.
Some of the 800’s key design cues were cleverly reflected in the GT86 Style Cb (which stands for Cool Beauty) — a concept car that was penned by an all-girl design team and debuted at the 2013 Tokyo motor show, before it landed in Japanese showrooms in limited numbers in late April.
“That’s why you will see roundish headlights and a large, signature grille on the new coupe,” said our source. “The finished product looks like a brother to the Cb [pictured].”
Apart from a traditional coupe silhouette with short overhangs and curvy rear hindquarters, our contact says the 69DZ will feature flared wheel-arches and a bonnet incorporating an unusual “lump”.
He said this design detail was necessary because Toyota’s designers wanted to give the car the sleekest look possible, but at the same time they had to accommodate the engine and a 90mm pedestrian impact absorption zone above the engine bay.
Toyota’s new rear-drive coupe will be a 2+2-seater but, as expected, its rear seats will be barely big enough for anklebiters. Inside, expect a reasonable level of quality and the propensity for a wide range of customisation.
In addition to a bespoke platform, the 69DZ will also employ a uniquely revised 1.5-litre 2NR-FKE in-line four-cylinder engine based on the less powerful petrol four seen in Japan’s facelifted Corolla. Direct injection and a revised port design will boost power output by 20 per cent, from 81 to 97kW.
We’re also happy to report that rather than resort to a CVT, Toyota will offer the mini-coupe with six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions — both Aisin units borrowed from the 86.
But Toyota has one more surprise up its sleeve.
Our source tells us that the test driver who will be responsible for fine-tuning the coupe’s handling is none other than former World Rally Championship star Tommi Makinen.
Well known for his success with Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution, Makinen has recently been developing cars with Toyota and the Gazoo Racing 4WD GT86 is the latest model to benefit from his handiwork, which bodes well for fans of affordable driver’s cars.
Expect the Toyota’s ‘69DZ’ baby coupe to go on sale by early 2018, for around the same starting price as the Corolla. Start saving now.
