Buyers keen on Toyota’s latest 86 which wears the Gazoo Racing badge will have to wait until at least late 2022.
Toyota Australia’s upcoming sequel to the 86 will be delayed by almost 12 months when it goes on sale later in 2022.
Toyota had expected to release details such as specifications and pricing later this year and launch the new coupe in early 2022, but it has now delayed deliveries until at least late 2022. It will, however, debut a pre-production display model in December at Bathurst – and you can also read our first-drive review of the prototype here.
Subaru had meanwhile pulled a rabbit out of the hat by allowing buyers to pre-order an initial allocation that is on track for delivery in early 2022.
The Toyota GR 86 delay follows a long list of product hold ups for Toyota Australia which has made previous announcements to buyers that it is dealing with computer chip shortages and other constraints which are pushing out deliveries. You can read about the expected wait times on models such as the Toyota 300 Series, Hilux, and others here.
The new GR 86 has switched to a larger capacity engine which answers one of the biggest bugbears of the 86 – its lack of torque and need for high revs to keep the engine on the boil and the car in its sweet spot. There’s now a 17 per cent increase in power to 172kW and torque not only swells by 45Nm to 250Nm but it arrives from 3700rpm, nearly 3000rpm lower in the rev range.
Australia specifications and pricing are yet to be announced but overseas the model has been pegged from around $35k.
Alex Rae