A Turbocharged GT86 Isn't Possible Without A New Platform, Toyota Says

No matter how many times high-ranking Toyota employees rule out a turbocharged version of the GT86, we’ve remained living in hope. After all, we’ve seen just how amazing the boxer-engined sports car can be with more power and a few supporting mods from the aftermarket, so how awesome would it be if we had such a thing form Toyota itself?

Now though, GT86 and GR Supra engineer Tetsuya Tada has effectively put the turbo speculation to bed for good.

Speaking to Car Advice, Tada-san assured that he certainly isn’t averse to turbochargers. “There were some articles in the media that Mr Tada doesn’t like a turbo,” he said, adding, “That’s not really true. I do like turbos, however if we come up with a turbo version of the 86 and boost up the power that would result in the necessity of changing the basic configuration completely, to come up with a car that I would be satisfied with.”

Why? It’s all about balance, Tada-san explained.The standard the car is “slightly front loaded so it makes the handling more fast and agile,” so the weight of a turbocharger plus all the ancillaries would muck that up. “That means we have to come up with a completely new platform,” he concluded.

So for now, it’s safe to say it isn’t going to happen. But hey - when the next GT86 is here, we can go back to dreaming once more.