The Toyobaru twins have gone under more names than some entire car brands have, and as Scion closes up shop to fold into the mother brand, the FR-S gets yet another name change. But it’s one I can actually get behind. Meet the 2017 Toyota 86, as it will be called this fall.
I like the sound of that.
Initially Toyota told everyone the car would be keeping the FR-S name, but then they pulled a fast one and decided to give it the badge it wears in other markets, including the Japanese one.
The re-naming comes with a power bump too, finally, even if it’s just a slight one; Toyota says the car’s 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated boxer four is now rated at 205 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque, up five on both counts. It’s small, but we’ll take it. The suspension’s been retuned as well.
The 86 name, of course, refers to the fact that it is the modern resurrection (sort of) of the old “hachi-roku” rear-wheel drive AE86 Toyota Corolla from the 1980s that proved popular with drifters, tuners, anime fans, and other people you wouldn’t invite to Thanksgiving.
This is a good change, Toyota. A good change. We’ll see the full car at next week’s New York Auto Show.