Toyota 86 Shooting Brake from Toyota Australia (Ray-MR2)

Tue, 10 May 2016 10:35:05 GMT

Toyota has heard the cries of the auto enthusiast internet. It has
answered our frenzied, incessant cry for that most perfect automobile: A
lightweight, simple, balanced rear-driver with a naturally-aspirated
engine, a blessed manual transmission, and that holiest of body styles,
the two-door mini-wagon. The Toyota 86 Shooting Brake is real.

It's been created as a one-off concept by Toyota Australia, but this
shooting brake isn't some rolling shell. It's a real car that could be
put into production if the company decided it wanted to. Now we just
have to figure out a way to make Toyota want to.

The 86 is already a blast to drive, but in shooting-brake form, it adds a
dose of practicality that would make it a justifiable option to even
more buyers. Heck, even Toyota Japan is a big fan of the concept.
"I was totally surprised and liked it so much that I arranged for my expert takumi craftsmen to hand-build the Shooting Brake concept, based on the Australian design," says the 86's Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada.
It's also apparently still a great driver's car.
"It is a fully functioning, driveable vehicle that has been put through its paces on Toyota test tracks. The [86's] nicely weighted and direct steering ensures the car retains the coupe's involving driving experience with a slightly more neutral feel in tight corners," says Tada