The new GT86, developed with Subaru, will mark the revival of Toyota’s sports car development tradition said president Akio Toyoda.
The model will be launched in April and Toyoda said the company regretted dropping sports cars from its line-up and added: “As long as automobile fans exist, the world of sporty automobiles will absolutely not disappear.”
The Toyota chief said that ”automakers have distanced themselves from young people,” by dropping such cars as the MR2, Celica and Supra.
The company said it will offer a range of auto components for the modification of the GT86 and expects to sell 1,000 a month. The model will be introduced to overseas markets in stages with the aim of eventually selling 30,000 to 40,000 of the cars a year worldwide.