Toyota GT 86 will cost from £24,995 in the UK

Pricing of Toyota’s new rear-wheel drive GT 86 coupe will, in some ways, be the most important determinant of the car’s success. If it was priced too close to lifestyle sports coupes such as Audi’s TT or BMW’s Z4, then customers would naturally expect the same level of creature comforts – which would defeat the very purpose of Toyota’s light-weight sports car.

The GT 86 will in fact cost from £24,995 when sales start in June, which is as welcome news as its 1190 kg kerb weight and shows Toyota is serious about making the GT 86 accessible to most enthusiasts. The final on-the-road price, once further options are included, will be announced nearer the time of launch.

Unveiled at last year’s Tokyo motor show, the GT 86 marks a return to the pure enjoyment of driving within Toyota’s range. Designed to be entirely driver-focused, it offers a classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive set-up in a light, compact and nimble chassis.

The power plant is a 2.0-litre flat-four “boxer” unit shared with Subaru, that delivers a maximum 197bhp, matched to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Power is distributed to the rear wheels via a limited slip differential to give the best possible grip in all driving conditions.

Advance orders are being taken for the GT 86, with many UK customers already signed up to be among the first to take ownership of the car when it arrives here this summer.

Since Toyota’s GT 86 is a joint project with Subaru’s BRZ, we would expect pricing of both cars to be very similar, barring some brand differences in their specification and after-sales packages.