Toyota’s new 86 is a true sports car for the discerning masses
By Jason Ang
THE brand name today conjures up images of reliable and sensible sedans, MPVs, pickups, and SUVs. And hybrids. Sporty is one of the last adjectives that one would associate with the Japanese car giant. Yet a long time ago, in a galaxy not far away, Toyota has always had an interesting sports car in its lineup. Sean Connery’s James Bond got infatuated with the exotic 2000GT. The Celica gained legions of fans during its seven generations of existence. And the MR2—a compact sports car that shared the mid-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of all the best exotics, but at the mere gasoline budget of those cars—who else but Toyota competently did that?