Toyota's overhauled 86 returns with a new GR badge and nearly 25 more horsepower in a refined version of the same lively chassis that made the original (and its Subaru twin, the BRZ) so fantastic. With its Torsen limited-slip differential, sub-2,900-pound curb weight, and small wheel diameters, this two-door, four-seat coupe is still aimed at the enthusiast buyer on a budget. The new model gets some much-needed quality-of-life improvements, including reduced noise and vibration in the cabin and a smoother 6-speed manual transmission. Toyota promises a starting price that will still be "comfortably" under $30,000.
History is proof that when Toyota and Yamaha team up to build an engine, the result is wildly cool. The Lexus LFA's V10 was a shared effort between the two, and it's still arguably the best-sounding production engine ever made. Today's news concerns another engine developed between Toyota and Yamaha, but this one runs on hydrogen.
Yes, it's weird. This engine is a 5.0-liter V8 that is designed to run on hydrogen, not gasoline. The engine being developed by Yamaha starts out life as the 5.0-liter V8 found in cars like the Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, RC F and others. Then, Yamaha makes modifications to the injectors, cylinder heads, intake manifold "and more." As of now, Yamaha doesn't seem keen on revealing all its secrets, but at least we know this is happening.
Power from this hydrogen-powered engine isn't far off the figures Lexus is able to achieve with old-fashioned gasoline. When run on hydrogen, Yamaha claims 455 horsepower (at 6,800 rpm) and 398 pound-feet of torque (at 3,600 rpm).
This project dovetails off a joint announcement made by Toyota, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Subaru and Mazda that they would "begin discussions for conducting collaborative research into possible avenues for expanding the range of fuel options for internal combustion engines in the quest for carbon neutrality."