FT86 Production Begins!

For those of you planning to get your hands on one of the new Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86s as soon as they are released you had better start clearing room in your garage because as of last week, production has officially begun. Fuji Heavy Industries, the manufacturer behind Subaru, held a commencement ceremony at their Gunma Main Plant in Ota-City on Friday and literally pushed the big red button that saw the coupes begin their journey down the production line.

If you've missed the lead-up to the return of the affordable rear-wheel-drive sports car, here's what you need to know. Toyota revealed the first concept car at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, touted as a spiritual descendant of the legendary AE86. It was later revealed that the coupe had been developed as a collaboration between Subaru and Toyota, with both the BRZ and FT86 sporting a 200hp boxer engine and appearing pretty much identical apart from slight aesthetic differences.

Both manufacturers have hinted towards production of stripped down variants and have made it clear that the vehicles are intended to be a base for modification. We cannot wait to see what the aftermarket performance industry comes up with and have our fingers crossed that this is an early sign of a return to the automotive renaissance that blossomed in mid-90s Japan.

The Ota-City plant may be busier than first expected as well, with rumours emerging that FHI president Yasayuki Yoshinaga has confirmed production of 100,000 units per year. Much hype surrounded the launch of these classically inspired coupes and with orders already far surpassing projected sales, we don't think such a large production figure is unwarranted.

We are sure that the hysteria will die down a bit once they begin appearing on roads but honestly, a lightweight, affordable, RWD sports car is exactly what the market has been crying out for and I for one hope that success for Subaru/Toyota encourages other manufacturers to follow suit.

It will be a while before we start actually seeing the various forms scattered throughout traffic and longer still before we begin seeing modified examples driven to their limit. For now, we will have to settle for a video of a completely stock demonstration model being driven poorly.