Get ready for a dip in the market for aftermarket 86 badges -- Toyota just renamed the former Scion FR-S as the Toyota 86, the change taking place in the 2017 model year. The new name matches that of the Japanese market sports car, and should please U.S. fans of Japanese cars.
More than just a name change, Toyota brought out the 2017 86 at the New York auto show with some real meat. LED headlights and taillights sit in a slightly modified front and rear end. More important, the power and torque are up, thanks to a retuned drivetrain.
The 86 remains the little coupe-format sports car as when it was the Scion FR-S. That means only 2+2 seating and a modicum of cargo space. But as with the FR-S, the 86's small size should make for nimble handling. Toyota notes that it retuned the suspension. The question of whether that translates as a softer ride or better performance in the turns will have to wait for will have to wait for driving impressions.
