Lexus may be working on a GR 86 variant, perhaps

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Only recently, Toyota threw the covers off the GR 86 sports coupe. Just like last time, Subaru also has its own variant, which is not surprising. What is surprising, however, are rumours that Lexus is working on a version for their brand as well.

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According to several outlets in America, with one of the first mentions popping up on a Japanese site called Spyder 7 , there’s a chance that Lexus is developing a take on the new-for-2022 GT 86. This would be notable if true, since the brand’s current two-door cars, the LC and RC, currently sell at the pace of glacial progression. Still, in a sea of bland me-too crossover vehicles, we are glad those two models exist.

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If the program comes to fruition, it is entirely possible the car — we’ll call it the ‘UC’ for purposes of speculation — could pack a unique powertrain. The vast empire that is Toyota Motor Company has plenty of resources from which to choose, and the corporate cupboard is packed with all manner of hybrid gubbins that would set any small Lexus coupe apart from its proletarian brothers quite nicely.

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Styling on this type of vehicle would surely be an interesting mash of applying the Lexus ‘spindle’ grille onto a machine of this size, though company stylists have done a decent job of grafting it onto the brand’s smallest crossover, the UX. If the car ever appears in production form, we’d wager it’d look like as if someone took an RC 350 F Sport and left it in the dryer too long.

Any variation on the GT 86 theme is good news, since we firmly believe the existence of small sports cars is a Very Good Thing. Our own fancy-pants managing editor called the last-gen Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ his “personal picks for most fun-per-dollar that can be had on four wheels.” He’s right, of course (don’t tell him we said that).