Born in the creative minds of the automaker’s Australian product design team in Melbourne, the Toyota GT86 Shooting Brake Concept is a future take on the sporty 4-seat rear-drive coupe. Conceived in late 2014 when it was rendered as a quarter-scale clay model, the cool 2-door wagon impressed GT86 chief designer Tetsuya Tada to the extent he commissioned a team in Japan to actually built it as a fully operational one-off. The GT86 Shooting Brake Concept was shown earlier this month in conjunction with the third annual Toyota 86 Festival that was held in Canberra.
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Although there are no official plans to take the GT86 Shooting Brake Concept to production, Tada admits several prototype mules have undergone extensive evaluation on Toyota test tracks. He further noted: “The GT86’s nicely weighted and direct steering ensures the car retains the coupe’s involving driving experience with a slightly more neutral feel in tight corners.” Not exactly the kind of observation one would expect from someone who didn’t see genuine potential in the exercise.
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While it would admittedly be a niche offering at best, the GT86 Shooting Brake has the kind of style and proportion that should strengthen its appeal to younger buyers and to anyone else just looking for a sporty, distinctive, versatile and affordable daily driver. Its compact package notwithstanding, Toyota claims the GT86 Shooting Brake is capable of toting bikes, surfboards or even a roof-mounted mounting storage pod. We’ll see what the future may hold.
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