Toyota's GT86: Hot winter treat

Toyota will make six 86 models available in New Zealand, ranging in price from the early $40,000s to $50,000. Photo / Supplied

It's news that is bound to warm up winter for sports coupe fans - Toyota New Zealand has just announced it will be bringing in around 100 models of the two-door GT86 (also known as 86) in August.

Toyota will make six models available here, ranging in price from the early $40,000s to $50,000 - a marked difference to its twin, Subaru's BRZ, that will be priced around $60,000.

Subaru New Zealand has already announced it will be bringing in 12 top end BRZs in December - with most of the sports coupes already pre-sold.

Subaru is understood to be going for the highest-spec BRZ to lure owners of European cars while Toyota is making the 86 available to a wider audience.

The rear-drive 86 and BRZ were developed together by Toyota and Subaru, due to Toyota's 17 per cent share in Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries. The 86 will be powered by a horizontally opposed D-4S engine. It combines 'boxer' engine technology with D-4S direct and port injection technology.

The 2-litre, normally aspirated D-4S engine will have separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection and a high compression ratio of 12.5:1.

It will deliver 147kW of power and generates plenty of torque over a wide range of engine speeds. The major differences between the Toyota and Subaru variants are the bumpers, grille, side-skirts and lights.