Toyota 86 might spin off two variants

Filling the void of affordable and driver-centric cars, Toyota and Subaru seemed to have hit the sweet spot with the 86 and BRZ. And like every other coupe in the market today, a cabriolet variant is inevitable.

Likewise, the cabriolet version of the Toyota 86 will be revealed in March 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show if rumours from insider information are to be believed.

The rumoured 86 roadster will have an electronically operated folding fabric roof. The soft top will help with weight issues in the expense of a reduced boot size - for the storage of the fabric roof. The powertrain will be similar - a 197bhp normally aspirated 2.0-litre engine.

While we await further news of the convertible, the Chief Engineer of Toyota's sports cars, Tetsuya Tada, confirmed a performance version of the 86 which will be powered by a hybrid drive for additional boost without impacting economy. Tada said a 86 performance hybrid with around 250bhp is in development in Japan for a 2015 sale.

Tada also suggested the hybrid performance 86 prototypes to use a super-capacitor rather than batteries - a technology that parallels the prototype race car that led Toyota to win this year's World Endurance Championships. Super-capacitor technology is currently too expensive for road cars but Toyota is working with electronics specialists to solve the cost related issues. He also mentioned the hybrid performance 86 would not enter production if it is deemed costly for consumers.

"When a performance version of 86 is announced, you will be surprised as these days, the public does not accept a sports car that uses too much petrol and has high CO2 emissions," explained Tada.