Old-school styling cues work remarkably well here.
The Toyota GR86 has ideal proportions. With a low roofline, a relatively long hood, and a short rear end, it's the embodiment of Sports Car Design 101. Such a perfect shape lends itself well to aftermarket tuning upgrades. These range from the sleek and simple to the wild and wacky, but few have ever stopped to consider what modern cars would look like with old-school styling cues. Digital artist Jon Sibal has always looked to do things differently though, and his latest digital creation sees the GR86 endowed with a number of design elements typically associated with classic Japanese sports cars. The end result is remarkably striking, and not in a bad way either.
The artist has rendered a widebody version of the GR86 before, as seen below. But with the arrival of Toyota's FasterClass marketing campaign that has returned the attention of the public to the little sports car's outstanding ability to produce smiles, Jon Sibal decided to update his design. As on the original version, vented and widened fenders are complemented by widened rear fenders that appear to channel the spirit of the iconic Super Silhouette races that started in 1979. A huge GT-style rear wing is matched by a similarly outrageous front splitter and rear diffuser, not to mention a sexy vented hood and racy wing mirrors.
For the updated design, the GR86 now sports classic Watanabe wheels and a livery clearly inspired by that of the Initial D hero car, the Toyota AE86. This is the car that inspired the GR86 in the first place, so the connection is especially sweet. We think that the implementation of retro wheels, racing-inspired bodywork, and a classy color scheme works brilliantly, but we'd much rather see such a thing in the metal. With another rendering artist (Khyzyl Saleem) bringing a number of his virtual designs to life in the real world, we hold out hope that some of Sibal's designs may one day see production.
Keyword: Widebody Toyota GR86 Is A Masterclass Of Retro Design