Toyota 86 :: Australians snap up 10 per cent of global production

Toyota Australia confirmed the 10,000^th Toyota 86 was sold in Australia within days of the 100,000^th international sale. The milestone comes less than two years after the 86 first launched locally in June 2012.

The result makes Australia the third-largest 86 market in the world after Japan (39,000 sales) and the US (35,000 sales).

Toyota Australia says almost 40 per cent of local customers have opted for the $35,990 Toyota 86 GTS manual variant, favouring the combination of the higher equipment level with the six-speed manual transmission.

More than 25 per cent have purchased the top-grade $38,490 GTS automatic, while roughly one third have opted for the entry-level 86 GT variant, which starts at $29,990 in manual form.

The Toyota 86 was the top-selling sports car in the country in 2013, claiming a 34.4 per cent share of the sub-$80,000 sports car segment with 6706 sales. Its next closest rival, the Hyundai Veloster, achieved 3928 sales and a 20.2 per cent share.

Demand for the 86 has fallen 34.8 per cent to 1610 this year, though it still claims a 31.4 per cent chunk of the segment that is down 20.2 per cent overall.

An updated Toyota 86 with revised suspension, aerodynamics and interior trim will be released in the third quarter of this year.

Australia has a reputation for punching above our weight when it comes to sports car sales. The market is one of the strongest in the world, and a per capita leader for the likes of Mercedes-Benz AMG, BMW M and Renault Sport models.

Toyota also announced the sale of the 100,000^th Tarago people-mover in Australia earlier this month - the fourth-generation van racking up the milestone 31 years after the launch of the original in 1983.