The Subaru BRZ and the Toyota 86 (formerly the Scion FR-S) are two of the few affordable sports cars left on the market today. Both pair a fun, rear-wheel-drive chassis with usable power and a starting price of under $30,000. Subaru and Toyota have done their best to keep the cars updated since their introduction back in 2012. But despite their general excellence and affordability, sales have trailed off.

It was even rumored the BRZ and 86 would not see second generations due to slow sales but Subaru and Toyota have both said new models are coming. Unfortunately, neither company would comment on when the next-generation models would debut. A recent rumor out of Japan's Bestcar Magazine supported by Torque News says the next-generation BRZ and 86 could make an appearance as soon as next month at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.

This seems like a short timeline considering the 2020 BRZ is bringing back the sporty tS model and the 2020 86 just received an updated TRD Handling package, though it isn't completely impossible. The new cars will reportedly ride on Toyota's newly developed GA-B platform, based on the company's New Global Architecture. The GA-B platform was developed to be more rigid, allowing for the use of MacPherson-strut suspension in the front and either a torsion beam or multi-link rear suspension system in the rear (with the BRZ and 86 set to use the latter).

Toyota has also said the platform is designed to place the driver's seat low and back toward the center of the car, lowering the center of gravity. This means the new cars could offer an even better driving position than the current models.

The 2.0-liter Boxer engine found in the current cars is reportedly set to be replaced by a new 2.4-liter turbocharged unit, the same one found in the Subaru Ascent. This engine currently produces 260 horsepower in the Ascent but is set to be detuned to around 217 hp, an increase of 12 hp over the current BRZ and 86. The torque figure is also expected to increase from its current 156 lb-ft rating. If the rumors are true, we could see the new BRZ and 86 in just over one month when the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show press days kick off on October 23, 2019.