Toyota building stripped-down, lightweight GT86s

Decades ago, if you wanted to go fast on a budget, you marched down to your local dealership and ordered a car that racers lovingly referred to as "stripped down." Often "equipped" with rubber floors, bench seats, and steel wheels, these cars became popular among drag racers and police forces that appreciated the impressive weight loss to found my ditching things like power windows, bucket seats, and a radio. 

But, try and order a car nowadays with a radio or carpeting, and you'll probably be commended for discovering a great way to repel car salesmen. After all, they'll think you're a whack job!

Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't room in the marketplace for just such a car. Who wouldn't like to see a Shelby GT500 with simple, lightweight base model interior? Or perhaps a cheaper version of the Nissan GTR that did away with all the luxury features in favour of manual locks and wind-up windows? Well, if you live in Japan, you just might be able to get away with that... sort of. 

Called the GT86 RC, the car comes bereft of paint upon its exterior plastics (the bumpers and door handles), no trim surrounding the steering wheel and shifter, no fog logs, no stereo, 16" steel wheels, and no underhood plastic covers. As a result, the car weighs almost 100 pounds less than a standard GT86, and costs significantly less too. Now let's just hope that it finds its way over here!