This all-new Toyota GR86 is – you guessed it – the successor to the GT86. In a world full of EVs and SUVs, the sports coupe remains true to the traditional fun recipe of its predecessor. And yes: he is also coming to Europe!
Highlights:
- Again twin brother Subaru BRZ
- Four-cylinder boxer engine now 2.4-liter
- Also comes to the Netherlands and Belgium
The Toyota GR86 is recognizable at a glance as the successor to the GT86. The basic shape of the body is even more or less the same. Looking at the roofline, the side windows and the folds over the roof, we would even have bet on a serious facelift, but Toyota emphasizes that the GR86 is completely new.
Toyota GR86
With a length of 4,265mm, the GR86 is just a bit longer than the GT86, which held it at 4,240mm. The wheelbase also grew slightly, from 2,570 mm to 2,575 mm. The weight increased, but with a difference of 32 kg for a total of 1,270 kg, the Toyota GR86 still performs very well in that area.
In addition, the power is a bit higher than before. With this Toyota finally responds to the major complaint about the predecessor, which kept it at 200 hp in all cases. For the European version, Toyota does not formally mention power figures, but 231 hp was previously promised for the BRZ. Still not a shocking amount, but enough to reduce the 0-100 time from 7.4 to 6.3 seconds.
Drilled boxer
The Japanese (the boxer engine is of course more the expertise of Subaru) do not achieve this with a fashionable turbo, but simply by drilling the four-cylinder. Instead of a two-liter, there is now a 2.4-liter boxer under the hood. This engine, baptized by Toyota D-4S, is coupled ex works to a manual six-speed gearbox or a six-speed automatic, which is of course the ideal car to go for the manual gearbox.
Toyota GR86
The strength of the GT86 was its nice steering behavior. Toyota promises that the car will be further improved on this point, including by increasing torsional stiffness by 50 percent. The roof is now also made of aluminum, which lowers the center of gravity even further.
Minimal difference with BRZ
We have already mentioned it: the new Subaru BRZ already presented in Japan. That car is again largely the same as the Toyota version and so the appearance of the GR86 can no longer be called a surprise. At the front, the difference is now even limited to a rearranged front bumper, while the Subaru and the Toyota previously had at least a different LED signature in the headlights.
Just like the Subaru, the GR86 looks a bit thicker all around than before, thanks to solid flared wheel arches and a sturdy ‘gill’ directly behind the front wheel arch. The biggest design revolution takes place at the rear. Again, there are hardly any differences with the Subaru BRZ, but with a ducktail-like pinch in the lid, a new shape for the rear light units and a license plate that has been moved to the bumper, the GR86 is immediately distinguishable from the GT86.
Sporty atmosphere
The dashboard is slightly different, but retains its functional appearance. The GR86 is not about luxury or design, but about a nice seating position, a sporty atmosphere and, of course, especially driving. The sporty steering wheel seems like a nice thing. The rest of the dash is straightforward and traditional in design, with a fairly large touchscreen and digital instruments.
Toyota GR86
From GT to GR
Finally, the name cannot be left unspoken. The ‘GR’ in GR86 of course stands for Gazoo Racing, the racing branch that also gives its initials to the Toyota GR Supra and the Toyota GR Yaris. The stand-alone GR86 fits nicely into that list, while the ’86’ makes the connection with predecessors GT86 and the Corolla AE86 from the eighties clear. Officially it is ‘Toyota GR 86’, but for the sake of findability we leave that space out.
The Toyota GR86 is coming to Europe and therefore also to the Netherlands and Belgium. We do not know more than that at the moment, because Toyota saves introduction dates and prices for a later date.