2023 Toyota GR86 | The car you want but can’t get!
And trust us. You really want one! Really really bad!
Great formula
If you ask any car nut to make the perfect car, there will be a lot of different answers. But there will also be a few similarities. Rear wheel drive, manual gearbox, lightweight, perfect weight distribution, naturally aspirated engine with enough power and a compact coupe-styling. And guess what, this Toyota GR86 ticks all the boxes! I’m a really happy kid right now.
Let us start with the beginning… Duh … The Toyota GR86 benefits from a 234 hp/250 Nm strong 2.4-liters NATURALY ASPIRATED, rev-happy engine! No turbo, no supercharger, just more power the longer and harder you keep pushing the car to the red zone! That also means that the harder you work the more you are rewarded with a big smile. Thanks to the weight of only 1.264 kg (50 kg more than the GT86) and the 6-speed manual gearbox, it’s not only possible to launch the car from 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds. But also to drive like a complete maniac. In a good -most mature- way of the word, of course. On the b-roads, this agile car will outperform a lot of stronger and more expensive sportscars. The feeling of the steering wheel and the balance in the chassis is out of this world. The short distances between the gears make the car add even more points to the scoreboard. It’s possible to add some extra points to that, thanks to the telepathic handling! In the wet, that telepathic handling can conjure a great drift out of fine air and makes you feel like a “driving God”. Both with the driving aids on and off.
But now you will probably think the GR86 has got springs hard like concrete. And you’re mistaken. An Abarth or the MINI Cooper s -we tested a while ago- are harder than this little sportscar. With a top speed of “only” 216 km/h, the Toyota GR86 isn’t an autobahn-monster and we couldn’t care less. Another minor issue -if the limited top speed is considered an issue- was our average consumption of around 10 liters/100 km. Nothing insurmountable and a price we would pay!
Barbaric
With cars such as the Toyota GR86, most of the time will be spent in the car. The seating position is, for a low car like the GR86 -oddly enough-, a little bit high. But this is really nitpicking! The seats feel sporty and give lots of side support while being more than comfy enough for longer trips. The steering wheel lies perfectly in the hand, the digital dashboard is simple but clear and the gear stick is nice and firm. So everything is perfect in the Toyota GR86?
Not really. The infotainment system is quite outdated, the rear seats are practically unreachable for somebody bigger than 1 meter and there is a lot -really a lot- of cheap plastic. But strangely enough, we couldn’t care less (again). A thing that does disappoint is the amount of wind noise on the highway, this is a disturbing factor that always will be present. Hearing that load of noise and you would think you could also listen to a great sound out of the exhaust, but nothing is less true! The exhaust is just too darn quiet and with a fun sportscar -like this GR86- that’s pitty.
In summary: “The interior clarifies the purpose of the car: If you want a fun car, you don’t need a lot of power but you need less weight!“
Even cooler than before
It’s impossible to ignore the family bond between the GT86 and GR86. The Gazoo Racing 86 has the same dimensions as the GT86 (fun fact: the GR86 is 50% stiffer than the GT86), but it looks a lot more grown up. It’s like Scarlett Johansson! When she was 18 years old she looked pretty good, but now she’s off the charts! The front bumper with aerodynamic front spoiler and the headlights have got better proportions and that’s why the car is picture-perfect. Looking at the car from the side and it’s pretty hard to keep the 2 apart so from this angle there will be no winner! The GR86 does have a tight horizontal side spoiler for reduced roll tendency.
Moving to the back and the Scarlett Johansson story strikes again. The GT86 is OK, but the GR86 looks just so darn hot and especially in this Ignition Red! The broad stature with other taillights, an integrated spoiler and a fancy rear diffuser visually complete the car! It even hurts more now that there is hardly any sound coming out of those big round exhaust tips.
Everything has a price
So normally in this section, I’m complaining about the price and how expensive everything is in the hope we could go back to the 1990s. This time things will be different! This time I can’t give you a price! Why you ask? You can’t order a new Toyota GR86. All of the GR86s are sold and if you really want one, you will need to call all the Toyota dealers in the country and hope you can get a stock car (at a normal price).
Conclusion
This Toyota GR86 is a great little fun car with a few minor things. But people will buy the car as a weekend rocket and then all those minor issues will be forgotten. It brings something unique (and will get even rarer) to the market! A car like they used to be! Sadly, you can’t order a new one anymore! But there’s a little positive thing: the Subaru BRZ. Same car, another brand and still available! We hope to get our hands on that one as well. This will get a place in our all-time favorites list!
