Toyota reveals next-gen GR 86
Toyota has at long last debuted its new-generation 86 coupe which has shed its ‘GT’ moniker in favour of the expected ‘GR’ nomenclature, bringing the affordable little sportscar into line with the bigger GR Supra and GR Yaris.
Sporting an all-new look and engine, the GR 86 is expected to touch down in Australia sometime in the second half of this year, offering fans the one thing they have been longing for: more power.
Powered by the same 2.4-litre flat four-cylinder petrol engine as the new Subaru BRZ, the GR 86 produces 173kw/250nm – 3kw/1nm more than its Subaru twin and 21kw/38nm more than the GT 86 it replaces – all of which is still sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
Toyota has not made any performance claims for the new model yet, but for reference, the current model stops the clock from 0-100kmh in 7.6 seconds.
Just like the new BRZ, the GR 86’s body has been made stiffer – torsional rigidity is up ‘approximately’ 50 percent – while the centre of gravity has been lowered thanks to new aluminium roof panels, front wings, new front seats and redesigned mufflers.
Visually, the new model predictably resembles its Subaru twin from all angles save for the front fascia, which has been given a far more square and serious look than the relatively smiley BRZ.
To our eyes at least, the front end looks a bit like a scaled down, production-ready Nissan Z Proto.
Unlike the exterior, the interior
sticks much closer to the current model’s layout with seemingly just a few tweaks made here and there to improve the cabin’s ergonomics, with the familiar mix of grey cloth and leather upholstery, sports seats, rotary climate controls and a high-mounted infotainment screen.
While local pricing and specifications are yet to be confirmed, it would
be safe to expect the new GR 86’s pricetag to comfortably undercut the $40,000 mark.
Our expectations peg it to offer in the mid-$30,000s given its status as an all-new model with a power bump.
“At this stage, we have no announcements to make on introduction timing for the new GR 86 into Australia – these will be provided in due course,” a Toyota Australia spokesperson told Goauto.
“We are excited to share the global release information, which is currently the Japanese market prototype vehicle, and although not in a position to confirm local specifications yet, we will provide updates closer to launch.”
For reference, the current model starts from $32,180 plus on-roads.
According to Toyota Australia sales and marketing vice-president Sean Hanley, the new GR 86 will build on the ‘game-changing’ qualities of its predecessor.
“The new GR 86 has been specially designed for sports performance with precise and playful handling, delivering pure driving pleasure and a strong emotional connection between driver and car,” he said.
“It is a stylish, compact four-seater that draws on Toyota’s impressive sportscar heritage including the legendary 2000 GT, Celica Gt-four, MR2 and original Supra, as well as its more recent GR siblings.”
Toyota Australia sold 83 examples of the current 86 through the first two months of this year, accounting for 7.8 percent of the sub-$80,000 sportscar segment.