Toyota GR 86 vs Toyota GR86

What's the difference?

If you’re expecting a faster, angrier and more focused version of the original 86, you’re going to be happy with this car. If you’re expecting it to be as fun and chuckable as the first one, you might be upset.

It has a different character, this GR86 - certainly with more GRRRR than ever before - and it still represents a strong sports car option for buyers, even if it is a fair bit more expensive this time around. It'd be hard not to recommend the GTS version to anyone considering it.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

You’ve reached the end of this review and might be looking at the final score thinking it seems low. If you’re a keen driver and considering a GR86, all you need to know is this: the GT will provide plenty of fun for the money.

But if you’re more serious about your two-door rear-driver, and thinking about track days, the GTS with Dynamic Performance Pack might be worth it. It’s not an obscene amount more, and in a few years the extra cash might not even register.

Plus, there might not be much longer to be able to pick up cars like this new, anyway.

The GR badges mean a lot, here. Not just because they signify that this is a proper Gazoo Racing product for Series 2, but also because they help you pick it as the Toyota and not the Subaru BRZ.

They are even more closely aligned in terms of exterior design this time around, and while both are good looking sports coupes, I wish more had been done to differentiate the two.

Sure, if you’re paying attention you’ll see the shape of the intake / grille area is different, and it has a different bumper shape to the BRZ, too - and both of them are bloody good looking cars, if you ask me.

The rear is particularly smart, I reckon - a more sporty and sleek appearance than the last one, and even if the tail-lights are somehow familiar, I think it’s a neat rear end. Can’t wait to see who makes the best looking aftermarket rear spoiler for it.

If you’re curious about the size and dimensions of the new GR86 compared to the old one, Toyota says it measures 4265mm (up 25mm) on a 2575mm wheelbase (up 5mm), sits 1310mm tall (down 10mm), and has the same overall width of 1775mm excluding mirrors.

There have been some big design changes in the cabin, though the overall layout is tremendously similar to the last car. It has similar controls for the air-con, a new touchscreen above, and similar layout to the storage, too. 

The interior design is a bit plain, though - the screen is big and colourful, and I’m thankful for that. Because unless you option the GTS with the red carpet, it’s a bit bland in there.

The 86 was already an attractive sports car, with a traditional shape and just enough aggressive detailing to be appealing without looking too fussy.

Luckily, the GR86 remains restrained enough and changes are light enough that the lineage is clear. The car now looks a little more aquatic thanks to some rounding at the front, and its tail-lights are even more clearly from the Subaru side of the partnership.

While being less aggressive overall, the GR86 retains the essence of its first-gen forebear.

The interior is also clearly tweaked rather than entirely refurbished. Aside from the red carpeting and highlights in the example we’re driving it’s not massively exciting visually. But function beats form in this case.

Speaking of form and function, the red Brembo brake calipers are for more than show, with twice as many pistons helping stopping power. But given the number of comments from non-enthusiast friends, they’re also doing the job looks-wise.

Oh, and as mentioned, the White Liquid premium paint comes in at $575. 'Spark Red' is the only no-cost colour.

You’re not buying a sports coupe if you value practicality as a primary purchase consideration, but rest assured, the GR86 has a decent level of usability to the interior.

There are bottle holders in the doors, storage sections in front of the gear selector, and a pair of cup holders with a closing lid that doubles as a centre armrest, if you don’t have drinks. Thing is, the one on the car I drove at launch was pretty hard to open with a single press of the button.

The 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is straight from Subaru, with Subaru graphics and fonts still included. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the screen is colourful and has easy menus and controls, and thankfully there are still knobs and dials for things like volume and tuning.

It has the requisite Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring tech, but I had the system lose connection with my iPhone 13 Pro on the launch. (Note: I have a long-term Subaru WRX Sportswagon that drops the phone connection all the time, so it’s a bit annoying to see this characteristic mirrored on other models.)

Below the screen are the ‘they-look-familiar’ air-con controls, with dials for temp and fan. They’re nice and chunky so you can easily locate them when you’re focusing on driving. I like that.

The newly designed folding seat mechanism is supposed to allow you easier access to the back seats, not that you’ll want to be in there if you’re an adult. Or anyone over, say, 10 years old.

I got in there (for scientific research purposes) and found it was, as you’d expect, not very comfortable for someone my size (182cm / 6’0”). My head was at an awkward angle, I had little leg or toe room even with the seat ahead of me pitched way forward, and there’s not much in terms of rear-seat amenities, either.

But, if you have younger children, there are ISOFIX points and top-tether points for both of the rear seat positions.

Boot space is 237 litres - which isn’t enormous. But the opening is wide enough to easily slide suitcases in, and you can fit four wheels and tyres in with the back seat folded down (according to Toyota - and it folds down in a single piece, there’s no split-fold rear seat).

Oh, and the last one used to be available with a spare - this one isn’t. Just a repair kit.

For what it is, the GR86 provides enough to make par when it comes to interior convenience, but there are drawbacks to buying a compact four-seater, two-door sports car.

If you’re tall, getting in and out can be a struggle. Even at 180cm you might feel like getting out after a long drive is a bit of work.

The fact there are seats behind the front seats means you’re relatively snug even as far back as they’ll go, but the driver-focused feeling of the cabin is worth it.

The physical switches and buttons are welcome, and the fact the 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is only for audio, settings, or nav (if you have phone mirroring plugged in) is a win for minimising distractions.

The materials feel relatively rudimentary aside from the seating upholstery, and the cabin doesn’t escape the cost-cutting presence of plastic, but the layout is functional.

Cupholders can be hidden under a cover just behind where the driver’s elbow might rest, which can be annoying to reach even if its purpose is to be out of the way.

Behind the main seats, there’s room for kids for a decent trip or, if you’re not hugely fond of them, adults for a while. Again, I’m a fairly average height and I don’t feel like I could spend longer than a 15-minute trip there before getting antsy.

It’s good they’re there, because having bad seats is better than no seats in a pinch, but don’t seriously think of this as a car for getting more than two people around.

The 237 litres in the boot is decent for a sports car, enough to get luggage or groceries in, but a limited opening space means stowing bulky stuff is trickier.

While inexpensive on the scale of sports cars, the Toyota GR86 GTS with the 'Dynamic Performance Pack' option ticked is relatively pricey for the badge.

The GTS’s starting price of $46,090, before on-road costs (regardless of automatic or manual transmission), is joined by a $2200 bump from the Performance Pack, then in this example’s case there’s a $575 charge for the 'White Liquid' premium paint.

Toyota’s website suggests $53,924, drive-away, for a GR86 specified to match our test car. It’s not a huge ask in today’s world, but a Toyota 86 used to start for less than $30,000, before on-roads (we’re talking more than a decade ago), and the car wasn’t dramatically different.

Compare the top-spec Mazda MX-5 GT RS, the GR86 GTS’s (with the Performance Pack) natural rival, at $51,790, before on-roads, or even the GR86’s Subaru BRZ twin in tS spec at $49,190, before on-roads, and the GR86 looks like decent value.

Other options for little sporty things like the Mini Cooper or Hyundai i30 N start in the low $50,000 range, while $41,990 before on-roads snags you a slightly smaller VW Polo GTI.

For the money, the GR86 GTS packs in enough features to feel decently premium for such a small space. Having said that, the 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital driver display are nothing to write home about, nor are the six-speaker sound system or wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The GTS’s combination synthetic suede and leather (heated) front seats and its sportier trim (sports pedals, door scuff plates and door lamp) are notable however, as is the addition of extra safety kit over the base model. Really, though, rear cross-traffic alert and rear blind-spot monitors should be standard.

It’s a bigger engine - now a 2.4-litre horizontally-opposed ‘boxer’ four-cylinder petrol unit - and that increase of 20 per cent engine capacity has yielded some good horsepower increases, too. And it has a Subaru badge on the engine cover. Because it’s a Subaru engine.

The new model pushes out 174kW of power (at 7000rpm), which is up from a max output of 152kW on the old model.

It’s the torque figure that’s interesting, though. There’s 250Nm at 3700rpm, which isn’t huge. But Toyota claims there’s 240Nm available from 3500-6500rpm, meaning a long flat torque build-up. The old model had 212Nm for the manual.

Now, both the six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission have the same power and torque outputs - in the last gen, the auto was held back by 5kW and 7Nm compared with the max-power manual.

Of course, it’s rear-wheel drive, and has a Torsen limited slip differential in the mix. 

Toyota says the 0-100km/h time for the manual is 6.3 seconds, which is 1.8sec faster than the last manual. The auto’s 0-100 is claimed at 6.8sec.

Wondering about weight? The new one has four different masses to consider: GT manual - 1287kg; GT automatic - 1308kg; GTS manual - 1291kg; GTS automatic - 1312kg. Toyota says the bulk of the additional circa-44kg increase across the board is down to the larger capacity engine.

The GR86’s 2.4-litre flat-four petrol engine remains naturally aspirated (rare for a modern sports car) and drives the rear wheels via either a six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox - the latter also increasingly rare.

Outputs are 174kW at a lofty 7000rpm and 250Nm at 3700rpm regardless of transmission.

Official combined cycle fuel consumption is also a matter of spec-by-spec: GT manual - 9.4L/100km; GT automatic - 8.7L/100km; GTS manual - 9.5L/100km; GTS automatic - 8.8L/100km.

On test, the GTS manual I drove on the road loop at the launch was showing 9.8L/100km on the display after a mix of mostly higher-speed country road testing around Phillip Island and surrounds.

The fuel tank capacity is 50 litres, but keep in mind you’ll need to be fueling up with 98RON premium unleaded. 

A 50-litre fuel tank provides minimum 98RON petrol to the engine at a rate of 9.5L/100km according to Toyota, that’s here in the manual. The claim for an auto is 8.8L.

On test, we saw 11.0L/100km, which included a spirited mountain drive, a long highway stint and some rather stop-start inner-city commuting.

It’s not a bad figure for a sports car, but you’d be disappointed to see it from just about any other small Toyota.

With that in mind, realistically you’re looking at around 500L to a tank if you’re not pushing things too hard.

Have you ever been cutting veggies for dinner and realised you need to sharpen your knife? And then, once you’ve done it, you realise what the knife is really capable of?

That’s kinda the feeling between the last generation of the Toyota 86 and this new Toyota GR86.  

I loved the old 86. Still do. Would have one in a heartbeat. But this - as the analogy suggests - is a much sharper tool.  

The engine is a big improvement on the old 2.0-litre - it feels considerably more urgent, and it gathers pace without fuss. You can really rely on the torque of the engine more in the new GR86 - that wasn’t so much the case in the last car, which you had to row through the gears more in. Now you can leave it in fourth and allow the engine to do the work, whereas in corners in the old car, you’d probably have elected to downshift to third, maybe second. 

The manual transmission is good, for the most part. It’s easy enough to operate, though the shift action can still feel a little bit notchy (first to second, fifth to sixth in particular in the car I drove). The clutch feel was reasonable, but not stall-proof at low speeds. 

The sound of the engine is a bit more pleasant now, too. It doesn’t have the nasal overtones of the last one - with a deeper, more enjoyable noise. It’s not the best sounding boxer engine, but it’s not the worst, either.

I only had a short amount of time in the GR86 automatic, and it was on the Phillip Island race track. It has paddles, which I appreciate - but the gearbox will overrule you if you try and downshift and haven’t managed to get the engine revs down. Self preservation at the expense of outright fun? Yeah. A bit. A dual-clutch auto would be an interesting development in this car - but it’s not going to happen.

Drivers who live in areas where there are lots of potholes and bumpy sections of road - so, most of Australia, then - might feel the now-stiffer chassis is a bit too rigid at times.

It feels much more like a sports car than a sporty car, with Gazoo Racing having honed the suspension to the tastes of Toyota president and master driver, Akio Toyoda. I’ve been to Japan. I know the roads there are a heck of a lot more agreeable than here.

Look, it mightn’t be a deal-breaker for the enthusiast, but the curious customer might find the ride a bit hard. 

The trade-off, of course, is terrific handling. It tucks into corners nicely, and with the reworked suspension (Macpherson front, multi-link rear), there’s less of that playful “please keep pushing me so we can have some slidey oversteer” character to it. It will drift, no doubt. But in the last 86, it didn’t take much effort to make that happen.

The steering is excellent, with terrific accuracy and weight, and decent feel through the wheel, too. You don’t feel every single thing at the front axle, but you do have a better gauge of it than you might have in the last GT grade, which famously ran those Prius tyres that were part of the reason sliding it around was a lot easier, too. The rubber on the new GR86 is far better - the GT runs Michelin Primacy HP (215/45/17), and the GTS has Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (215/40/18).

Look, it's still a lot of fun. But it’s fun in a different way. I actually prefer the last one in terms of the drive experience - even though this one is technically more impressive in all the important ways.

This is where the biggest question lies regarding the GTS’s value proposition. Is it worth paying several thousand dollars more for a GTS with the Dynamic Performance Pack when a GT might be all you need? 

The GR86 sticks to the basic formula that made the previous 86 a gem, and just slightly improves areas where there was ‘feedback’ from buyers.

The biggest one is the torque dip that used to plague the middle of the 86’s rev range. If you looked at a dyno chart (which the 86 had built in, funnily enough) you could see the little drop where the torque fell away, so driving in either a lower of higher gear was sometimes necessary to dodge it.

No more with the bigger 2.4-litre engine. It’s more powerful, if thirstier, but still feels like a tool rather than something to really enjoy. It’s not the most characterful of things, and its fake engine sound through the cabin can feel a infantile. 

The gearbox is also not at the forefront. The shift feel is decent but there could be a little more clutch feel, getting into it after driving an old manual might see you stall and embarrass yourself once or twice.

The steering and handling, though, is sublime. The steering feel is sharp and tactile, you know what’s happening at the front tyres and you’re given the right information to make adjustments accurately. It’s well-weighted, and doesn’t have a big numb spot on-centre.

If you were so inclined, at a track, this is a relatively easy car to slide and let the tail hang just a smidge. 

If you find yourself making a mistake, the traction control is very good at catching errors before they become problems, but without stopping the fun while also letting you feel where it went wrong.

When it comes to the tweaked brakes and suspension included in the DPP, the GR86 is never going to be truly comfortable and unless you're tracking the car it’s not heavy enough to overwhelm the brakes on a public road.

The suspension on bumpy inner-city roads, even with the Sachs sports dampers which Toyota says “improve both on-road ride comfort and handling in dynamic situations”, don’t soak up the rough stuff particularly well. But they do stop it from feeling properly crashy.

Spoiler alert. Aside from the upgraded interior features, the GT’s $43,940, before on-road costs, price tag is some of the best-value motoring around, even if it’s much more expensive than the 86 was a decade ago.

The GTS’s asking price with the DPP at $48,290 isn’t atrocious, but it’s probably worth asking yourself whether the extra few thousand dollars is necessary, especially when the Sachs sports dampers don’t exactly make the car magically comfortable.

You’re going to have fun with this car in any form, so spending the extra on the GTS is optional, and the DPP is something you’ll probably get the most out of on a track.

The car we tested, despite costing the most it possibly could, still lacked some safety kit.

There are two ways to miss out on some safety features in the GR86 - buy the GT, or buy a manual.

If you opt for the GT, you don’t get rear cross-traffic alert or blind-spot monitoring. If you have a manual, you forgo a parking support brake and rear parking sensors.

There’s also no ANCAP rating for the GR86 though we aren’t marking it down for this. Toyota and ANCAP seem to think buyers of small sports cars are aware there might be safety drawbacks and understand what they’re getting into.

The GR86 has seven airbags, a seat-belt warning, auto high-beam, AEB in all variants, lane departure warning, and hill-assist. Nothing intrusive and a lack of annoying beeps and chimes which is welcome in a car focused on letting the driver be in charge.

If you're determined to fit a child seat (or two!) in the back there are top tether points and ISOFIX anchors for both positions.

Toyota’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty runs to the GR86, too. And if you maintain your car with the brand, that extends out to seven years for the powertrain.

The brand offers a capped-price servicing plan for five years/75,000km - meaning servicing intervals of 12 months/15,000km. 

Is it fairly priced when it comes to maintenance costs? Well, at $280 per visit for the first five services, it represents an annual saving of about $215 over the equivalent Subie. So that’s a nice way to recoup a bit of the cost.

There’s no included roadside assist, which you do get if you buy a BRZ.

Toyota offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which increases to seven years if you keep your servicing within Toyota’s network.

It’s a step-up from what has been the standard mainstream warranty for some time, but other brands are pulling ahead with eight- or even 10-year warranties.

There’s also a capped-price servicing plan for five years and the first five services are limited to $335 at the time of writing.

Finding somewhere for that should be a breeze, Toyota has so many dealerships it simply lists ‘over 275 locations’ as its latest count.