Toyota GR86 vs Toyota GR 86

What's the difference?

We are approaching a decade and a half since Toyota dipped into its vault and pulled out an iconic pair of digits, 86, and stuck ‘em on the back of a new car it co-developed with Subaru.

Named for, and loosely inspired by, the rear-drive AE86 Corolla of the mid-1980s which was cemented in the pop culture pantheon by the anime Initial D, the Toyota 86 is in its second generation and wears a ‘GR86’ badge to incorporate the name of Toyota’s sports car division. 

The 86 was, when launched, extremely affordable but has since become more expensive, and getting into a top-spec version of the GR86 is a task that’ll sap $20,000 more from your wallet than the original 86 base model.

To find out if it’s worthwhile, we’ve snagged a 2026 Toyota GR86 GTS with optional Dynamic Performance Pack (DPP) to see if Toyota’s accessible sports car still hits the same sweet spot between genuine performance and decent value.

The new, second generation take on the hachi-roku formula adds a serious amount of 'GRRRR' to the mix. This is it - the new-look, more powerful and much angrier Toyota GR86.

It takes the familiar front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car formula and mixes in a bit of madness - there’s a more focused chassis setup, redone steering, a firmer ride and of course, a bigger capacity engine. Still no turbo, though.

The question is - does it improve on the original? And can it live up to its new jaw-dropping price?