Toyota’s Big Bore Boost for Renamed Sports Coupe

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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5th April 2021

It may only be a facelift but Toyota chose to also rename its sports coupe with the debut of the new GR 86.

In truth, it differs very little from its predecessor the GT 86 developed in tandem with Subaru’s BZR. In fact the biggest alteration is the boring out of the Subaru developed flat-four cylinder gasoline engine from 2.0-liter to 2.4-liter. Naturally, the bigger jugs grants the car more power up from 197bhp to 232bhp delivered at a heady 7,000rpm and torque hiked from 151ft-lbs to 184ft-lbs from 3,700rpm.

In terms of on road performance, the GR 86 now claims a 0-62mph sprint acceleration in just 6.3 seconds, down from the 7.4 seconds of the outgoing model. While no top speed figure is claimed, the new GR 86 features the racing aerodynamic kit optional on the GT 86 and so that too is likely to be raised slightly.

Beyond that, dimensions of the new GR 86 are almost identical to the previous model. However, body rigidity has been improved and torsional rigidity has been enhanced by approximately 50% over the previous model for greater steering stability. Sales will start in Japan with models arriving in European showroom by the end of the year.

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_