TOYOTA GR86 JOINS THE WILD BUNCH

Toyota’s iconic 86 sports car has joined the growing GR stable of cars with the launch of
the new GR86 coupe.

The GR86 becomes the third model from Toyota Gazoo Racing and sits alongside GR
Supra and GR Yaris (not counting the C-HR GR Sport or the GR Corolla coming next
year).

New GR86 builds on this heritage with improvements that take its motorsport roots to new
levels, making it worthy of a Gazoo Racing badge.

Power comes from a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder boxer engine that produces 174kW of
power and 250Nm of torque, an increase of 22kW and 38Nm over the previous 2.0-litre
engine.

The naturally aspirated engine provides linear throttle response with technologies
including optimised D4-S direct injection helping to provide significantly more torque for
better mid-range response.

It’s paired with a six-speed manual or six-speed torque-converter automatic, with paddle
shifters for the latter and a range of drive modes. A limited-slip Torsen rear diff is standard.

Straight-line acceleration has improved, with the manual able to sprint from zero to
100km/h in 6.3 seconds and the automatic in 6.8 seconds.

Those wanting to take their GR86 to the track can choose from five different stability
control settings ranging from full support to being completely switched off.

Official fuel consumption ranges from 8.7 L/100km for the GT automatic to 9.5 L/100km for
the GTS manual with CO2 emissions from 199g/km to 217g/km.

The car benefits from many improvements including suspension and steering components,
larger-diameter front brakes and chassis reinforcements that significantly improve torsional
and lateral rigidity.

Combined with a focus on weight reduction and a lower centre of gravity, they promise
even sharper handling and responsiveness.

Exterior design cues are taken from some of Toyota’s sports cars of the past, such as the
2000GT and AE86 Corolla.

An evolutionary exterior design reflects the outgoing model’s dynamic proportions and
silhouette, while Gazoo Racing’s global motorsport experience has led to cooling and
aerodynamic improvements that deliver a Cd of 0.276.

Slightly longer and lower than before the new GR86 features a long bonnet, sloping
roofline with a tapered rear end and prominent lip spoiler giving the vehicle a low planted
stance.

Dual tailpipes and GR badging complete the rear-end look, with 17-inch or black 18-inch
alloys available depending on grade.

Inside, designers have created a cockpit focused on pure driving, with a simple and
ergonomic layout framed by a horizontally configured instrument panel.

All variants feature an upgraded 8.0-inch multimedia infotainment system that offers digital
radio plus compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

A configurable 7.0-inch driver display shows Track Mode that provides real-time readouts
of the most important information for circuit driving.

Six-speaker audio includes Active Sound Control (ASC) to enhance the sound of the
engine.

GR86 GT is priced from $43,240 for either manual or automatic, while the range topping
GTS manual and automatic are priced from $45,390.

About Chris Riley

Chris Riley has been a journalist for 40 years. He has spent half of his career as a writer, editor and production editor in newspapers, the rest of the time driving and writing about cars both in print and online. His love affair with cars began as a teenager with the purchase of an old VW Beetle, followed by another Beetle and a string of other cars on which he has wasted too much time and money. A self-confessed geek, he’s not afraid to ask the hard questions - at the risk of sounding silly.
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