Toyota GR86

Toyota 86 Overview

The Toyota 86 has long been hailed by petrol heads and purist alike as one of the best driver’s car on the road. Co-developed with fellow Japanese performance car manufacturer Subaru in 2012, Toyota 86 became the spiritual successor to the iconic 1983 Toyota AE86 made popular by the Japanese animation series Initial D in the mid 90s. Assembled alongside its twin sister the Subaru BRZ in Ota city of Gunma Prefecture Japan, they share nearly identical mechanical parts.

Also known as the GT86 to the Europeans and Scion FR-S to the North Americans, the Toyota 86 is a 2.0-Litre, front-engine, lightweight, two-door, fastback coupé with rear wheel drive only. It’s a sportscar recipe straight out of car enthusiast’s cookbook.

Weighing in at just 1,275 kg, it promises accessible performance and superior handling quality. With power sent only to its deliberately skinny rear wheels, the car is easily persuaded into an oversteer when introduced to a corner. Yet the car feels planted and in control at all times thanks largely to its low mounted boxer engine which translate to low centre of gravity.

Priced starting from RM257,502, it is significantly more expensive than the Subaru BRZ which is sold at a much affordable starting price of RM 211,729. Alternatively, the Mazda MX-5 roadster, Mini Cooper S, or the 3rd generation Audi TT coupé make a good case against the Toyota 86.

Toyota 86 Design

Toyota was in charge of the styling and product planning in the Toyota-Subaru collaboration. The low stance and aggressive styling were an instant hit amongst sportscar enthusiasts.

The car has been on sale since 2012 and is now entering its 9^th year of production with little significant mechanical update.

A mid-life refresh was most recently introduced back in 2017. Cosmetic changes include a new and more aggressive front bumper with wider grill, new LED headlights and taillights albeit in the same design, a redesigned front fender this time doing away with the boxer piston logo, a slight redesigned rear diffuser and a fixed rear spoiler that now comes as standard.

Toyota 86 Dimension

Although visually not the smallest nor it is the most compact sportscar out there, extensive use of high-tensile steel has enabled Toyota to keep its overall weight low. And of course, being its twin sister, the Subaru BRZ is identical in every measurable dimension apart from its weight due to difference in specification.

Toyota 86 Interior

The interior design of the Toyota 86 can only be best described as functional, apart from the two back seats, which are not. Black and dark interior trim dominates the entire cabin with leather and Alcantara upholstery.

The driver gets an analog instrument panel with an integrated 4.2-inch multi-info display. Modern feature like a basic touchscreen infotainment system is absent. Old-school physical controls and dials is functional and logically laid out.

The seating position is spot on. The driver sits nice and low with great all-round visibility. The back seat space, or the lack thereof, is not made for the average size adult. Being a rear-wheel-drive car, the transmission tunnel inevitably eats into interior space, but certainly it is a compromise that most car enthusiasts are willing to make.

Toyota 86 Features

The two variants on offer are the Toyota 86 2.0 Manual and the Toyota 86 2.0 Automatic. The automatic variant comes with paddle shifters while the manual variant comes with a gear shifter and a third pedal.

Despite being a sportscar, it is surprisingly practical with a decently sized boot at 243-litre and a foldable backseat for more cargo space. Creature comfort like Keyless Entry, Push to Start, Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control and Automatic Cruise Control also comes as standard on both variants.

A multistage Electronic Stability Control system provides versatility in different driving conditions. The mechanicals are kept simple with no complicated chassis trickery beneath.  With a MacPherson struts up front and a double wishbone at the rear, paired with a clever limited slip differential, the fundamental suspension setup is what gives the Toyota 86 its signature precise handling capability and well-balanced chassis.

Conservatively sized at 215/45/R17, the standard wheels on the Toyota 86 are no larger nor wider than the wheels on the family-friendly Toyota Corolla Altis. It’s a conscious engineering decision made by Toyota compromising mechanical grip in favor of accessible driving dynamics for the average driver.

In terms of safety, the car’s structure is designed using Ring-shaped Reinforced Frames, which not only bring down weight, but helps dissipate impact energy away from the occupants in a collision. Other safety features like 7 SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control and ISOFIX points comes as standard.

Toyota 86 Driving Performance

Engine

The Toyota 86 is powered by a naturally aspirated, 2.0L 4-cylinder D4-S boxer engine, pushing out a respectable 200 PS at a 7,000 rpm and 205 Nm of torque from 6,400 rpm.

If you haven’t already known, boxer engines are engine designed with horizontally opposed pistons laid flat on its side, also sometimes referred to as a flat engine.  It is a rare engine configuration used only by Subaru and Porsche today.

The overall result is a lower centre of gravity. Co-developed with Subaru, the DS4-S is the first engine of its kind to feature direct and port fuel injection technology, which enhances both its responsiveness and fuel efficiency. 

The engine is laid out symmetrically which allows the crankshaft to be perfectly aligned with the drive shaft for enhanced stability and dynamic agility. Rear wheel drive configuration allows the engineers at Toyota and Subaru to move the engine further back which in turn move the centre of gravity closer to the driver for a more precise car control.

Transmission

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

Manual transmission helps you get fully engaged with the driving thanks to a short stroke and superb shift feel.

The 6-speed automatic on the other hand features paddle shifters, downshift blipping control, and two distinct shift modes for performance that always suits your mood.

Toyota 86 Ride Comfort

The Toyota 86 is certainly not designed with ride comfort in mind. Compared to the Mazda MX-5, it is a step up in terms of stiffness, but it is by no means unbearable.

Stiffer suspension setup translates to a more snappy and quicker reaction to your steering input. The car feels eager and on edge at all times and its definitely more of a track car than a grand tourer. 

Toyota 86 Fuel Consumption

Official fuel economy is rated at 7.5L/100km for the Manual variant and 8.1L/100km for the Automatic variant.

Toyota 86 Conclusion

Despite its impressive credential, the Toyota 86 is simply not priced competitive enough to attract non car enthusiast alongside more desirable cars like the Audi TT coupé, Mini Cooper S, or in fact a second hand sportscar benchmark, the Porsche 718 Cayman. But that is precisely the point. While the competitors offer more performance and refinement, none offer more accessible performance at road legal speed than the Toyota 86. The lightweight construction, rear-wheel drive, and naturally-aspirated engine recipe is simple and that is exactly why the Toyota 86 remains very popular to this day.