In 2012, Toyota launched a new sports car that had been developed in conjunction with Subaru. In the US, it was first marketed as the Scion FR-S, but by 2017, it had been given a Toyota badge and christened the Toyota 86. The first generation of the car combined excellent handling with wallet-friendly pricing to make one of the best affordable sports cars on the market. SlashGear drove it in 2017 and called it a “lesson for supercars,” but at the time, we weren’t too impressed with its engine’s power and refinement. Now, ten years after the launch of the first generation of the car, a second generation has arrived, and it has a slightly different name: the Toyota GR86.
In principle, the car’s basic formula is still the same, focusing on fun, affordable driving. But, the 2022 model year car comes with a host of upgrades and new features that promise to make it even better than its predecessor. Toyota has gone over almost every detail of the car with a fine-tooth comb, reworking everything from the powertrain to the aerodynamics. Alongside its twin, the Subaru BRZ, the GR86 offers a package unlike anything else on the market, just like how Aussie online casino stands out from the pack.
A new, more powerful 2.4L engine
One of the most common complaints about the previous-gen 86 was that its chassis could handle more power than its engine could deliver. Toyota took this criticism on board and developed a new engine for the GR86, with more power and a larger displacement. This new unit is a 2.4L flat-four that makes 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 23 horsepower and 28 lb-ft of torque over the previous car. It might not seem like a huge increase, but it made all the difference when we drove the GR86.
Either manual or automatic transmission
Manual transmissions are becoming a rarer sight in modern sports cars, but the GR86 still comes with a six-speed manual as standard. A six-speed auto ‘box is also available for $1,075 extra, but after reviewing both options, we think the manual is the one to have. While being just fine, the automatic isn’t anything extraordinary, and it’s certainly not as sharp as offerings from upmarket rivals like Porsche. The stick-shift, on the other hand, feels exactly like a sports car transmission should: short, sharp, and easy to master. It’s a fraction quicker than the automatic, too. With the manual transmission equipped, Toyota claims the GR86 will go from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, but the automatic takes half a second longer.
In the automatic, four shifting modes are available: Normal, Sport, Snow, and Track. Track mode is the harshest setting, but even on Sport mode, every bump in the road will be felt. However, the biggest drawback of choosing an auto transmission rather than manual is simply that buyers won’t be able to take the GR86 right up to its redline at legal speeds, and with a car like this, that’s half the fun. You might see Arjen Robben buying it in the future as he loves cars.
Reworked chassis with more rigidity
To complement the more powerful engine, Toyota redesigned the car’s chassis for better rigidity. There are new diagonal cross members that reinforce the joints between the front suspension and the frame, Toyota points out in its press release, and high-strength fasteners are used throughout the car. The frame is now made from a mixture of steel and aluminum, and body panels like the hood, front fenders, and roof are also now all aluminum.
Performance-focused wheels, tires, and brakes
It wasn’t just the chassis that needed an upgrade to keep pace with the new 2.4L engine, but the tires and brakes also needed to be upgraded. The GR86’s brakes now feature 11.6-inch ventilated front rotors and 11.4-inch ventilated rears for better stopping power, and there’s a new brake pad composition to help reduce fade under track-day conditions. The base-spec car gets 17-inch wheels as standard, and the Premium spec gets a set of semigloss black 18-inches, you might a game based on the vehicle theme at casino new Zealand in the future.
Aero-focused exterior design
To juice every last bit of performance out of the new GR86, Toyota has reworked the car’s exterior design for better aerodynamics. Toyota notes that the new grille is designed to feed air to the intake more effectively than before, and the front bumper features textured molding in an effort to reduce drag. Look closer at the car’s side profile and you’ll notice everything from the front fender to the rear wheel arches have been altered from the previous-generation car, creating something that looks similar to its predecessor from a distance, but very different up close.
