5 Things I Learned From 3 Months With A Toyota GR86

It’s time to say goodbye to our Toyota GR86. Back in April, Car Throttle was handed the keys to the boxer-powered, Subaru-engineered sports car with the goal in mind of trying to understand the clamour that led to it selling out in under an hour here in the UK, and if really, it’s a better car than the GT86.

With the keys now returned, and plenty of time to process a few emotions, it’s time to share a few things I’ve learned living with the Toyota GR86.

That engine is a genuine cut above the GT86’s

We had years of people crying out for more power in the GT86, which the GR86 finally rectified – now with 231bhp instead of 197bhp. A healthy rise and a welcome one, but not the biggest issue that the FA24 solves.

You’ve heard of the Toyota GT86’s torque dip problem by now. Around 3,000ish rpm, there’s a sudden drop which is irritating when you’re trying to drive hard but also a pain when you’re not. That’s completely gone with the FA24, now offering a properly smooth curve which makes for a better performance car and daily at the same time.

It’s not like fuel economy suffers really, either. About 3,000 miles with the car returned an average of 29.7mpg which, from my memory, is no worse than any GT86 I’ve spent extended time with. If you care about that sort of thing.

…as is the tyre choice

If you cast your mind back to 2012 and the introduction of the Toyota GT86, you may remember a lot of reviews praising it as being clad in Michelin Primacy rubber. In other words, Prius tyres.

That did mean it was quite easy to slide and quite frankly did a good job of masking the lack of power with less grip keeping things exciting. Handy for a week-long road test, especially one with race track access. Really, though, it wasn’t long before most owners living with the cars longer term would seek out better rubber.

With the engine power increase, the GR86 also comes standard-fit Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres and it's all the better for it. It will still slide, trust me on that one, but crucially it can put its increased power down better than the GT ever could and it’s sweeter to drive hard as a result.

People notice it

I’m not one that likes attention, and I don’t want to suggest the GR86 will have many people snapping their necks to take a glance. After all, it’s a £30,000 Toyota at the end of the day.

But it’s a car that when people do notice it, they take an interest. You get folk who quite clearly have no interest in cars asking questions about it and what on earth ‘GR’ means (which gets even more fun when you say ‘Gazoo’ out loud) and then the people who do appreciate it.

Even better is the fact other GR drivers will give you a wave, be it 86, GR Yaris or even in one case a mega-rare Yaris GRMN owner. You feel like you’re part of a little something, which is always a nice thing.

It’s not perfect

It’d be easy to keep gushing so much about the GR86, but the truth is, it’s not without its problems as a daily car.

The interior quality is a bit naff, to be honest. You have to be willing to live with ‘90s feeling materials, the infotainment is slow and doesn’t seem to understand what dark mode is when you’re using Android Auto so prepare your retinas for that one.

Don’t think about putting a coffee in those central cupholders because it’s a matter of when, not if, that you’ll elbow them going for a gearchange and spill it everywhere.

‘My’ car specifically seemed to deliver an almighty and unnerving ‘clunk’ every time the windows come back up and it has no parking sensors which wouldn’t be such an issue if the reversing camera was anything higher than 480p (I know, use the rear-view mirror or look out the back, but it’s 2024 and you get used to these things driving newer cars week-in, week-out).

Could I wholeheartedly recommend a GR86 to anyone looking for something to live with every day? Probably not. But that would be missing the point.

And I want one, badly

There are cars that can offer a bit of comfort, ones that are easy to park, ones that are quicker than the GR86 and others that will leave it for dust around a race track.

Yet I don’t care about that. I don’t care if a VW Golf R has more grip. I don’t care if someone in a Tesla could leave me breathing in tyre particles at a traffic light. I don’t care if I have to deal with a bit of glare from a white Google Maps screen at 11pm. And honestly, I really never cared about those spilt coffees anyway.

What I care about is how the Toyota GR86 made me feel. How that ease of losing traction without ever losing control of the car made me giggle each and every time. How satisfying it feels to nail a gear change after hearing that little shift beep at the redline. How people who don’t know what it is take an interest, and how people who do seem genuinely excited to be in the company of like-minded people.

What I care about is that in a world where everything is getting heavier, more electrified, and further from letting the driver drive, here is a car that reminds me why I fell in love with them in the first place.

In truth, there are only two reasons I’m not telling you why I’ve bought a Toyota GR86 right now – the first being I can’t afford it and even if I could, they’re all sold out in the UK. I suspect the former point would have Toyota UK laughing me off if I’d asked to buy this exact car from them, too.

One day though, whenever that may be, I plan to tell you that story. For now, if you need me, there’s a GT86 somewhere calling me.