Toyota Gazoo Racing is shaping up as an exciting division of the Japanese automaker, following up on the GR Supra and GR Yaris with yet another sports car, the 2022 GR 86. As the company recently hinted, it was an expected reveal, and the entire world was eagerly waiting for the company to finally deliver its own take on the 2022 Subaru BRZ trope.
For now, all we have to go about is Toyota Gazoo Racing’s announcement from Japan, but the U.S. division of the carmaker promises that local “product plans for this exciting new vehicle will be provided at a later date.” Meanwhile, TGR wasn’t alone in the announcement because alongside came representatives from Subaru, as they helped Gazoo Racing make the most out of their division’s third global model in the GR series.
As far as Japan goes, we already know the 2022 Toyota GR 86 will hit dealerships sometime this fall—and after the predecessor sold in over 200k examples across the world, the company is keen on retaining the original flavor of a lightweight “front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle with intuitive handling and instinctive responsiveness.”
Naturally, both the BRZ and GR 86 were again developed jointly, but Toyota emphasized the “friendly rivalry with the BRZ development team” and claims their version of the sports car focuses on “a distinct driving feel” because it was “specially designed for sports performance and provides direct and satisfying driving performance of the highest order.”
With the GR Supra and (above all) GR Yaris already big hits with fans and critics alike, the bar has been set pretty high for the second-generation GR 86, if you ask us. Dimensionally, the coupe is almost unchanged from the original, but the company now uses even more lightweight elements for a lower center of gravity, including aluminum roof panels.
Torsional rigidity has jumped no less than 50%, and with the six-speed manual transmission, the GR 86 weighs in at 1,270 kg (2,800 lbs), making it easier for the updated 2.4-liter four-cylinder boxer to deliver “performance and emotionality.” Translated into figures, the GR 86’s higher-displacement engine (up from the previous iteration’s 2.0-liter) can churn out 235 PS (232 hp) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of twist.
That's enough for the sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) to go down significantly, from 7.4 seconds previously to a new value of just 6.3 seconds. The company doesn’t say if the value is achieved with the 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, though.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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