Manufactured by Subaru at the Ota assembly plant in the Gunma Prefecture, the BRZ-twinned Toyota GR86 outsold the Subaru-branded sibling and the Mazda MX-5 in the United States market. According to Toyota, the GR86 moved 11,078 units in 2023.
Subaru's sales release reads 4,188 units of the BRZ, whereas the MX-5 sold 8,973 examples of the breed. More specifically, Mazda sold 4,591 roadsters and 4,382 hardtops in 2023 in the United States market.
The MX-5 Miata is up 45.4 percent versus its 2022 sales volume, and the canvas-top roadster is up 78 percent. Last year, the retractable fastback moved almost 1,000 more units than the roadster. What is particularly impressive about Mazda's affordable sports car is that sales are pretty strong for a nine-year-old design. As a brief refresher, the ND entered production in March 2015 for the 2016 model year.
Mazda improved the MX-5 Miata twice (in late 2018 for 2019 and in late 2021 for 2022). The latter update brought forward Kinematic Posture Control, which is Mazda vernacular for automatically braking the inside rear wheel during high-G cornering to improve both steering response and body control. This piece of tech is directly inspired by the McLaren Formula 1 team's notorious brake-steer solution from 1997, a solution comprising two brake pedals instead of one.
Similar to Mazda's approach to improving the MX-5, the GR86 and BRZ are best described as evolutionary designs rather than clean-sheet redesigns. The platform, for example, is derived from the original boxer-engined twins. Both the GR86 and BRZ can be had with an auto, a transmission that doesn't have a place in a lightweight sports car. The same applies to the MX-5 Miata, which is – without a shadow of a doubt – far more enjoyable with a 6-speed manual.
Photo: Toyota
The biggest change from the first-gen 86 and BRZ is the engine. Now a 2.4-liter boxer instead of the old 2.0-liter unit, the four-pot mill further boasts D-4S fuel injection. The system combines port and direct injection to squeeze out more power while improving efficiency. The port injection also counteracts the carbon buildup that hampers direct injection systems. Toyota introduced D-4S in 2005 with the 2GR-FSE 3.5-liter NA V6 of the Lexus GS 350 and IS 350.
Revealed in June 2023, the 2024 model year Toyota GR86 is available to configure at $28,400 (sans destination charge). Based on the Premium trim level, the most desirable specification of the bunch is the TRUENO Edition. Inspired by the AE86-series Sprinter Trueno, the GR86 TRUENO Edition is limited to 860 units. Unfortunately, pricing information is not available as of January 2024.
Over at Subaru, the big news for 2024 is the BRZ tS performance-oriented grade. As opposed to $30,195 for the entry-level Premium, the tS retails at $35,345 due to its STI-tuned sports suspension, Brembo high-performance brakes, STI instrument cluster, and Ultrasuede-trimmed interior with blue accents.
Mazda still lists the MX-5 Miata as a 2023 model in the United States, but fret not because the 2024 model is on the horizon. Revealed in Japan in October 2023, the 2024 Mazda MX-5 is referred to as the ND3 because it features design updates. Similar to the ND2 for the 2019 model year, the ND3 comprises a small number of stylistic changes. At press time, the ND2 MX-5 Miata for the US market starts at $28,050 for the roadster and $35,750 for the RF.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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