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Toyota Brings Two Flavors of the GR86 at SEMA 2022 and Both Are Pretty Wild

Toyota's stand at the 2022 SEMA event will have numerous exhibits, and among them is a pair of GR86 vehicles that are similar, yet so different, but we will still stack them in the same story. We are writing about the GR86 Daily Drifter and the GR86 Cup. The former is a customized vehicle by photographer Larry Chen, while the latter is a racing car for a single-make series that will kick off next year.
Toyota GR86 Daily Drifter by Larry Chen 27 photos
Photo: Toyota
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First, let us go into detail about the GR86 Daily Drifter, which is a project car that is the brainchild of Larry Chen, an automotive and Formula Drift photographer. Larry dreamed of an attainable vehicle that was suitable for drifting, without blowing the budget into the stratosphere. It is not a low-cost build, either, but it was done in his home workshop.

Toyota does not intend to offer a GR86 like Larry's car, so his will be unique. The good news is that he explained what parts went into the build, and now anyone can replicate it or parts of it. It starts with an HKS GT2 Supercharger Pro ZD8 kit, as well as an intercooler and a MagnaFlow NEO cat-back performance exhaust.

After all the modifications mentioned above, power is bumped up to a respectable 300 horsepower. Things are kept cool with a CSF aluminum radiator, along with a set of HPS silicone hoses. For that extra bit of coolness, you will see a set of HKS Dry Carbon Fiber engine and fuse box covers.

With more power comes more responsibility, as Uncle Ben might say, and Larry Chen is aware of that, so he installed bigger brakes and a sportier suspension. There is a StopTech Big Brake kit for the front axle, while the rear is also enhanced.

The stock suspension has been eliminated in favor of an ST Suspensions ST XTA Plus 3 coilovers, along with SPL Parts front and rear adjustable control arms.

Chen's GR86 also received adjustable sway bar links, an OS Giken Super Lock 1.5-way differential, and a GK Tech steering angle kit to enable proper drift angles without spinning out. Other improvements include a Toyota GR strut tower brace, a set of door jamb braces, and front fender support structure braces.

On the inside, occupants will find a four-point roll cage from Studio RSR, a Sparco six-point harness, and a Sparco EVO QRT racing seat. There's also a Toyota GR short shifter kit, along with a Vivid Racing VR Bespoke steering wheel.

The exterior of the vehicle comes with a Seibon carbon fiber hood, an HKS Type-S ZD8 F-Spoiler carbon fiber splitter lip, a carbon fiber rear wing from HKS, as well as a set of carbon fiber side skirts, and a rear valance from the same material and manufacturer as the latter two.

2023 Toyota GR86 Cup car
Photo: Toyota
Meanwhile, the other GR86 in the Toyota stand at SEMA 2022 is the Cup car, which will be available for competitors in the single-make series that will kick off in 2023. Each GR Cup car will start as a stock vehicle that will be sent to TGRNA's new facility in Mooresville, where it will be modified for the competition.

The specialists at Toyota Gazoo Racing North America will install a weld-in roll cage, Alcon brakes, OMP safety equipment, a SADEV six-speed sequential transmission, a 22-gallon fuel cell, a set of TGRNA MacPherson struts, and a custom Borla exhaust.

There will be a Bosch engine management system that will be the same on every vehicle – a must on a single-make cup series, as well as adjustable JRI shocks, a carbon fiber rear wing, a custom bodywork, and a few more competition-relevant items.

Those interested in racing in the Toyota Gazoo Racing North America's GR Cup can learn more about the series here.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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