Toyota's GT86, the predecessor of the GR86, was axed after a career that spanned almost nine years. Its successor, the GR86, will have a different situation, which might make each example more valuable. This applies to Europe, where the Japanese sports coupé will only be available for two years.
The news of the model's limited availability came during its official presentation for the European market. Toyota officials presented this as an "exclusive opportunity for customers," and it looks like they are right on the money. Potential customers residing in other markets need not worry, as the GR86 will be available past 2025 everywhere else.
The reason behind the limited production for Europe is linked to new safety regulations, which the GR86 will not be able to follow without receiving significant work. Toyota's representatives have not detailed what would have to change to allow the GR86 to be sold in Europe after 2025, but it is clear that there is no economic case to justify doing so.
With that in mind, it means that Europeans interested in buying this sporty coupe, which is yet to have a listed price on the Old Continent, will have to hurry to place an order. While the good people at Toyota have decided against limiting production quotas for Europe, they were forced to place a window for the availability of the new model.
The predecessor of the GR86, the GT86, did not have a career-ending deadline in Europe even before it was launched. Therefore, its resale values are only dependent on the number of units sold and the number of units available for sale, and neither is a problem today.
They might become collectible in ten years' time, but even then, they might still be easy to find, with pristine examples commanding higher values. In the case of the GR86, resale values might be an entirely different matter.
The GR86 can already pride itself on having power on tap and no direct replacement planned, which is set to maintain resale values higher than was possible for the GT86.
The latter might get a boost in value, like what happened to the late '80s and early '90s hot hatches in recent years, but only well-cared and unmodified examples might benefit from that boost. We believe that the GT86's resale value will be in the shadow of the GR86, though.
Photo: Toyota
Despite a lack of confirmation from the Japanese marque regarding the fact that the GR86 is the last of its kind, it is evident that it will be the last Toyota with an internal combustion engine and rear-wheel-drive offered for sale in Europe.
The company's representatives have already decided to only sell zero-emission vehicles in Western Europe by 2035, while the rest of the European countries are set to join the list later. That means that the potential market for an enthusiast-oriented vehicle is halved, if not restricted even further.
As a reference, Toyota only managed to sell about 7,500 units of the GT86 in the UK during the models' nine-year production run. European sales figures add up to approximately 21,000 units, from what we could gather, without including the sales of Subaru's BRZ.
Since Toyota cannot justify the development of a GR86 that would comply with the future safety standards that will be applicable in Europe, it is easy to determine that the Japanese marque will not invest in developing a successor of the GR86.
If you have any doubts on the matter, just remember that more stringent safety standards have stopped the sale of the Viper, which had a bigger following and probably brought more revenue to its manufacturer than the GR86 will manage to do.
Photo: Toyota
Just like any other car that keeps its resale value high, some examples will be worth more than others, which means that getting the right configuration will matter more than ever. Obviously, people will want to have the version with the manual transmission over the one with the automatic.
Consider that the launch color is red, which means that many will get the GR86 in this shade. If you ask us, stick to the manual transmission, and the GR86 should keep its resale value in Europe like a champ. Limited availability and the global chip shortage, resulting in limited production, will help.
Of course, that will depend on its maintenance history and overall condition. Unlike the MK4 Supra, the GR86 has yet to appear in a successful movie franchise and in a video game franchise to steer each example to stratospheric resale values.
Time will tell if the GR86 can be considered an investment, but Toyota has already given European buyers the best possible chance of an investment after the GR Yaris.
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. Full profile
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