TOYOTA GT 86 Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

After the Scion brand failed to get enough of the market, the sporty little coupe Scion FRS had to be axed too. But the car was replaced with the 2017 Toyota GT86. And it was a better deal.

The 2016 Toyota GT86 had some outside details upgrades even if they were not so obvious. The car had LED only lights outside the vehicle: headlights, DRL, fog-lights and, of course, taillights. On the side of the headlights, a GT86 logo was shown. On the front fenders, the engineers installed air-vents that sucked the air from the wheel-well to decrease the lift on higher speeds. A new light-alloy set of wheels were introduced.

Inside, there was the same interior, but with better materials than those found in the FRS. On the 2017 Toyota GT86, the bucket seats had Alcantara upholstery.

The most important modifications were on the tech side. Under the hood, if the air intakes were red, the transmission was manual. If those were black than it was an automatic. Both gearboxes had 6 speeds and the automatic also had paddle-shifters behind the steering wheel. The power was increased by 2.5% by optimizing the airflow of the flat-4 naturally aspirated engine.

The suspension was stiffer on the front and softer on the rear, for a neutral behavior of the car. Some bushings and strut-bars were also modified so the whole body was stiffer. In the end, the GT86 was more of a handling car. And for that job, it was one of the best on the market at an affordable price.

In 2012, Toyota wanted to revive the 86 nameplate used on its famous Corolla Sprinter Trueno from the ‘80s, and it did that with some help from Subaru, who sold the same vehicle under the BRZ nameplate.

For Toyota, it was not easy to re-create such a legendary car as the Sprinter Trueno. That was the vehicle that started a whole new motorsports category: drifting. But in 2012, the Japanese automaker didn’t even try to make the vehicle an affordable, family-oriented one, but a thoroughbred sports car. It used the flat-four engine from Subaru, developed a new gearbox, and made it for young people who enjoyed the car every inch of the road. The development didn’t stop with the drivetrain only; it also included the bodywork and the features inside.

The GT86 didn’t look like any other Toyota on the market. It featured a low nose with narrow, swept-back headlights that looked nervous to the road ahead. The bumper housed the massive grille needed to cool the engine and a pair of side scoops for the fog lamps when fitted. Otherwise, those were blocked and looked like fake vents. From its profile, the front fenders boasted the car’s logo mounted behind the wheel arches. A short cabin with a rounded, sloped-down roof line emphasized the car’s sporty character, while the rear quarter panels showed a muscular look. At the back, Toyota offered a lip spoiler on the tailgate, either fitted as standard or as an option, depending on the grade. But all versions featured two exhausts, one on each side of the GT86.

Inside, the sports bucket seats with high bolstered areas ensured the occupants that they’d stay in place during an extended drift. Surprisingly, the car was fitted with four seats, even though only the front ones could sit comfortably. The rear ones were installed mostly due to tax reasons since many countries where the GT86 was sold imposed higher taxes for cars with just two seats. At the front, the driver fronted a dashboard filled with four analog dials where the tachometer took center stage. It was flanked on the left by the tachometer and on the right by the fuel and temperature gauges. A tall center console separated the driver from the side passenger. In the back, the bench seat’s seatback was split-folding in two halves to increase the trunk area, which, otherwise, was not big enough for more than a weekend away.

Under the hood, Subaru kept its promise and installed one of its best engines available: the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-four. Toyota sold the vehicle with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. In addition, the rear axle was fitted with a limited-slip differential.