Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
This week was our review period for the 2024 Toyota GR86, so we decided to showcase it and get some fan feedback. The Toyota GR86 is a 2+2 sports car jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru. It is widely known for rally, club and drift racing. Formerly known as the Scion FR-S, Toyota markets the sports car as the GR86 in Asia, Australia, North America, South Africa and South America. The second-generation model is marketed by Toyota as the GR86 as part of the Gazoo Racing family.
The GR86 arrived in a Trueno Blue hue with the color-keyed duckbill rear and spoiler. Sitting on 18-inch alloy wheels, GR86 badging, aerodynamic underbody panel, dual chrome-tipped exhaust, LED headlights/daytime running lights/fog lights and LED rear combo tail lights all add to the GR86’s sporty and aggressive exterior. The roof, hood and front fenders are made from aluminum to lower the vehicle’s center of gravity and reduce the weight gain from the engine and safety features.
The GR86 has a nice interior with ultrasuede updates on the black and gray seats, dash and interior trim. The cabin is laced with suede-like material on top of the instrument cluster hood, leather trim on the steering wheel and leather wrapped parking brake handle. The rear seats are tight for any passengers but they do fold down to allow for more trunk space.
The GR86 comes with an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is an 8-speaker sound system that delivers great sound as you are cruising around. There is also a 7-inch driver display gives vehicle data like lap times, horsepower/torque curves, and a G-force friction circle. The GRGR86 also comes equipped with USB ports and 12-volt connection that are located up front.
The GR86 has a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer DOHC 16v engine paired with a six-speed manual close ratio transmission that kicks outs 228 horses and 184 lb.-ft. of torque under the hood. The performance in the ride delivered responsive acceleration and great braking. It is nimble and the steering is controlled when changing directions. The GR86 is fun on a twisty highway and can offer a thrill ride on a straight stretch of road. The GR86 is rated at 20 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg combined with the manual transmission. I really enjoyed being back in stick shift car that delivered impressive power through each gear. The GR86 is an absolute fun ride.
Toyota continues to keep safety as a top priority as the GR86 comes with 7 airbags, the LATCH system for car seats of young children, blind spot detection with rear cross traffic alert and a smart key system with push button start and more.
As we were out and about, onlookers discussion about the Toyota GR86 circled around the evolution of the vehicle. The Subaru BRZ, the Scion FR-S or now the Toyota GR86 sums up the lifecycle of this 2+2 fastback coupé. The Toyota GRGR86 sits in a competitive class amongst the Ford Mustang EcoBoost, Chevy Camaro Turbo 1LE and the Mazda Miata RF. The model GRGR86 that we tested comes in at $34,495.00. The 2024 Toyota GR86 is a sports car in the truest sense of the word. It is fun to drive and a beautiful looking automobile. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
