2022 Toyota GR 86 prototype review

The Japanese brand is having a performance car revolution and its latest sports car promises to bring in some affordable thrills.

Five minutes behind the wheel of a pre-production Toyota GR 86 is enough to discover the car improves on the original model without losing its charm.

As we pull out of pit lane at Sydney Motorsport Park, the bigger 2.4-litre engine in the new model gets the car moving with less effort. Better still, it revs cleanly to the end of the tacho without the harshness of its stressed-feeling predecessor.

The new GR 86 gets a bigger 2.4-litre petrol engine.

As before, it still doesn’t feel genuinely quick in the face of 200kW-plus turbocharged competition.

Toyota hasn’t finalised figures for the 2022 model, but its mechanically identical Subaru twin makes 172kW and 250Nm, significantly more than the 147kW/205Nm original.

We don’t know how much the Toyota will cost, though Subaru’s $42,000 drive-away ask gives a strong indication.

The interior is more modern than before, with nicer materials and genuinely impressive ergonomics that work perfectly in performance driving.

It remains rear-wheel drive.

As before, the horizontally-opposed “flat four” layout sends drive to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, driving the rear wheels through a tight limited-slip differential.

The paddle-shift auto was the only version on hand during our preview drive.

As we slow for turn two, the Toyota’s brakes return progressive responses to pedal input, and a pluck of the left paddle results in swift down changes accompanied by rev-matching flair from the engine.

Quick and sweetly-weighted steering guides the car into a late apex, helped by tenacious grip from new tyres.

Gripper tyres help its cornering ability.

The old car’s rubber, infamously shared with the eco-minded Toyota Prius, has been ditched in favour of Michelin Pilot Sport stickiness similar to that found on a Porsche or Ferrari.

The car holds its line faithfully through the next couple of bends, then eases into a gentle four-wheel slide when pressed through a long fourth-gear left-hander.

The next test comes on exit from a slower corner, where a provocative stab of the gas is rewarded with grin-inducing movement from a rear end that arcs out of line, calling for a gentle correction to keep the car on track. Power oversteer is a selling point to young (and old) enthusiasts interested in a car that has more to offer than popular hot hatches at this price point – particularly for folks interested in refining their skills at track day, skid pad, or drifting events.

The extra performance means it’s unavailable to P-platers in some states.

This new model is off-limits to younger motorists, as it falls foul of state-specific power-to-weight requirements banning P-plate drivers from steering cars with more than 125kW of power per tonne of weight.

That will hurt both new vehicle sales and used car values of the new Toyota and Subaru duo.

Racing teams will also find it harder to source donor cars for Toyota’s smash-hit one-make motorsport series based on the compact coupe.

TOYOTA GR 86 VITALS

Price: About $42,000 drive-away

Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cyl, 173kW/250Nm

Warranty: 5-year/unlimited km

Safety: 7 airbags, lane keep assist, blind spot assistance, rear cross traffic alert

Thirst: About 8.8L/100km

Cargo: 201 litres

Spare: Full size

GOING RACING IN THE 86 SERIES

Springfield driver Luke King negotiates "The Esses" at Mt Panorama, Bathurst in the Toyota 86 Racing Series.

Motorsport is hugely expensive, particularly if you want to race in front of large crowds or TV audiences that help justify sponsorship dollars.

Toyota’s 86 series is the most affordable way to go racing on a national stage. Drivers on a budget spend about $6000 per weekend, or $30,000 per year to compete on the undercard for major events such as the Bathurst 1000.

That’s not cheap, but it is a fraction of the $250,000-odd you might pay for a season of TCR racing, or double that (and more) for the V8-powered Super 2 development series.

The new-generation Toyota GR 86 will hit the track in 2024 under a new model that requires competitors to buy completed cars from Neal Bates Motorsport, as opposed to applying the rally team’s kit to independently sourced cars.

While running costs will be similar to the older model, the new car will be more expensive to buy. Budget on $80,000 for a ready-to-roll racer.

Originally published as 2022 Toyota GR 86 prototype review