Life in the fun lane just got faster in the Toyota GR86

In a car world bustling with brutish supercars strutting steroid-fuelled muscles, the Toyota 86 has served as an affordable sportscar with okay power that enthrals with its playful rear-wheel drive handling.

It was the “okay” power that was the problem for some, and Toyota has addressed this by putting a tad more testosterone in the tank. As part of a major midlife upgrade that includes a name change to GR86, a facelift and chassis tweaks, the Toyota’s normally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine has increased from 2.0l to 2.4l in cubic capacity to bump up the output from 147kW to 174kW at 7,000rpm.

The name change reflects the 86 joining Toyota’s motorsport-inspired Gazoo Racing (GR) model line, which also includes the GR Supra and rally-inspired GR Yaris.

As a result of the bigger engine, Toyota claims the 0-100 km/h acceleration time is snipped by over a second to 6.4 seconds for the manual and 6.8 seconds for the automatic. An increase from 205Nm at 6,600rpm to 250Nm at 3,700rpm also makes for a stronger and flatter torque curve.

The improved muscle was put to the test when I drove Toyota’s two-door coupé on the Aldo Scribante racetrack and public roads around Gqeberha late last week. Though the car doesn’t exactly set land speed records (the manual’s maximum speed is 226km/h and the auto’s is 216km/h), the tweaks have extracted decidedly more spirited performance. It’s life in the fun lane, but faster.

At sea level the low-slung sportster feels satisfyingly energetic. The free-revving engine picks up pace swiftly and displays good midrange torque, but there is better excitement to be had in the upper reaches of its rev range, where a sound enhancer raises the racy decibels inside the cabin. At low rpm the engine is drowned out by a high level of road noise, with the tyres roaring loudly on the tarmac.

Toyota has enhanced the car’s driving dynamics by increased body rigidity, lighter weight and a lower centre of gravity, which we put to the test around the Aldo Scribante track. A few hot laps highlighted the slick, pinned-down handling of this rear-wheel drive coupé. The car's improved torsional rigidity was immediately apparent, and the GR86 feels very solid. The bigger engine weighs more but this has been counteracted by weight saving body tweaks, and the GR86 remains the lightest four-seat sports car on the market. There is a shift of 0.05% of the weight distribution to the rear of the car.

The newcomer retains a rear Torsen limited-slip differential to enhance cornering traction, helping it turn into corners with a sharp and edgy feel. It's easy to get the tail hanging out but it's not a snappy oversteer that suddenly catches you out; it's easily controllable if you’re reasonably well versed in the counter steering technique, especially in the car’s Track mode which allows significant sideways action before the stability control kicks in. The stability control can be completely switched off too.

It’s an accessible sportscar with brilliant handling and enough power to be entertaining, and at times it was so much fun I found myself laughing out loud; you can’t really ask for more than that from a sportscar.

The six-speed gearshift is a short-shifting pleasure with a slick action and close ratios, and would be my first choice in a purist driver’s car such as this. That said, the six-speed torque converter automatic does a sterling job too and has flappy paddles on the steering wheel for more driver involvement.

The more expensive auto model comes with extra safety features including lane departure alert, automatic high beam assist, and adaptive cruise control.

Out in the real world the ride felt firm but not overly harsh, even on bumpy public roads of which there were many in the Eastern Cape. It's a fun but forgiving car, and the steering, while sharp, doesn't become unnervingly twitchy when driving at speed on uneven tar.

You sit low in the GR86 and getting in and out takes a little PT, but otherwise it’s a civilised car that can be used as a daily driver. Officially there are rear seats but no regular-sized humans would fit in them; they’re best used for small luggage or the family poodles.

The driver-focused cockpit has gained some enhancements including an updated multimedia system and a digital dashboard, but retains easy-to-use buttons for many of its functions, and I particularly liked the metallic aircraft-style toggle switches. The bucket seats were supportive but comfortable on long trips, and the upholstery is a combination of grippy Ultrasuede paired with leather.

The exterior style tweak is a significant evolution of the taut, low-slung look of its predecessor, referencing design details of past sporty Toyotas such as the 2000GT and AE86 Corolla. The resculpting includes a new front air dam with aero fins, black 18-wheels (with a full-sized spare wheel) and a distinctive ducktail rear spoiler.

The exterior colour choices include three GR-specific finishes inspired by Toyota Gazoo Racing’s white, red and black competition livery. Other hues include Storm Blue, Magnetite Grey and Bright Blue.

Pricing

Toyota GR86 manual — R698,100

Toyota GR86 auto — R733,700

Includes three-year/100,000km warranty and six-services/90,000 km service plan.