There’s a song made famous by singer Etta James called “At Last” – about finally finding love. Well, we know that feeling. We’ve been wanting to drive a Toyota GR86 with a manual transmission since it was introduced for the 2022 model year. Well, so did a lot of other journalists, so we were pretty darn happy to drive a ’22 with the 6-speed automatic. Which as it turns out was a fantastic sports car. But for many of us, a true sports car still has three pedals, and no, the emergency brake does not count.
So, when our turn to test the 2023 GR86 with manual transmission, we began singing “At last”! So, was it worth the wait? Let’s take a look!
Still a Stunner
It’s nice when we’re driving a high buck sporting machine like our recent Lexus IS 500. You get plenty of compliments, and at $70k plus, you’d sort of expect that. What makes us smile more is when a car that costs half that, gets the double take. And that’s just what or GR86 did. Not only from those who know about cars, but lots of others. The low-slung, sporty lines, the aggressive vibe, even the classy color all had universal appeal.
Working with Subaru, the GR86 has a near-twin sibling called the BR-Z which we tested recently. Both models keep the faith in their second-generation models, adding a bit more muscle and cleaner lines, but still pure sports car in their appeal.
Up front, the GR86 features LED headlights with signature swoosh LED running lights, and a massive mesh front grille that Toyota calls MATRIX G Mesh, which has a bit of chain link menace to it. Smaller vertical side vents finish off the look, with a cool little “GR” badge in the upper left corner.
When we previously tested the GR86 the GR simply stood for Gazoo Racing, one of Toyota’s racing divisions, but since then we’ve also tested the completely gonzo (not to be confused with Gazoo) GR Corolla, with a 300-hp, 1.6-liter, 3-cylinder engine. It seems that GR will now become a bit of a performance sub-brand for Toyota products, and we say, bring them on!
The profile continues the front’s tough looks with short overhangs front and rear, pronounced fender flairs, functional vents behind the front wheels and a small fin at the back of the rear wheel well for added stability. Everything is designed with a purpose. Being a standard trim, our tester rode on stylish 17-inch alloys (our previous tester had larger, black 18-inch alloys) that finished out the look and added some visual pop.
The rear continues the cohesive design, with a tall integrated spoiler at the top, flanked by boomerang LED brake lights, while dual exhausts poke out below the rear fascia. Worth noting, our tester was equipped with the optional GR Performance Dual Exhausts with a black finish that sounded as evil as they looked. Appropriate for a street-hugging sports car, our tester was finished in an upscale gray metallic Toyota calls “Pavement.
Driver’s Cockpit
Inside is all the driver’s cockpit you could want, with deep sport bucket seats, split by a wide center console, clearly putting the driver first and foremost. You do realize how low-slung the GR is when you get in – it’s a long way down – but once you get in, they are nicely-sized and supportive.
It is interesting – our previous GR was a Premium trim and that got you niceties like UltraSuede and heated seats, that do make for a more upscale appearance and added comfort. The standard model doesn’t look impoverished, with nice quality cloth and all, we just like the extra feeling of the Premium.
That’s all that feels missing though. You’ve got a nice, fat, leather-wrapped wheel with a GR logo on the center spoke, and a handsome, 7-inch digital dash that looks inspired from Lexus F SPORT models, with a digital speedo display surrounded by a 9,000-rpm tach. (Redline starts at 7,500 rpm FYI).
Being a digital readout, Toyota puts in some adjustability here, and you can program the screen to the left of the tach to read out fun stuff like a g-meter. And if you drop the GR into Track Mode, you get real-time readouts of gear position, engine speed, water temperature and oil temperature. Cool.
Info-tainment is handled by a generous 8-inch touchscreen, and all the expected tech, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Sirius XM and the like. Our lower grade tester made do with 6-speakers, vs. the Premium trim’s 8, but in such a small cabin it still sounded great. Plus, with the optional exhaust, we had something more enticing to listen too.
Toyota (and Subaru) market these vehicles as 4 seaters, but those rear seats are tiny – maybe for a very small child or dog, but that’s about it. Luckily, they fold down to create a useful cargo space that Toyota says is roomy enough to bring a spare set of wheels and jack to the track. Priorities are in place!
To the Track, Jack?
So, would you want to go? Absolutely!
The Subaru “Boxer” 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder, pumps out a strong 228 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. torque. It’s a great-sounding engine, made even nicer with our tester’s optional GR Performance exhaust. Deep and a bit loud when cold started, it settles into a rich purr that fills the cabin with glorious sound as you climb to the redline. Even better there’s no “freeway drone” that you get with some aftermarket exhausts.
A bit of a surprise for us was how different the GR feels compared to the BRZ. Our guess is the ECU tuning of the engine is the culprit. The GR feels sharper off the line with a quicker response to the throttle – which can border on being jumpy. The BRZ is more linear with a smooth flow of power throughout the rev band. It really boils down to what suits your driving style. We say drive both.
This was our first time in a manual GR86, and it is excellent, with short, direct throws, a light touch, and a perfect partner to the light and easy-to-modulate clutch pedal. With a 0-60 mph in just about 6 seconds the GR is plenty powerful, but not so fast that you can’t enjoy wringing it out!
The powerful engine really helps you enjoy the GR’s delightful chassis. With the horizontally opposed engine sitting low in the chassis, the little coupe loves to change direction with just a flick of the steering wheel. Steering feel is impressively precise, and you can surgically slice and dice your favorite road. It’s so much fun that any on- or off-ramp becomes fair game and entertaining.
And when you’re not getting on it, the GR remains comfortable and easy for the daily commute. We noticed less road noise in our tester than our previous Premium trim – our guess is the smaller 17-inch wheels and less aggressive tires are quieter.
Affordable Fun?
That’s the best part of the GR86 – you don’t have to break the bank to get your thrills.
The base model like our tester starts at just $27,900 and for a modern sports car that’s tremendous fun, with great looks, Toyota reliability and safety equipment, it’s a stone-cold bargain. Our tester had a few options, including the performance exhaust ($1,700), a few accessories, plus $1,095 for Destination. All told, we rang the bell at $31,463.
The closest competitor would be the Subaru BRZ. Starting about $140 more than the Toyota. They’re basically twinsies – a slight tweak in the front and rear fascia, and more importantly to us, the engine and suspension tuning differences, make it worth driving both before you. buy.
Sports car fans will not the base Miata Sport comes in at $30,250 and is delightful if you want a ragtop – but you are trading off room and livability. The new Nissan Z remains a tempting choice but starting at $42,000 and starting at $51K for a Performance model, it really is a huge step up.
Great looks, performance and value. The 2023 Toyota GR 86 remains the perfect affordable sports car!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.