New 2022 Toyota GR86 sells out in 90 minutes

In its first 90 minutes of being on sale in the UK, the new 2022 Toyota GR86 sold out. The production run for Europe is limited to two years, with the compact sports car costing from £29,995. There will be an opportunity for customers that missed out to join a waiting list to take the place of any cancellations. 

The GR86 doesn’t comply with impending crash regulations, meaning Toyota is forced to keep its production run short, stating “when it’s gone, it’s gone”. This means that the total UK allocation of GR86s has been spoken for. 

Should customers wish to get their hands on a manual, rear-wheel drive GR-badged Toyota this year, then the recent announcement of a manual Supra may come as some comfort. 

Back to the GR86, Toyota has kept things simple with just one grade of its entry-level sports car on offer. As standard, it features 18-inch black alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, adaptive LED headlights, auto-folding mirrors and a reversing camera. 

Inside, you’ll find heated seats, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and leather/Ultrasuede upholstery as standard. Factory-fitted safety features include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance. 

Just like its predecessor, the GR86 is the fruit of Toyota’s partnership with Subaru, sharing the same platform and engine as the recently refreshed Subaru BRZ. Toyota claims it has “engaged in a friendly rivalry” with Subaru to develop two new sports cars with distinct characters.

The Toyota GR86 is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.4-litre flat-four “boxer” engine, which replaces the 2.0-litre unit found in the old car. European specs are yet to be confirmed, but the Japanese version of the car produces 232bhp and 250Nm of torque.

That’s 35bhp and 45Nm more than its predecessor, the GT86, which means the GR86 will get from 0–62mph in 6.3 seconds, or 1.1 seconds faster than the old car. These figures could change once the car is away from Toyota’s home market, though.

As standard, the new engine will be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, with the six-speed automatic transmission costing  £2090. Both send drive to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential.

The GR86 is built on the same basic platform as the GT86, which means it retains the same proportions as its predecessor. However, Toyota is keen to stress that the shell has been upgraded with more strengthening panels and stronger bonding techniques, which improve the chassis’s stiffness and sharpen up the handling.

Torsional rigidity is up by 50 per cent as a result and, thanks to some new aluminium body panels, the whole car tips the scales at just 1,270kg. Toyota claims the GR86 is the lightest four-seat coupe in its class.

The “GR” in the coupe’s name stands for Gazoo Racing. It’s Toyota’s in-house tuning division, which has helped hone cars like the GR Supra and the GR Yaris hot hatchback, so it’s no surprise that the tuners have also had a hand in the GR86’s chassis development.

The car’s styling mostly matches that of the Subaru BRZ, sharing its headlamps, daytime running lights and smooth front end surfacing. However, Toyota has managed to place some distance between its sports car and Subaru’s offering by fitting a new front apron with a large rectangular air intake, compared to the BRZ’s more angular detailing.

The GT86’s gently sculpted roof remains, while at the rear the chunky bumper houses a new diffuser element and a twin-exit exhaust. As with the BRZ, the GR86’s bonnet, front wings and roof are made from lightweight aluminium.

Inside, Toyota has fitted its new compact sports car with much more technology, including a seven-inch digital gauge cluster and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, as part of a thorough redesign of the centre console and dashboard.

Automatic versions of the GR86 will also be available with Subaru-developed EyeSight driver assistance technology. Making use of a forward-facing camera setup, this provides pre-collision avoidance support. 

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