Overview

Toyota has an incredibly diverse line-up, offering everything from sensible economical runabouts to one of best sports cars on sale – the GR86.

This Toyota GR86 is proof the Japanese brand hasn’t forgotten how to make a proper sports car, even though it’s spent the better part of two decades promoting its sensible hybrid technology. We’re especially fond of the GR86 because it’s one of just two cars in Toyota’s current range that feels truly special (the other being the excellent GR Yaris). It’s a real driver’s car with a playful chassis, a characterful naturally aspirated engine, a slick-shifting manual gearbox and a positively telepathic steering setup.

It replaces the Toyota GT86. Like that car, there’s also a Subaru BRZ twin for this new model, although it isn’t being sold in Europe this time around. That gives Toyota a little more clout in the market, especially now that brands such as Fiat and Nissan have culled their sports cars efforts in Europe.

The only other (reasonably) affordable alternatives to the GR86 are the Mazda MX-5 and the Audi TT. The latter car is living on borrowed time, though, as it’s set to be discontinued at the end of 2023.

Unfortunately, the GR86 is heading down the same path as the TT. Since it was launched in 2022, Toyota has only ever brought the car to the UK in limited numbers – and by the end of 2023, it’ll be yanked from our showrooms entirely as it can’t conform to the planned changes in European automotive safety regulations that are scheduled to come into force in 2024.

For Toyota to keep the car around, it would need to completely redesign its crash structure and fit it with an arsenal of additional safety equipment (such as a front-facing camera and an emergency lane-keeping assistance system). Those improvements were simply too expensive to implement – and Toyota says the changes would alter the GR86’s character for the worse. It was much simpler for the brand to remove it from sale.

There’s a very limited amount of stock remaining for 2023, which means demand for the GR86 is sky high and waiting lists are long. If you want a one, a safer bet might opting for a nearly new Toyota GR86 instead.

Over the next few pages, we’ll review each aspect of the Toyota GR86. Our scores will consider its practicality, interior quality, driving experience and running costs before we offer our final verdict on the car and let you know whether you should buy one over its rivals.