2014 Toyota GT86 - Litchfield Upgrades

Highlights

• Lightly modified example of the popular sports car
• Litchfield performance pack, handling pack and suspension upgrades
• Also Tarox big brake kit, with over £9,000 spent in total
• Gold alloy wheels
• Recently serviced and ready to go

Overview

Here at PistonHeads, we salute Toyota for continuing to produce the GT86 (or, at least, its successor, the GR86) even to this day. They’re flying the flag for the kind of no-nonsense, small, rear-wheel drive car which is designed to put you in tune with the road and put an enormous smile on your face. It doesn’t come with all the excess baggage we’ve become accustomed to, with modern cars becoming ever bulkier and ever heavier. Instead, the designers at Toyota have kept things simple, direct, and to-the-point.

The example offered here was built in 2014 and, as such, was not subject to the valve spring recall, and more recently it has been the recipient of extensive work to improve its performance. This has included entirely new brakes, a new exhaust, ECU tune, and upgraded and lowered adjustable suspension. Most of this work was carried out by Litchfield in 2022-23, with the invoices remaining on file totalling over £9,000. So you know it’s been thoroughly sorted.

A standard GT86 produces 197 bhp and has a top speed of 140 mph. We don’t know what this car’s current performance figures are, but the seller informs us that the torque dip has been eliminated and that it now has an immediate throttle response, with a firm ride and an improved exhaust note. It certainly seems like it’ll do its best to get round the sharpest hairpins with minimal fuss or maximum enjoyment, as is your wont.

If you’re after a pretty standard-looking GT86 — with the excellent addition of gold alloys — which hides its performance tuning under the bonnet, then this looks like a great option.

History and documentation

• Registered 12 Aug 2014
• Stamped service book with services as follows: Jul 2015 @ 9,227 miles, Jul 2016 @ 17,158 miles, Sep 2017 @ 25,957 miles, Aug 2018 @ 33,088 miles, Sep 2019 @ 43,054 miles, Jun 2020 @ 50,925 miles, Jul 2021 @ 57,938 miles, Jun 2022 @ 62,840 miles, Jul 2023 @ 67,847 miles, Jun 2024 @ 72,900 miles
• Original document pack
• Tarox brake upgrade information document and invoice from Fensport
• Collection of other invoices
• Invoices on file for upgrade work carried out by Litchfield
• Two keys
• Current MOT with no advisories expires 5 Jul 2025
• V5 present in owner’s name
• Two former keepers
• Current owner since Mar 2018
• HPI clear
• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Black Alcantara upholstery with red stitching and red panels
• The upholstery is very well presented, with few signs of use
• There is a little creasing to the bolsters on the driver’s seat
• Manual seat adjusters because who wants the weight of electric motors?
• Matching black carpets with fitted footwell mats
• The door cards are very clean and tidy
• Rear seating for two people of a smaller persuasion, with the upholstery in excellent condition
• ‘Royal’ steering wheel, with red and black leather trim
• Traction control and stability control buttons on the centre console
• Comes with two spare gear knobs, so there is the choice between stock, Blitz and TRD
• Dashboard well stocked, with dual-zone climate control, and an onboard infotainment display screen
• Keyless start, with dashboard-mounted engine start button
• Onboard rear-view camera feeds into the dashboard display
• There is a small scuff reported on the plastic trim piece on the left-hand side of the dashboard
• Large central tachometer in the instrument cluster, with digital speedometer
• Stereo/CD changer
• Headlining clean and tidy
• Spacious boot o the rear
• Jack, towing eye, and tools stored under the boot floor
• The rear seats fold down to make a large, flat load area

Exterior

• The low stance of the GT86 give it a purposeful road presence, with suitably stern-looking headlights
• Finished in an attractive shade of white, with added flair from the gold alloy wheels
• The paint is generally very good, with some age-related scuffs and scratches throughout
• The lower edge of the front bumper is scratched, and there are small stone chips to the car’s front end
• Small dent in the outer edge of the left-hand sill
• Slight paint run on the nearside front wheelarch
• Small dent/paint chip on the offside right arch
• Small bubbling noted on the centre of the roof close to the windscreen
• 17-inch Pro Track One alloy wheels, finished in gold — fitted new in May 2023
• The rear left wheel has a small scuff on its rim, otherwise the wheels look generally well preserved
• GoodYear Eagle F1 Asymetric 6 tyres, which were reportedly fitted 8,000 miles ago
• Blue painted brake callipers
• Chrome badges front and rear
• Headlights clear and bright
• Windscreen and window glass appears to be well presented
• The underside of the car looks generally clean, with a little surface corrosion on some components
• Miltek large-bore resonated exhaust with twin exhaust tips

Mechanical

• 1,998 cc four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated engine
• Originally produced 197 bhp and 151 lb ft
• Litchfield Performance Pack adds 25bhp, with an extra 10bhp from 3,300rpm and 25bhp from 4,900rpm
• Three maps are provided, with one for economy and one which allows full throttle shifting and launch control, though the owner tells us that he’s never used that latter two
• Top speed 140 mph, 0-62 mph in 7.6 seconds
• Six-speed manual transmission
• Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
• Engine bay tidy
• Underneath, the improvements to the suspension, brakes, and exhaust can clearly be seen
• Originally, the brakes were upgraded by Litchfield with DS2500 pads and Goodrich stainless steel lines all round and the standard calipers painted blue
• Following a seized front caliper, the seller took the opportunity to upgrade to a Tarox 6-piston big brake kit in June 2024, which came with Tarox pads and Tarox braided stainless steel brake lines
• Bilstein B8 Sprint dampers fitted May 2023
• In Oct 2022 the car was fitted by Litchfield with a handling kit, including Eibach lowering springs and adjustable anti-roll bar, as well as camber bolts and Super Pro drop links
• Full-length Miltek exhaust system fitted, retaining the original exhaust manifold
• The seller tells us that the car starts easily and that the exhaust note is ‘nice but not obnoxious’
• The ride is said to be firm but not harsh
• Trickle charger wiring fitted to the battery
• The battery was reportedly replaced in Mar 2024

Summary

For those of us who like a no-nonsense sports car, the GT86 is hard to beat. It has proved to be a winning formula, with a loyal band of followers.

There are a multitude of tuning options available and this example has some carefully-selected mods which should enhance the driving experience. In lovely condition, and with a good history, we think it should be a cracker.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located near Newport, Gwent.