It’s now almost four years since the Toyota GR86 was revealed to the world. April 5th 2021 is an easy date for this writer to remember, putting the story together a little worse for wear (and very early in the morning) of Easter Monday. But nothing was going to stop that story appearing on PH as soon as possible, because little chimed with what we’re all about quite like Toyota’s second take on a boxer-engined sports car. Almost 700 comments would back that up.
That initial press release made it seem like the GR addressed all the drawbacks of the GT86 while keeping so much of what made it good. It was still light, small and simple, though now with a useful glug more torque and a smart new look. The drives proved the hunch absolutely true: the GR86 was as close to the perfect modern sports car as it was possible to get, eminently usable every single day yet also a joy in any situation.
There was just one pretty significant problem - Toyota didn’t get enough of them to the UK. Being denied one of the great modern performance cars is all the more galling when you remember the GT was left to wither on the vine for the last couple of years of its life with various ‘Editions’ that ended up costing as much as the GR. Imagine if the 2.4-litre ‘86 could have arrived in 2019 rather than 2022. Nevertheless, once the initial overs hype had died down, a steady stream of GRs have been for sale on PH since then at around RRP. While the small allocation was frustrating, those who have wanted one have always been able to get one. Right now there are 9 GRs for sale on PH, and 19 GTs.
None are quite like this one, however. The GR86 10th Anniversary Edition was announced by Toyota in 2022 to mark a decade of the modern 86 sports car; just 860 were made, and while spec varied from market to market, all were Solar Orange. So if the fairly limited colour palette of the standard car was disappointing, here’s just the solution. Certainly with the sun shining, Solar Orange looks fantastic.
According to the seller, this particular 10th Anniversary Edition is the first one in Europe, a Japanese market car. So it comes with some ‘Type UK #001’ goodies that look like factory extras, including the ducktail spoiler so missed from cars sold here, and an AEM gauge in the air vent that won’t be. Oddly, this Anniversary seems to go without the central screen as well, which is probably something a prospective owner might want to factor in. A GR86 is fun, but possibly not quite fun enough to go without any form of entertainment.
It’s undoubtedly a cool thing though, the Anniversary, an extremely rare spec of a superb sports car. Whether it’s worth thousands more than standard (£37,995 is being asked) probably depends on how keen a buyer is to stand out, and whether they have a similarly citrusy MX-5 30th Anniversary for it to sit alongside. One for the diehards, perhaps, but another example of a brilliant Toyota has made it to the UK - sounds like good news to us.
SPECIFICATION | TOYOTA GR86
Engine: 2,387cc, flat-four
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 234@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 184@3,700rpm
MPG: 32.1
CO2: 198-200g/km
Year registered: 2023
Recorded mileage: 14
Price new: £29,995 (UK car, 2022)
Yours for: £37,995
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