Performance cars come in just about every shape, size, price, and capability you can think of. Most are made to drive hard on the track, but not all will survive this punishment and still be great on city streets. This means you’ve got to park that performance car after a hard track run and replace any items that broke during high-spirited driving. Of course, that’s the case for any car, but some performance cars can handle the punishment much better than others, making them ideal for track days and daily driving.
The Toyota GR86: Fast Enough To Be Exciting, But Not So Fast That You Can’t Use It
Normalize Spirited Driving
Most drivers don’t schedule time on a track every day, and some never get the chance to take their performance cars to the track at all. This means a high-horsepower supercar is wasted on a driver who keeps it stuck between the lines. Instead of being limited and incapable of using all of what your performance car has to offer, why not drive one that encourages you to use all of it, even when you’re on the road? Of course, you’ll need to find open roads with little traffic to push it hard, but that shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Quick acceleration and deft steering make it easy to have more fun more often, which is what you want out of your road-going performance car.
The Chassis Is The Star, Not Just The Engine
Clear Communication From The Car
A sports car platform that includes a balanced feel, rear-wheel drive, impressive steering, and a composed attitude makes driving fun. The Toyota GR86 rides on such a platform, giving you the clear communication you need when pushing it hard on the road. It’s been lauded as one of the most engaging and fun sports cars you can drive, and it won’t require you to take out a second mortgage or win the lottery to drive it. The GR86 shares a platform with the Subaru BRZ, but the Toyota sports car is a little more slide-happy than its counterpart, making it a bit more fun when you get a chance to toss it around.
Rear-Wheel Drive Makes “Driving Hard” Feel Right
Enthusiasts Demand It
Modern supercars seem to take much of the driving skill and feel out of the experience. Although turning incredibly fast laps in a McLaren or Ferrari is more than memorable, the real feeling you want comes from power sent to the rear wheels, pushing your performance car hard. The GR86 has one of the most direct and honest RWD systems, allowing you to feel the corners and be more involved in pushing it hard through several twists and turns. Most FWD performance cars can’t replicate the feeling you get in this little Toyota sports car, and many supercars have added electronics that remove the desired engagement, but you can still find what you want in the GR86.
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It’s Light, And Lightness Is Reliability’s Best Friend
Light Is Right
You don’t need the scientific definition of work to understand that a lighter car is easier on its components. The Toyota GR86 has a small four-cylinder engine and weighs a feather-light 2,811 pounds at the base level. It’s well understood that lightness means a car can make full use of its power to go faster, but it also translates into improved reliability scores. A lighter car doesn’t put as much pressure on suspension components, the engine, or its consumables, which means these items can last much longer. This translates to higher reliability scores and lower stress for you when you drive it.
Consumables Are Relatively Affordable
JD Power Reliability Rating: 79/100, Resale Rating: 90/100
The GR86 isn’t the highest-rated performance car for overall reliability, but its score is strong enough to make it a great choice. Most sports cars rated higher; the Porsche 911 at 87/100 and the Chevrolet Corvette at 83/100 are among those that can’t be fully enjoyed on a budget. Additionally, the GR86’s resale rating shows owner confidence in the Toyota sports car. As one of the lightest and most reliable performance cars that drives well on the road, this little Toyota is also affordable to maintain. The brake pads, tires, and general upkeep requirements are more approachable than those of a much heavier, higher-powered sports car. This means you can spend much more time enjoying the drive, rather than babying the car with high-priced consumables.
It Has Enough Practicality To Live With Daily
There’s More Room Than You Expect
Driving a sports car every day often comes with compromises. One of the most traditional is a lack of cargo space. The Toyota GR86 isn’t going to suddenly turn into Mary Poppins’ bag and swallow up a truckload of gear, but it has enough room inside to carry your track tires to the tarmac if you get the chance to take a turn on a closed circuit. That also means you have enough room to handle most of your cargo needs, especially if you use the GR86 as your daily driver. The seats fold down to open a much larger cargo area, and the hatchback design means a larger cargo space than you’ll find in most sedans. With all seats up, the cargo area only measures 6.3 cubic feet, but it expands when the rear seats are folded.
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The Manual Transmission Is Central To The Experience
Shifting Gears Is Part Of The Fun
The Toyota GR86 is powered by a 2.4-liter flat four-cylinder engine. This is the same engine found in the Subaru BRZ, and the flat layout provides a lower center of gravity for improved feel and performance. This engine mates to a six-speed manual transmission and produces 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers might not seem like much, but this little Toyota can hit 60 MPH in 5.9 seconds, which is more than fast enough to be fun on the road. Add the rewarding mechanical feeling of the manual transmission, and you’ve got a car that feels alive and fun in your hands. You won’t set any track records with this car, but you’ll have a lot of fun.
It Has Toyota-Backed Ownership Confidence
The Resale Rating Tells The Story
Toyota has a stellar reputation for reliability, and the GR86 benefits from it and the brand’s infrastructure that helps ensure drivers have cars, SUVs, and trucks they can drive confidently. The high resale rating signals market trust in this sports car over the long term, making it an easy car to enjoy and feel good about. If you want a performance car that comes with peace of mind, the GR86 should be near the top of your list. Hard driving can cause components to wear or break more often than when the car is driven more conservatively, but those parts won’t break the bank, and most might survive your hard driving fun. Compared to heavier, higher-priced sports cars, you’ll spend a lot less to drive the GR86 hard and fast on the road.
It Rewards Skill Instead Of Covering It Up
It Feels Fast Right Away
The light build and immediate power make it easy to take off and have some fun in the GR86. Similar to the Mazda MX-5 Miata, it’s balanced and built to be a joy to drive on the road. Most modern performance cars rely on large tires, AWD, and massive power to give you the feeling of going fast, but the GR86 is different. When you drive it skillfully, creating smooth inputs, good lines, and making smart shifts, it responds and delivers an incredible driving feeling that is almost gleeful on the road. It’s almost as if the car were asking for more from you, and when you give it, the GR86 responds.
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It’s One Of The Last Honest Sports Cars
No Frills, Exactly What You See
What you see is what you get in the Toyota GR86. It’s a small, lightweight, manual-transmission sports coupe. Drivers of heavier sports cars might laugh at the power numbers, but they can’t have as much fun on the road as you can with this little car. It’s not a tech showcase or straight-line monster, but it’s a car that can be driven hard and enjoyed repeatedly. It’s reliable, easy to live with day to day, and affordable to maintain, making it one of the most honest sports cars you’ll find. For some, it could feel like a guilty pleasure, but there’s no reason to feel guilty about driving a car that is made to put a smile on your face.
Sources: Toyota, JD Power, RepairPal, CarEdge, KBB