Toyota GT86 review (2012 - 2021) – a flawed but fun and affordable Japanese sports car
Toyota’s small sports car wasn’t perfect but still offers genuine driving fun of an increasingly rare flavour
The Toyota GT86 arrived in 2012 on a bow wave of hype, promising to be a small, lithe, light sports car, designed to be more fun than fast. And so it turned out to be, given it wasn’t really fast at all.
Even if it was far from perfect, the GT86 offered a welcome change of approach in a world of increasingly heavy, complex, remote performance cars with a growing fixation on outright pace against the clock, sometimes at the expense of driver involvement. And that was almost 15 years ago. The GT86’s cause and what it promises is more relevant, poignant and appealing than ever today.
Following its first arrival in 2012, the GT86 was facelifted in 2017, improving interior refinement and an optional Performance Pack, replete with more serious hardware. We’ve driven numerous examples of the Toyota GT86 over the years, both pre- and post-facelift, on track and against rivals, to get under its skin. Here’s what we found.
Engine, gearbox and performance
- 197bhp and 151lb ft were meagre in 2012, let alone now
- 2-litre flat-four a real weakness, on performance and personality
- Six-speed manual tight but not smooth
The 4U-GSE engine (related to Subarus’s EJ20 but with Toyota direct injection) has an unpalatable, industrial quality to it, with a thrashy and strained sound down low and some curious noises higher up. It’s a good job it can take revs, for it needs to be revved to deliver its relatively meagre numbers. Indeed, with the car’s true performance on offer only close to the red line, you need to work the engine hard to extract the flat-four engine’s potential.
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The commotion will come as a surprise to anyone used to modern four-cylinder turbocharged units – the sound is industrial and sometimes even harsh down low, and offbeat at high revs. But befitting the boxer design it's also free of vibration, and will happily spin to the limiter without issue, prompting a beeping to remind you another gear is due.
While it might not be a particularly smooth or sweet-sounding engine, it does feel endlessly durable and tough, which means you don’t think twice about hammering it all day long. For many, the effort in extracting the car's performance is also part of the reward. It's just a pity the aural rewards aren't greater – this is no howling Honda VTEC.
The Toyota GT86 is a car that more often than not feels like it needs more performance. The 7.6sec 0-62mph time (unchanged for the facelift model) is fine on paper, but on the road the GT86 feels slower than you'd expect for a car with such an emphasis on driving thrills.
The more pressing issue, however, is how hard you need to work the engine to reach the quoted 197bhp and crucially, the meagre 151lb ft of torque produced at a sky-high 6400rpm. One of the main improvements to its successor, the GR86, was more torque across more of the rev range.
It does mean that exploring the car’s limits requires a committed driving style. We’re not saying the GT86 needs another 200bhp, just a broader powerband and another 50bhp and 50lb ft, which would alleviate some frustration and imbue the driving experience with a little more gusto and verve.
There's a great mechanical connection with the manual shift, with a precise feel matched to a light throw. It can be a little obstinate when cold, but it's among the best out there once the fluids are warm. The combination makes sense as a powertrain, but the engine’s utilitarian approach to delivery makes the GT86 feel less special than it should.
As for the six-speed auto, it removes the mechanical interaction that makes the manual car such a joy. Performance also drops, which is a particular problem given that, for the most part, it's at a premium in the GT86.
Ride and handling
- Performance pack adds Sachs dampers and Brembo brakes
- Michelin Primacy tyres have low limits and an odd feel
- Sharp steering and fundamental balance of the GT86 are sweet
All GT86s ride on 17-inch wheels as standard, wrapped in a set of 215/45 R17 Michelin Primacy tyres, just like its Subaru BRZ cousin. These are a point of much consternation regarding the car’s handling.
For suspension, the GT86 uses MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the back. Both the standard-fit Showa dampers and the optional Sachs dampers were revised for 2017 in an attempt to inject some more refinement, and Toyota says that while both pieces of hardware have been improved, the discrepancy in performance between the two has also been shrunk significantly – a good thing for buyers of the base model. The Performance Pack, which includes those Sachs dampers, also includes Brembo brakes, which do wonders for the car’s brake pedal feel.
The GT86 proves that you don’t need to be risking life, limb and penalty points in order to enjoy a car. While you need commitment to enjoy the full reach of the engine, you're also not travelling obscenely quickly if you do so.
When you combine the innate rightness of the driving environment with fantastically direct steering, a great gearshift action and pedals ideally placed for heel-and-toe shifts, the GT86 becomes a car that shrinks around you, connecting you to the road via well-balanced control weights and a low hip-point. You also get the feeling when sitting in the GT86 that the centre of gravity is practically scraping the tarmac.
The ride can be harsh at low speeds (it's better on the Sachs units), but it stops well short of being truly punishing – several hot hatches are less forgiving. The car's low stance helps reduce any tendency to pitch and roll, and to this end the 2017-onwards models have thicker anti-roll bars than before, a stiffer bodyshell, and the transmission cross-member has also been reinforced.
The grip limit of the rear tyres arrives much sooner than you might expect, but the traction control is especially keen to intervene, so beginners need not worry. In 2017-on cars there’s a ‘Track’ mode that sets the traction and stability control system to minimum intervention, giving you plenty of freedom to play with the rear axle and enjoy the car’s sweet balance but with the ultimate reassurance of a safety net. Indeed, with (very) generous use of the throttle, the car will hold big angles before the electronics clamp down on the fun.
Many will still prefer to have all the safety systems completely off, though, such is the balance and predictability of the GT86 chassis. You’ll have to work it to get the car dancing, largely thanks to the lack of torque, but the trade-off is that you’ll likely do so within the speed limit. In the wet, you need to be a little more judicious as the GT86 can become unruly with marked shifts in momentum, especially with the VSC switched off.
The standard-fit low-rolling-resistance tyres, meanwhile, tend to deform quite markedly in hard cornering, which blunts steering response somewhat. While the low-grip tyres give the car an adjustability and sense of fun at medium and humble speeds, the consequence is that in faster corners confidence is in short supply.
The GT86 is perhaps the most democratised rear-wheel-drive performance there’s yet been in the modern era, but as for the accessibility of its driving thrills, more experienced drivers will quickly want more grip and precision in the chassis, better body control and, of course, more power.
Interior and tech
- Never the last word in plushness
- 2017 facelift featured improved materials
- Driving position excellent
The GT86 is definitely not going to win any awards for its interior, though things have improved for the 2017 facelift. Despite having immensely supportive, comfy and attractive seats and suede on the dash for that flocked-rally-car look, the inclusion of fake-carbon trim and hard plastics sets a distinctly low-rent tone.
But the focus here is on driving. The GT86 has a superb driving position (anyone over ten years old can forget sitting in the back, though) and the new steering wheel has been painstakingly designed to angle the driver’s arms inwards, which Toyota says ‘promotes a sportier feel’. And it does.
The GT86 gets it right elsewhere, too. Though it can take a bit of adjustment, the pedal/seat/wheel/gearlever relationship can be perfectly arranged for a comfortable but engaging drive, and it often feels as though your backside is sat on the rear axle.
The instrument cluster sets the right tone, too, with a clear central rev counter that puts the engine’s 7000rpm sweet spot dead centre. To its right (in the facelift) is a 4.2-inch colour TFT screen that can display journey details, coolant temperatures, power and torque curves, lap time, a stopwatch and even G-force monitor.
The fact that Toyota is still using a double-DIN fitment for its system means there's a whole aftermarket of improvements out there; we'd opt for something with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for a start.
MPG and running costs
- 33.2mpg claimed average is easily achieved
- Michelin Primacy tyres are cheap to replace
- Servicing of the flat-four can be awkward
The GT86 is rated at 33.2mpg according to new WLTP figures (196g/km CO2), and this figure should be well within reach. You'll see less on a track, but on a motorway run the low rolling-resistance tyres, low weight, slick aerodynamics (it has a drag coefficient of 0.27) and frugal engine all conspire to return figures upwards of 40mpg – more than welcome for those long trips on the way to entertaining roads or a trackday.
The car comes with Toyota’s five-year warranty, which is enough to see out any ownership period for those who are considering buying on finance. Being relatively light and not over-endowed with power, consumables such as brakes should last longer than on the average hot hatchback, too.
The Michelin Primacy tyres seem to last forever – maybe even too long, for those waiting to swap to something stickier! We’d be inclined to ditch them for more performance-focused rubber, just as we would on Subaru’s BRZ. The GT86’s diminutive 215-section means replacement rubber, whether the basic Primacy or something more serious, isn’t prohibitively expensive.
evo Car of the Year 2012 – Richard Meaden
‘Much has been made of this car’s emphasis on fun, and there’s no doubting it’s a malleable and enjoyable car on track. However, issues remain. The engine isn’t nice when extended to the red line, but more critical is the lack of torque (just 151lb ft). If it had a bit more muscle it could take Blyton’s Lancaster long left- hander in third, but instead it needs second to get out of the ‘Ump’ left-right that precedes it.
‘The energy-saving Michelin Primacy tyres allow plenty of sideways fun, but unsurprisingly they’re not as progressive as a high- performance tyre, so you don’t get the grip you need through the high-speed corners and under extreme braking. It’s entertaining for a few laps, but after a while the experience feels contrived to suit the low-grip high-fun objective.
‘That’s frustrating because you can feel the chassis and engineering behind it is genuinely brilliant – the structure is really rigid, the steering is sharp and accurate, the brakes strong, and the modest mass and low centre of gravity give it exceptional balance and agility. With another 50bhp, 50lb ft and a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports not only would it be significantly quicker than a best of 1:12.8, but I’d wager it would be no less enjoyable or accessible.’
Prices, rivals and checkpoints
The GT86 was a nice starter sports car for under £30,000 when new, even if the dearth of performance raised some eyebrows, given back then this was the price of the then-new (and excellent) Mk7 Golf GTI. No matter now, as depreciation has done its thing – early GT86s can be had from around £8000, with facelifts starting from just under £15,000, or even lower if being over 100,000 miles isn’t an issue for you.
The most desirable option for a Toyota GT86 is the Performance Pack. This included a more subtle 17-inch alloy design, Sachs performance dampers and Brembo brakes.
More important than the right options is buying the right GT86. They are by their nature a ‘starter drift car’, meaning cars are often driven hard on and over the limit. Inspect closely for accident damage and repairs. They’re also not immune to rust – the front and rear subframes are known trouble areas for this.
The engines aren’t bombproof either and are known for oil leaks at the camshaft blanking plates and on the 4U-GSE engine’s front cover – a much bigger job to sort. The engine itself doesn’t respond well to neglect and as such, your choice of car should come with plenty of paperwork as evidence of diligent maintenance, with regular oil changes a must. For track use, an oil cooler is an almost essential upgrade, to the point that a car you know has seen use on track should be considered more desirable if it has supporting modifications – these are evidence of a diligent owner and nice to have should you intend on doing the same.
Chief amongst rivals is Mazda’s MX-5 RF, powered by the range-topping 2-litre. The little roadster is a hoot to drive and in later forms, was an eCoty star, tying the McLaren Artura for second.
And the GT86 has a cousin, in the form of the Subaru BRZ. Its suspension is tuned very slightly differently to the '86’s, and its styling is arguably slightly more attractive, especially after each had their mid-life restyle. It flies under the radar a little – Subaru didn’t seem to market it as heavily as Toyota did the GT86 – but being nearly identical, it's still fantastic fun.
The most Porsche you’ll get for GT86 money at the moment is a 987 Boxster or Cayman. Cars that have been looked after well, have had issues addressed and are desirably optioned are rarer than you’d think. Then of course, there’s the prodigal son. Quite simply, if you can afford a GR86 instead, don’t hesitate. It addresses every one of the GT86’s quirks and ills near-flawlessly.
Specs
| Engine | Flat-four, 1998cc |
|---|---|
| Power | 197bhp @ 7000rpm |
| Torque | 151lb ft @ 6400rpm |
| Weight | 1240kg (161bhp/ton) |
| 0-62mph | 7.6sec |
| Top speed | 140mph |
| Price new | £27,464 |
| Value now | From £7995 |
