This is how much you will pay for the new Toyota GR86 in South Africa

Toyota South Africa has quietly updated its website to list official pricing and specifications of the all-new GR86 coupé launching to local motoring media in Gqeberha this week. 

Built to replace the GT86 that made its debut in 2012, this sports car is basically (as was the case before) a rebadged version of the second-generation Subaru BRZ unveiled in late 2020. Although mechanically identical to its Subaru twin, the GR86 (that stands for Gazoo Racing, in case you you didn't know – essentially Toyota's sports car division) differentiates itself visually through the fitment of a unique front apron with a simpler matrix radiator grille. Apart from that there's not all that much separating these two Japanese sportsters.

While an aluminium roof and body panels help keep weight down, power is provided by a new naturally-aspirated 2.4-litre boxer motor producing 174kW and 250Nm. The latter is available from just 3,700rpm, which is a pretty big deal considering that in the outgoing GT86 peak torque – a mere 205Nm – only arrived at an astronomical 6,400rpm. Expect this to do wonders for this sports car's everyday drivability and acceleration. As before power can be fed to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. Choose the former and you can expect to zip from 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 226km/h. When equipped with the latter the GR86 will go from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds and achieve a VO2 Max of 216km/h. Quick enough for most, we think. 

Evolutionary bloat is inevitable in this modern age and as such the GR86 is slightly longer than its predecessor. On the upside, however, Toyota has dropped the new car's roofline by 10mm to help achieve an even lower centre of gravity. The engineers also increased the torsional stiffness of its chassis by 50% – expect this thing to handle like a dream. As on the BRZ, the GR86 comes equipped with a mechanical limited-slip differential. For track driving, the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system now offers no less than five different settings and has been recalibrated to allow more input from the driver before it starts to rein in things. VSC can also be turned off completely to help maximise your drifting thrills. Black 10-spoke 18-inch light alloy wheels shod with 215/40 tyres are fitted as standard.

Inside the cabin you can look forward to a seven-inch digital instrument cluster with the tachometer front and centre featuring an integrated digital speedometer readout. To the left of the tachometer is a programmable meter that can be programmed to display battery amperage, water temperature or even a G-meter. Stick the GR86 into track mode and the tachometer automatically shifts to a linear graph with a colour display that allows for a quick and easy reference so the driver can focus on the road – or racetrack – ahead.

Other niceties include an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible), a reverse camera, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, sculpted leather/suede heated front sports seats and a leather multifunction steering wheel that adjusts for both reach and rake. Toyota Connect is also included as part of the standard GR86 package as are two USB ports and a slew of active driver aids including blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and hill-start assist. The automatic derivative adds to this with adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors, lane-departure alert, Toyota's pre-collision system as well as automatic high beams.

In terms of pricing the new Toyota GR86 will set you back R698,100 for the manual and R733,700 for the automatic. This includes a three-year/100,000km warranty as well as a four-year service/60,000km maintenance plan.