This GR86 remember me my old 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo, well balance and fast enough to enjoy the back road country or the road race track on the weekend... Can I say, the perfect sport car!
This looks to be great value for money. Nice to see that if the ICE is coming to the end of its journey then Toyota are going down swinging. Would definitely consider as a replacement to my little Boxster in a couple of years. Great review as usual Brian, thank you.
I would pick a Toyoburu over the MX5 and Z, I love it. Nothing wrong with the MX5 but I’m not a convertible guy and the new Z is great but I really don’t need 400hp. This 86 is quick and fun with an engaging manual. I saw a video of deleting the augmented sound so you can get that AM exhaust kit if you choose. What a cool daily car!
thanks for your review, Brian. Would appreciate very much if you could tell me if a 5'01 (155cm) short person will reach ok the pedals, putting the seat to the front. Nowhere to see and test the GR86, still not at dealers, and we are supposed to blind reserve it if we want to be one of the 100 to get it in Spain. Thank you.
The BRZ/86 was my choice to transition from front wheel drive and experience a light weight sports car. There are shortcomings and many want to turbo it. I think Toyota and Subaru got this right.
The Toyota is the better choice between the two. The Subaru's rear suspension is too soft which makes it easy to understeer. The trick with the first gen BRZ/FRS/86 is to put a K24 in them.
@@BrianMakse Nothing I wanted but they are incredibly hard to come by these days. I got a base model in black. I will be wrapping it ASAP. I am thinking something like the previous model's Hakone Green.
Brian, circling back on my comment below. I just drove a neptune blue GR86 for 150 miles on twisty roads today. It was a brand new car owner listed on Turo. I second your take, I was looking for the Porsche badge on this, it was that good and more enjoyable than the Caymans I've driven as it's more playful. This car felt like the body was made of granite, but the suspension was supple. Light weight but solidly built. What fluidity to how it moved!!!!!
@@BrianMakse amazing. Next for me to go rent is Supra I6 and Elantra N, I also have the GR Corolla on waitlist at a dealer. I'm worried now the GR86 will make every car seem "meh" from a sportcar perspective, not even bringing in the price into consideration (it's so reasonably priced!)
Thanks for the review. A note on Canadian pricing/leasing - Toyota Canada has 4yr lease rate of 6.99% vs Subaru Canada at 3.99% for the same term - that’s a very substantial payment difference if you want the GR86 vs the BRZ (FYI - for non-Canadian viewers - here in Canada your credit score doesn’t determine your rate on New Car lease/finance deals - you’re either approved or not at the pre- set rates from the OEM Financing ) Given that REAL price gap - I would go with BRZ here in Canada…..thoughts Brian ?
Would love to own one of these. My biggest problem is which do you choose among the Z, Miata, and this? All three are so desirable, but as a normal person, there is really only space and money for one of them. I know they are all different. Still, it's hard to fault any choice, I suppose.
Depend what you want and how much money you have, the gr86 is definitely more daily driveable than the miata and is a better performance car but a little bit less fun, the Z costs 10k more and weighs 750lbs more, overall the GR86 is the winner if you ask me, perfect combination of practical, cheap and fun
Small thing but I like the how on the engine cover they stamped Subie and Toyota. I am sure that was difficult to get approval within the walls of Toyota. Anyway I'd love to own this in a few years. Any chance of a comparison with the Subie?
I’d love to be a part of those meetings! This is a wickedly fun car. I don’t do comparisons, but the BRZ episode is coming soon and I’m sure we’ll cover notable differences.
I dunno as a 19 BRZ owner i just don't think i can upgrade to this car as imo the engine is characterless and just doesn't suit an NA sports car. I'll reserve total judgement though when i can finally test one here in UK. Any US owners felt the same as me?
@@BrianMakse Actually you're the first person to say that where everyone else who has reviewed the car say it's definitely worth upgrading for the new engine..
@@patrickbateman7122 sure the additional torque is nice, but the dynamics and overall enjoyment of your car is on par with this new one. If a car paints a smile on my face, then I'm good. A 2019 BRZ still does that for me today.
@@BrianMakse Thanks for the reply. Tbh i much preferred the tuning of my GT86 i had before in terms of chassis. The BRZ understeers way too much stock where as my 13 GT86 was a lot more fun. I really don't like the FA20. If a GR86 drove as well as my 13 and has a more characterful torquey engine then yes it would be a dream car..
I think the seats are different in this model or the 86. I have a '17 BRZ Limited and the head rests are integrated and not adjustable. (The ones in your video LOOK like they might adjust). My beef with my '17 seats is that they sort of force your torso into a "C" shape. I countered that with a half roll lumbar support and it all works fine. But I really noticed it when I first got the car.
I guess I was too lazy to check my Hakone episode to confirm that. I didn’t mind the seats in that car and I think these are slightly better, which they should be of course.
@@BrianMakse Of course yes. I've been waiting for my GR for 13 months now, and there's still no end in sight. and we only get 1000 pieces in Germany because of environmental policy.
You drive a lot of cars but looking at your expressions it seems like you really really liked it. Seems like the new Porsche 944 (similar to how the C8 is like the spiritual successor to the old NSX)
Still waiting for my order. The timing is awful trying to get my hands on one of these. Traded in my Veloster N just so I can get back to driving a RWD Sports car but I guess I won't be driving for about a year. Great review as always.
Lol the 2023 models sold in under 90 minutes from the moment orders were started to be taken in UK. Fortunately subie makes the brz so I got myself one of those. The delivery is scheduled for September though 😔
Nice review. Brian, do you know of any twisty, spirited driving roads in the Hamilton/Burlington Oakville area? I used to live in Southern California and there were literally hundreds of great driving roads. Moved to Southern Ontario and I can't find a single one.😢
Doug, you moved to the wrong part of the world! If you watch some of our California episodes, you might recognize some of the roads. I have to preface any conversation about local roads with this: in Ontario, we have juvenile speed limits, lousy road surfaces, and generally few decent roads. Feel free to email me at my first name at my last name dot com for some ideas, but you will be disappointed!
Fun fact: it actually has about 245 crank hp as proven by multiple dyno tests where it averages ~213whp, i think they are marketing it as 228 to protect the wrx market
Wish it had consumption like my 10th Civic, otherwise it'd be perfect...I'd even take a slight reduction in power (not the mid/low torque) to get more efficiency. Regarding weight distribution, it matters when you're after better lap time.
Go for a nice used one from the first generation. If you can find the right package, you can get Brembo brakes and upgraded dampers as OEM. Yes, down on power, but better on MPG. I routinely get 31 in mostly rural driving, maybe better on the interstate in my '17 BRZ with MT, 17" wheels and the Primacy tires. I haven't noticed any reviewers saying this new generation is better handling to any degree that you'd notice, just a big difference on torque and power. The beefs I have seen on this new gen is that the brakes aren't track ready. I think the Brembo package like I have was a fix for that, at least according to what Car and Driver said after they test drove it on a track in Japan. Happy hunting.
@@scottanthony3426 Lots of 1st Gen BRZ//86 at the TMP racetrack. Great fun chasing them with my Civic, but they tend to be a little quicker when tuned (most of them are). I got to spend some time in the new one, and love its mid range power for the streets, it's the perfect amount. From other reviewers, I've heard new one isn't much quicker vs tuned older version at the track. I'm still on the fence, unless I can find some choice performance upgrade for my Civic to justify keeping it (but no ones making stuff for NA engine Civic).
Scott, I think with pads and lines the brakes are fine in the new one. Spend money on driver training before going further than that. Parsam, weight distribution doesn’t matter. What matters is how you use it as a driver. Of course you can optimize weight distribution in a race car, but a race car doesn’t have perfect balance across even a single stint. Your job as a driver is to adapt to it.
@@BrianMakse OK. 'as the driver' how the car weights-in doesn't matter, it's what you do with it that matters. I get it, but as the car owner who has to setup the car for track use, weight does matter. Especially, when the car is originally meant for grocery or Uber rides. Some minor weight savings, but I had to do it, or be grouped with the slow cars in open sessions... E.G fix-a-flat and compact tool kit that sits on passenger floor as ballast, spare removal (i've found that car behave better with less weight in the rear and more weight in the front for late braking or skipping the rear end out before the apex), replacing battery with one that's 1/2 the size that sits in front of driver (needed benefit to compensate for my large frame). Biggest gain is my RPF1 rims that weighs 13.7lb which is about 9lb per rim lighter then stock (and makes the car feel like its got about an extra 20ft-lb or torque in the low end).
This GR86 remember me my old 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo, well balance and fast enough to enjoy the back road country or the road race track on the weekend... Can I say, the perfect sport car!
Love the review; great job. Your excitement about the essence of this car comes through.
Thanks, Cam. This was a joy to pedal.
This looks to be great value for money. Nice to see that if the ICE is coming to the end of its journey then Toyota are going down swinging. Would definitely consider as a replacement to my little Boxster in a couple of years. Great review as usual Brian, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed this. BRZ episode coming soon.
Ha! The ICE is NOT coming to an end.
I have a '21 MX-5 Club and happy with it living in SoCal. It is an awesome second car.
Now I miss my frs… funnest car I’ve ever owned.
I’m still thinking of doing a K24 swap into an old FRS.
I sold my 21 Supra for a manual 22 BRZ. It is so much more fun to drive.
I would pick a Toyoburu over the MX5 and Z, I love it. Nothing wrong with the MX5 but I’m not a convertible guy and the new Z is great but I really don’t need 400hp. This 86 is quick and fun with an engaging manual. I saw a video of deleting the augmented sound so you can get that AM exhaust kit if you choose. What a cool daily car!
Certainly over the Z, that's for sure. The MX-5 is the perfect little roadster. Love that thing. For a coupe, this thing is brilliant.
thanks for your review, Brian. Would appreciate very much if you could tell me if a 5'01 (155cm) short person will reach ok the pedals, putting the seat to the front. Nowhere to see and test the GR86, still not at dealers, and we are supposed to blind reserve it if we want to be one of the 100 to get it in Spain. Thank you.
The BRZ/86 was my choice to transition from front wheel drive and experience a light weight sports car. There are shortcomings and many want to turbo it. I think Toyota and Subaru got this right.
The Toyota is the better choice between the two. The Subaru's rear suspension is too soft which makes it easy to understeer. The trick with the first gen BRZ/FRS/86 is to put a K24 in them.
@@BrianMakse lol too late as I already have the BRZ. But I love autocrossing this car.
Finally! I have been waiting for your review. Mine landed in port a few weeks ago and hopefully I will get it sometime this month.
Hope so! Which colour did you get?
@@BrianMakse Nothing I wanted but they are incredibly hard to come by these days. I got a base model in black. I will be wrapping it ASAP. I am thinking something like the previous model's Hakone Green.
That’ll look great! I’d keep the black, but that’s my preference.
Brian, circling back on my comment below. I just drove a neptune blue GR86 for 150 miles on twisty roads today. It was a brand new car owner listed on Turo.
I second your take, I was looking for the Porsche badge on this, it was that good and more enjoyable than the Caymans I've driven as it's more playful. This car felt like the body was made of granite, but the suspension was supple. Light weight but solidly built. What fluidity to how it moved!!!!!
Good call on the Turo rental. It’s a delightful car, isn’t it?
@@BrianMakse amazing. Next for me to go rent is Supra I6 and Elantra N, I also have the GR Corolla on waitlist at a dealer. I'm worried now the GR86 will make every car seem "meh" from a sportcar perspective, not even bringing in the price into consideration (it's so reasonably priced!)
@@sunnyvalentino I think the GR Corolla will be an interesting thing, but whether it's a decent one car solution is the question.
What about a review of the new 2022 RS3?
Thanks for the review.
A note on Canadian pricing/leasing - Toyota Canada has 4yr lease rate of 6.99% vs Subaru Canada at 3.99% for the same term - that’s a very substantial payment difference if you want the GR86 vs the BRZ (FYI - for non-Canadian viewers - here in Canada your credit score doesn’t determine your rate on New Car lease/finance deals - you’re either approved or not at the pre- set rates from the OEM Financing )
Given that REAL price gap - I would go with BRZ here in Canada…..thoughts Brian ?
Don’t lease or finance a depreciating asset.
@@BrianMakse how many of us Canadians have $30K of unencumbered disposable cash ...?
Would love to own one of these. My biggest problem is which do you choose among the Z, Miata, and this? All three are so desirable, but as a normal person, there is really only space and money for one of them. I know they are all different. Still, it's hard to fault any choice, I suppose.
Coupe? This. Roadster? Miata Is Always The Answer!
Depend what you want and how much money you have, the gr86 is definitely more daily driveable than the miata and is a better performance car but a little bit less fun, the Z costs 10k more and weighs 750lbs more, overall the GR86 is the winner if you ask me, perfect combination of practical, cheap and fun
@@broshido2745 The Z costs 20k more if you get the non-stripper model that is actually a performance vehicle.
@@Chilicharger665 A lot of people only care about the engine, but yeah, the version we want is 20k more thats true
I'd say Z but I'm more of a Z fan.. that's a tough choice
Awesome sports car. Awesome review. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for the review. The more I see the GR86, the more I like it.
Yeap, Toyota with three choices in manual... I like all three
Props to Toyota for saving the manuals! This GR86 is a good thing.
Small thing but I like the how on the engine cover they stamped Subie and Toyota. I am sure that was difficult to get approval within the walls of Toyota.
Anyway I'd love to own this in a few years. Any chance of a comparison with the Subie?
I’d love to be a part of those meetings! This is a wickedly fun car. I don’t do comparisons, but the BRZ episode is coming soon and I’m sure we’ll cover notable differences.
Ferrodo 2500 would probably be great for daily pads
I dunno as a 19 BRZ owner i just don't think i can upgrade to this car as imo the engine is characterless and just doesn't suit an NA sports car. I'll reserve total judgement though when i can finally test one here in UK. Any US owners felt the same as me?
Your BRZ is already a fine machine. I don’t see any urgency to get into a ‘22.
@@BrianMakse Haha yes apart from the engine!
@@BrianMakse Actually you're the first person to say that where everyone else who has reviewed the car say it's definitely worth upgrading for the new engine..
@@patrickbateman7122 sure the additional torque is nice, but the dynamics and overall enjoyment of your car is on par with this new one. If a car paints a smile on my face, then I'm good. A 2019 BRZ still does that for me today.
@@BrianMakse Thanks for the reply. Tbh i much preferred the tuning of my GT86 i had before in terms of chassis. The BRZ understeers way too much stock where as my 13 GT86 was a lot more fun. I really don't like the FA20. If a GR86 drove as well as my 13 and has a more characterful torquey engine then yes it would be a dream car..
if you got the money for the Z, get the gr86 put 10k in the motor, tune it to around 400hp and have 10k left for what ever
I think the seats are different in this model or the 86. I have a '17 BRZ Limited and the head rests are integrated and not adjustable. (The ones in your video LOOK like they might adjust). My beef with my '17 seats is that they sort of force your torso into a "C" shape. I countered that with a half roll lumbar support and it all works fine. But I really noticed it when I first got the car.
I guess I was too lazy to check my Hakone episode to confirm that. I didn’t mind the seats in that car and I think these are slightly better, which they should be of course.
Fantastic Review. Greetings from germany 😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@BrianMakse Of course yes. I've been waiting for my GR for 13 months now, and there's still no end in sight. and we only get 1000 pieces in Germany because of environmental policy.
I wonder how many years these cars will be made for.
You drive a lot of cars but looking at your expressions it seems like you really really liked it. Seems like the new Porsche 944 (similar to how the C8 is like the spiritual successor to the old NSX)
The new 944, great comparison.
Thanks, Sunny! This one is a joy.
Still waiting for my order. The timing is awful trying to get my hands on one of these. Traded in my Veloster N just so I can get back to driving a RWD Sports car but I guess I won't be driving for about a year. Great review as always.
Lol the 2023 models sold in under 90 minutes from the moment orders were started to be taken in UK. Fortunately subie makes the brz so I got myself one of those. The delivery is scheduled for September though 😔
Thanks TAC! Hope your wait isn’t too long.
Well, potato, there’s a very subtle difference between the two, which I’ll be articulating in the upcoming BRZ episode. You’ll love it.
Nice review.
Brian, do you know of any twisty, spirited driving roads in the Hamilton/Burlington Oakville area?
I used to live in Southern California and there were literally hundreds of great driving roads.
Moved to Southern Ontario and I can't find a single one.😢
Doug, you moved to the wrong part of the world! If you watch some of our California episodes, you might recognize some of the roads. I have to preface any conversation about local roads with this: in Ontario, we have juvenile speed limits, lousy road surfaces, and generally few decent roads. Feel free to email me at my first name at my last name dot com for some ideas, but you will be disappointed!
So well done 👍
Thanks BT!
Fun fact: it actually has about 245 crank hp as proven by multiple dyno tests where it averages ~213whp, i think they are marketing it as 228 to protect the wrx market
Toyota is protecting the 2.0 Supra also
@@ak740_ That’s also true, but for some reason they are marketing it at 234hp in europe, still not the real number but a little bit closer
One of very few new cars I actually want 🤪
Worthy! BRZ episode coming soon!
I'm so personally conflicited:
GR86
vs
MX-5 RF
How will I ever choose.
I’m an expert consultant on this subject and am available.
@@BrianMakse Teach me!
Consulting link in my bio! 🤣🤣🤣
It did replace the B 86
It’s a worthy 86!
@@BrianMakse amen
Like corners garage
Wish it had consumption like my 10th Civic, otherwise it'd be perfect...I'd even take a slight reduction in power (not the mid/low torque) to get more efficiency. Regarding weight distribution, it matters when you're after better lap time.
Go for a nice used one from the first generation. If you can find the right package, you can get Brembo brakes and upgraded dampers as OEM. Yes, down on power, but better on MPG. I routinely get 31 in mostly rural driving, maybe better on the interstate in my '17 BRZ with MT, 17" wheels and the Primacy tires. I haven't noticed any reviewers saying this new generation is better handling to any degree that you'd notice, just a big difference on torque and power. The beefs I have seen on this new gen is that the brakes aren't track ready. I think the Brembo package like I have was a fix for that, at least according to what Car and Driver said after they test drove it on a track in Japan. Happy hunting.
@@scottanthony3426 Lots of 1st Gen BRZ//86 at the TMP racetrack. Great fun chasing them with my Civic, but they tend to be a little quicker when tuned (most of them are). I got to spend some time in the new one, and love its mid range power for the streets, it's the perfect amount. From other reviewers, I've heard new one isn't much quicker vs tuned older version at the track. I'm still on the fence, unless I can find some choice performance upgrade for my Civic to justify keeping it (but no ones making stuff for NA engine Civic).
Scott, I think with pads and lines the brakes are fine in the new one. Spend money on driver training before going further than that.
Parsam, weight distribution doesn’t matter. What matters is how you use it as a driver.
Of course you can optimize weight distribution in a race car, but a race car doesn’t have perfect balance across even a single stint. Your job as a driver is to adapt to it.
@@BrianMakse OK. 'as the driver' how the car weights-in doesn't matter, it's what you do with it that matters. I get it, but as the car owner who has to setup the car for track use, weight does matter. Especially, when the car is originally meant for grocery or Uber rides.
Some minor weight savings, but I had to do it, or be grouped with the slow cars in open sessions... E.G fix-a-flat and compact tool kit that sits on passenger floor as ballast, spare removal (i've found that car behave better with less weight in the rear and more weight in the front for late braking or skipping the rear end out before the apex), replacing battery with one that's 1/2 the size that sits in front of driver (needed benefit to compensate for my large frame). Biggest gain is my RPF1 rims that weighs 13.7lb which is about 9lb per rim lighter then stock (and makes the car feel like its got about an extra 20ft-lb or torque in the low end).
Cool wallet 💯
Gotta love the color if it only had a 4 door option and a supercharger I would buy it!
You need a supercharger.
4 door? Yuck!
THAT CAR CANT DO 0 TO 60 IN 5.5 SECONDS.. NO WAY 6.5 SECS
7500 rpm
9000 RPM.