Toyota GR 86 Special Edition outed
Flashy new look and rowdier exhaust for unique version of second-generation rear-drive sports coupe; could come to OzA 2023 Toyota GR 86 Special Edition has been revealed in the US, where it adds half a dozen significant upgrades to the Japanese brand’s second-generation compact coupe to increase its showroom appeal, including new wheels and a ‘throatier’ exhaust system.
Just 860 examples of the unique rear-drive coupe will be built for the US market and while the vehicle hasn’t been confirmed for right-hand drive markets such as Australia, Toyota has previously stated that special-edition GR 86s will be part of the model’s lifecycle locally.
A spokesperson for Toyota Australia said the priority was launching the new Toyota GR 86 itself, which was originally expected on sale in late 2021 but is now scheduled to land in Aussie dealerships in the third quarter of 2022. Its twin-under-the-skin, the MkII Subaru BRZ, arrived in Australia early this year.
He said limited-run models were “not something on our radar at the moment, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be in future.”
The most obvious tweaks to the Toyota GR 86 Special Edition include a retina-searing Velocity Orange paint job with twin black stripes on the rear pillars, a black rear spoiler extension and bespoke 18-inch forged alloy wheels with a matte-black finish, black centre caps and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
The twin exhaust outlets get a black chrome finish, complete with GR logo, while a GR-sourced cat-back stainless steel performance exhaust system “will leave a deep, growling auditory signature in its wake”, says Toyota.
But the new exhaust system hasn’t been tuned to liberate more power, with official outputs remaining unchanged from the standard US-spec Toyota GR 86’s FA24 2.4-litre engine (170kW/249Nm), which is offered with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.
However, Aussie versions of the new-generation Toyota GR 86 will generate slightly more power and torque at 174kW and 250Nm respectively.
The interior of the GR 86 Special Edition appears largely unchanged compared to the standard car, but being based on the top-spec model grades it features combination Ultrasuede and leather sports seat trim, and there is a ‘special edition’ badge to remind you just how special the car really is.
Similar to what occurred when the second-generation Subaru BRZ launched in Australia, the long-awaited Toyota GR86 is expected to generate huge buyer interest and could sell out very rapidly.
The Toyota Australia spokesperson said there were no details on the number of vehicles earmarked for the local market from launch.
“We do expect it to be popular, but how many we’ll get remains to be seen,” he said.
Like pretty much every new model released these days, if you want to avoid long waiting times for delivery, you’ll need to get in quick and talk to a dealer if you want to be near the front of the queue.
Related: Two-seater Toyota GR Corolla track weapon revealed
Related: Toyota GR 86 2022 Review
Related: Toyota GR 86 now slated for late-2022 arrival
Related: Extreme Toyota GR Yaris and GR 86 GT3 teased
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