Small, rear-wheel drive (RWD) coupes are exceedingly rare in today’s automotive world, but surprisingly, Toyota is still committed to the format. The GR86 is a sports coupe with a manual transmission, engaging handling, and most importantly, rear-wheel drive. While it faced criticism for lacking sufficient power in its early model years, Toyota made improvements to the car in 2022, giving it the powertrain upgrade it long deserved.
2026 Toyota GR86 Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Toyota GR86
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Toyota GR86
The 2026 GR86 gained one significant update in the form of the new Yuzu Edition trim. It has Yuzu Yellow paint, black wheels, and a performance package with improvements to handling and braking. It also features a unique interior with yellow stitching. Finally, Toyota discontinued the Hakone Edition trim, which was reintroduced for 2025.
Design
The Toyota GR86 shares nearly every part of its underlying engineering with the Subaru BRZ, but the two cars differ slightly on styling. Toyota gave the GR86 larger front air vents and a more aggressive grille. The Yuzu Edition car’s exterior color and wheel design are exclusive to the trim, though the upgraded red brake calipers are available in the Performance Package for other configurations.
Powertrain
Toyota equips a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but a six-speed automatic is available, and both gearboxes send power to the rear wheels. Sport-tuned suspension is standard, along with 11.6-inch front brake rotors and 11.4-inch rear rotors. The base car comes with Michelin Primacy HP tires, but the Premium and Yuzu Edition get much stickier Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
Interior
The 2026 GR86 is classed as a four-seater, but the back seats are tiny and difficult to access, even for children. Cloth upholstery comes standard, but cloth and synthetic leather upholstery is available. The Yuzu Edition adds yellow stitching and Ultrasuede accents on the steering wheel and shift knob.
Technology
An eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard. Bluetooth, SiriusXM radio, a digital gauge cluster, and six speakers are also standard. The Premium and Yuzu Edition trims get an eight-speaker stereo. Toyota’s latest infotainment system is light years ahead of earlier versions and is much more intuitive, making it less frustrating and distracting while driving.
Safety
The 2026 Toyota GR86 hasn’t been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Cars with automatic transmissions come standard with automatic emergency braking, pre-collision throttle management, forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lead vehicle start alert, rear sonar, and more. Cars with manual gearboxes do not have pre-collision throttle management.
Pricing and Release Date
As of the time of this writing, Toyota hasn’t released pricing for the 2026 GR86. The 2025 model started at $31,135, which included a $1,135 destination fee. The top Hakone Edition was priced at $36,405. Expect a slight increase for the 2026 model year.
