What Makes the Toyota GR86 the Modern AE86

A Toyota badge, a Subaru factory, and a boxer engine: how the GR86 revives the affordable rear-drive formula and where it came from.

The Toyota GR86 exists to answer a simple question: what would the classic AE86 be if you built it today? The answer is a lightweight rear-wheel-drive coupe jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru, built at Subaru’s plant in Ota, Gunma, and twinned with the Subaru BRZ.^[1] It revives the affordable, enthusiast-focused spirit of the old car with a front-engine, rear-drive layout and a flat-four boxer engine.^[1]

An unlikely partnership

The collaboration began after Toyota took a stake in Subaru’s parent company in 2008.^[1] Under chief engineer Tetsuya Tada, the project had to overcome Subaru’s initial reluctance toward a rear-drive car; concepts were shown from 2009 and production began in January 2012.^[1] In North America the car wore three badges over its life — first Scion FR-S, then 86, then GR86.^[1]

The second-generation car

The first generation (2012–2021) used a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated boxer making 200–207 PS.^[1] The current car, launched in 2021, moved to a 2.4-liter FA24 flat-four producing 228–232 hp and 184 lb-ft, dropping the 0–60 mph time to about 5.4 seconds.^[1] Top speed is electronically limited to 140 mph, and buyers choose between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.^[1]

The character

The GR86 is not about numbers, though the numbers are now respectable. The boxer engine sits low, the body is a compact 2-door fastback, and the rear axle does the driving.^[1] It is a car engineered around balance and accessibility rather than headline power — the kind of machine that rewards commitment on a back road more than bravery on a straight. In Toyota’s lineup it is the entry point to the GR performance family, and arguably the purest expression of it.

The full specification lives on the Toyota GR86 database page. When you are ready to move from reading to driving, browse GR86 listings in live inventory.