View Photos of the 2020 Toyota 86 GT
Toyota's lightweight, rear-drive sports coupe gains more grip and still nails the driving fundamentals eight years in.
The 2020 Toyota 86 enters its eighth model year with GT models gaining Michelin Sport 4 summer tires and an available TRD handling package that adds larger brakes and firmer damping. Whether on the road or at the track, its pure and simple, fun-to-drive fundamentals continue to impress. Read the full story here.
The 86 was formerly known as the Scion FR-S and is one of the only vehicles to survive when the Scion brand was terminated.
Uplevel GT models like our test car add 18-inch wheels and Michelin Sport 4 summer tires, along with a number of additional convenience items, such as dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and passive entry.
Our test car also had the new-for-2020 TRD handling package ($1270), which includes revised damper tuning and larger Brembo rotors with fixed calipers front and rear. Thankfully, it's also available on the base 86 model. There it costs $2320 because it includes the 18-inch wheels and summer Michelins.
Toyota offers a number of other individual TRD bits on the 86. Our car had the $1100 exhaust and the $550 slightly larger anti-roll bars front and rear. There are also lowering springs ($639) and an air filter ($75).
The 86 has fun names for its paint colors: Ablaze (red), Neptune (light blue), Oceanic (dark blue), Raven (black), Pavement (grey), Steel (silver), and as seen on our example, Halo (white). These color names date back to the 86's previous life as the Scion FR-S, and no doubt their aim was trying to fit into the brand's desire to be hip and youthful.
The center armrest is optional, a proof point of the 86's simplicity.
Dynamically, the 86 continues to be wonderfully pure, cornering with a textbook-perfect neutrality. The new Michelins up its grip on the skidpad to 0.96 g.
Achieving the 86's 6.2-second zero-to-60-mph time requires a 6500-rpm clutch dump and spinning the rear tires all the way through first gear, past the 2.0-liter flat-four's notorious torque hole between about 3500 rpm and 4500 rpm.
The 86's interior is simple, but the fundamentals are right. The seatbacks are firm and well-shaped, the view over the low hood is great, and there's a lot more front-seat space than in a Mazda Miata.
The 86's infotainment system is a little low rent, but at least it includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
2020 Toyota 86 GT
View Photos of the 2024 Kia EV9 Land AWD
View Photos of the 1987 Sterling 825SL
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Interior Photos
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Exterior Photos
