Toyota’s performance arm TRD (stop sniggering, it stands for Toyota Racing Development) has breathed on the GT86 coupe.
The GT86 TRD, of which just 250 examples are UK-bound, gets a subtle bodykit, bigger wheels, a tuned exhaust and a couple of badging trinkets, but crucially, no extra power from the 2.0-litre boxer engine. A mistake, given that the price is up by £6500? Read on for the full spec and leave your comments below.
Point out the extra £6500 of kit on the Toyota GT86 TRD…
First up, the GT86 TRD rides on 18-inch cast alloys, up from 17s on the standard car. There’s deeper side skirts, a slightly more flared front bumper, and a new rear diffuser, incorporating quad tailpipes.
But we’ve got bad news if you were expecting hot hatch-killing performance: the GT86’s vital stats remain unchanged. You still get 197bhp, and you’re still better off in the manual than the automatic: 7.7sec to 62mph and 140mph for the stick-shift plays 8.4sec and 130mph for the self-shifter.
Where the numbers have changed is in the economy stakes: the manual TRD records 34.9mpg/192g/km (a regular GT86 gets 36.2mpg/186g/km) and the auto TRD manages 36.2mpg/181g/km (39.8mpg/164g/km before). So, how much do you want those bigger wheels?
You also get a TRD-branded gearshift lever, fuel filler cap and radiator cap, while white or black are your only exterior colour choices.
When is the Toyota GT86 TRD on sale?
If you fancy one of the 250 GT86 TRDs coming to the UK, you can get your orders in from 1 March 2013. You’ll fork out £31,495 for the manual car, or (if you’re really clutch pedal-aphobic) £32,995 for the less satisfying auto.
>> To read CAR’s full review of the Toyota GT86, click here. Find Greg Fountain’s blog on the charms of the GT86 here, and check out Ben Barry’s thoughts on drifting the rear-drive GT86 by clicking here.