The 2025 Toyota GR86 is genuinely fun to drive in just about any situation—we’ve even blasted one around a snow-covered road and enjoyed every bit of the ride.
It’s a 9 here thanks to its brilliant handling, snappy steering, overall poise, and just-enough power. It’s not ultra-fast, but at around 6.1 seconds to 60 mph at the hands of a trained driver, it’s quick.
Is the Toyota GR86 4WD?
Oh definitely not. The GR86 is unabashedly rear-wheel drive. It relishes letting its tail go loose—something encouraged by its somewhat narrow rear tires.
How fast is the Toyota GR86?
The GR86 uses a Subaru-designed 2.4-liter flat-4 that musters 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, which doesn’t sound like a lot—and it’s not. But the GR86 also only weighs around 2,800 pounds, so that engine isn’t tasked with moving all that much vehicle.
It builds power fairly quickly and then revs rapidly toward redline. Torque peaks at a reasonably low 3,700 rpm, which is good for a non-turbo vehicle. While not a harsh engine, the flat-4 can sound wheezy and grumbly; it lacks the snarl of an inline-6, for instance.
The 6-speed manual gearbox that comes standard is a joy to operate. The lever’s weight is just perfect, and the clutch is a perfect dance partner. If you opt for the 6-speed automatic transmission, you’ll find firm, quick shifts and paddles for some extra fun, but the manual is definitely the way to go here.
More impressive is the GR86’s handling. It’s just so balanced, even though there’s little in the way of fancy tech going on here. You’ll find struts up front and a multi-link setup at the back, plus somewhat narrow tires. The rear end happily slips out, but in a predictable, manageable way. There’s not a better car for carving canyons at legal speeds than the GR86.
The standard brakes are great, and we imagine the optional Brembos will be even better. Note that we’ve yet to drive a GR86 with the available Sachs dampers, though.
