The Toyota 86 coupe is now 10 years old – and its maker is celebrating with a new special edition for the US. It’s yet to be confirmed for Australia.
The 2023 Toyota GR86 Special Edition has been revealed for the US – though an Australian launch is yet to be locked in.
While not stated explicitly in Toyota USA’s press release, the GR86 Special Edition is thought to serve as the celebration of 10 years since the original 86 launched – with rumours suggesting a version of it will wear ’10th Anniversary’ badging in Japan.
Based on the top-spec GR86 ‘Premium’ grade, the US-market Special Edition adds a unique Solar Shift orange paint colour – a brighter take on the original 86’s Velocity Orange launch colour – plus a black C-pillar stripe and black ‘duckbill’ boot spoiler.
There’s also a new cat-back sports exhaust system with stainless steel pipes and black chrome tips, plus unique 18-inch matte black forged wheels with black centre caps and lug nuts.
A ‘Special Edition’ badge denotes what you’ve bought inside the cabin, which is trimmed in a mix of leather and Ultrasuede, like its donor.
No changes have been made under the bonnet, where a 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated flat-four continues to send 170kW and 249Nm – in US models, or 174kW/250Nm in Australia – to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
The 2023 Toyota GR86 Special Edition is due in US showrooms for Model Year 2023, suggesting a launch within the next nine months. Fittingly, only 860 examples will be built – equivalent to about three weeks’ worth of sales in the ‘States.
Drive has contacted Toyota Australia to confirm whether the special edition is bound for Australian showrooms, and will update this story with its response.
A version of the special edition – possibly without America’s exhaust and wheel package – is rumoured to launch in Japan in the coming months, which if built in right-hand drive, could open the door for a local launch.
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