The Toyota 86 is dead, long live the GR86! Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) sizzles one rainy afternoon as it previewed the GR86 in front of media attendees of the Gazoo Racing Festival at the Clark International Speedway.
The GR86 will complete the Toyobaru twins, with the Subaru BRZ half of the marriage already launched during the 2022 Manila International Auto Show.
As part of the Gazoo Racing lineup, TMP showcases the GR86 in white pearl exterior paint. However, details of the Philippine-spec model are scarce at the moment, though you don’t need to reach the dark web to find what to expect with the upcoming model.
As with models in other countries, we can assume that the Philippine-spec Toyota GR86 will have slightly different engine output figures than its BRZ twin. It will be powered by the same 2.4 FA24D boxer-four gasoline engine under the hood.
The most powerful specification of the GR86 is the one in Japan wherein it produces up to 232hp and 250Nm of torque. In comparison, the Subaru BRZ launched this year makes up to 228hp and 249Nm of pull.
And while the GR86 is available with an automatic transmission in other markets, the one that we saw in the metal was equipped with a good ol’ manual gearbox. This hints that TMP will keep the same choices as with the outgoing model, which was available in both manual and automatic trannies.
Inside, the GR86 we saw came with fabric-covered bucket-type seats, a hand-operated parking brake, and a push-to-start button. This isn’t a confirmation that the launch models will have the same configuration, but we can be fairly sure that the new model will arrive with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
More details about the 2023 Toyota GR86 will be available as soon as TMP launches the vehicle officially. The company is mum on the exact date but we are expecting a debut by August.
Meanwhile, the Subaru BRZ already got a price increase even prior to the preview of the GR86 in Clark. The automatic variant of the Subie now sells for P2,916,000, while the manual version has a sticker price of P2,519,000.