NEWS: Awesome Toyota GT86 TRD Unveiled

The much-anticipated Toyota GT86 from their official tuning arm, TRD (Toyota Racing Developments), is here – and looks stunning. See more images of the fine looking beast on our Facebook page.
It's the first official UK model grade to feature genuine TRD parts – including beautiful forged 18-inch alloys, front and side skirts, rear spoiler, fast-response quad exhaust and TRD-branded details. It will be available only in Pearl White and GT86 Black. Only 250 will be available in the UK when it goes on sale from 1 March, priced at £31,495 for GT 86 TRD manual, £32,995 for the automatic (OTR), so be quick if you want one!
Toyota say: "Since its launch last year, the Toyota GT86 has revitalised Toyota’s reputation for building cars that are all about the pure pleasure of driving. Now the hugely acclaimed sports coupe – shortlisted for both European and World Car of the Year awards – gains even more appeal with the introduction of the new GT86 TRD... one of the world’s most accomplished and successful after market engineering businesses.
"The focus is on sports styling, but not at the cost of GT86’s essential performance and handling character. The package includes 18-inch cast TF6 alloys, deep front and side skirts, a rear bumper spoiler and a fast-response quad-exhaust system with a rear diffuser to increase stability. The TRD touch also extended to a branded radiator cap and fuel filler cover, while inside the car there is a new TRD gear shift lever. These items are all in addition to GT86’s established equipment specification, which includes HID headlamps, front fog lamps, limited slip differential, Smart Entry and Start, dual-zone climate control, analogue dials and meters, drilled aluminium pedals, sports seats, scuff plates, cruise control and the Toyota Touch multimedia system."
Performance figures remain as standard at 7.7 seconds for 0-62mph and 140mph for the manual and 8.4 seconds and 130mph for the automatic. But there are slight changes in fuel consumption and emissions: 192g/km and 34.9mpg for the manual and 181g/km and 36.2mpg for the automatic (all figures official combined cycle).

Still no turbo unlike the GT4 race car also unveiled this week... but we're pretty sure that'll follow soon!  Meanwhile, what a stunning GT86 TRD have created eh? Usual class act. GT86 just keeps on getting bigger and better for Toyota. Bravo. 

We're also looking forward to seeing what STi can do with Subaru's BRZ... are you?

VIDEO: Toyota GT 86 Fails Moose Test! Hilarious!

You've got to hand it to Toyota... not only do they make an utterly brilliant car in the GT86, but their marketing, PR & advertising campaigns have been inspirational and spot on. This may not be 'official' but it is an utterly magical, hilarious viral video – showing a drifting GT86 as it 'fails the moose test.' Quality work for Toyota! And look out for our cover story on our road test with the awesome GT86 out in www.roadmagazine.co.uk next week...

NEWS: Toyota GT86 Podium @ Britcar 24-Hour

Our Road Magazine race ace, Travis drummer, Neil Primrose took the brand new Toyota GT86 to a podium finish in this weekend's Britcar 24Hr at Sikverstone. Go Neil! Team Toyota GB scored a dream result at the 2012 Britcar 24 endurance race, celebrating a podium finish with the GT86 sports car in what is considered Britain’s toughest motorsport event. The near standard GT86 impressed all those who drove it. After starting on the 13th row of the grid, the car claimed eighth place overall and finished third in its class. Brilliant stuff! The GT86 ran faultlessly throughout its 512 laps, completing an impressive 1,874 miles around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
The four-man driving team was led by veteran racer Chris Hodgetts, Toyota’s double BTCC champion of the 1980s. Hodgetts was joined by his son, Stefan, some aging car hack called Richard Meaden and Travis drummer and Road Magazine staff writer, Neil Primrose.
"It is an absolutely fantastic result,” said Gary Blackham, whose GPRM team prepared the car. "We harboured ambitions of finishing in the top 10 and we are more than delighted with eighth overall. Given the difference in horsepower between our car and the more modified racing cars in the division, third in class is a great result also. The GT86 ran faultlessly throughout. I think the only work we had to do was to add about half a litre of oil during the whole race. All the pit stops went smoothly, the technicians – a mixture of seasoned GPRM regulars and staff from Toyota GB’s head office – worked very well together and the drivers were fantastic; they did everything they needed to and everything that was asked of them."
The drivers took three-hour turns at the wheel and each put in two stints. Stefan Hodgetts started the race and set the Toyota’s fastest lap towards the end of his first stint, and his 61-year-old father enjoyed the honour of taking the chequered flag. Said Chris: "We drove the wheels off it for 24 hours. We literally ragged the poor little car throughout, and as you would expect from a Toyota it responded with fantastic reliability." The Britcar Toyota GT86 was powered by the standard 16-valve double overhead cam horizontally opposed ‘boxer’ engine of the road-going model, delivering 197bhp. GPRM now plans to develop a more powerful version for customers looking to buy track Toyotas of their own.

Read a full report from Neil here soon...