Toyota GT86 bids farewell to the UK – final unit sold

After almost nine years, the last Toyota GT86 has been sold in the United Kingdom, bringing an end to the sports car run in the country, which has seen sales of almost 7,500 units. To commemorate the occasion, the company has prepared a short film capturing some of the GT86’s best moments from the past decade.

The idea for the GT86 (also known as the 86 in other markets) was first mooted in 2005, when Toyota and Subaru entered into a partnership and wanted something to symbolise the strength of the alliance. An entry-level sports car was agreed upon and a concept called the FT-86 was presented before the production 2+2 coupe made its debut at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.

Powered by a 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated flat-four (boxer) engine that featured Toyota’s D-4S port and direct injection fuel system, the rear-wheel drive GT86 was offered with a manual and automatic transmission, making it rather appealing to enthusiasts. A large aftermarket selection of parts also made it a popular platform for modifications.

In the UK, the GT86 was converted into a race car for the GT4 class of the British GT Championship, and Chris Harris even piloted the rally-spec CS-R3 GT86 in the British Rally Championship. The association with motorsport also saw a fleet of GT86 cars wrapped in heritage liveries celebrating some of Toyota’s legendary race cars of the past at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This was followed by a similar tribute to Toyota’s famous Le Mans cars to mark the 86th running of the 24-hour endurance race in 2018. On a separate note, Toyota UK also gave the GT86 the trademark “panda look” of the iconic Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno from the Initial D manga, just for fun.

The GT86 also became Top Gear’s Reasonably Fast Car and was named “Car of the Year” in the Top Gear Magazine Awards 2012, receiving high praise from Jeremy Clarkson. Special mention also goes to drifting champion Fredric Aasbo, who used his 1,150 hp modified GT86 to lay out rubber in the shape of a giant 86 logo, which could be spotted by an orbiting satellite.

Toyota UK’s ending message is a cryptic one, as the company says “this is not the end of the story: watch this space for the next chapter.” That certainly sounds like a successor to the GT86, which is rumoured to be called the GR 86, will be coming to UK.

Of course, this isn’t much of a surprise, as Toyota and Subaru have already agreed to a follow-up to the original Toyobaru twins. The latter company has already revealed the new BRZ, and seeing how a patent image of the GR 86’s bumper has surfaced recently, it’s just a matter of when.

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