The facelifted 2017 Toyota GT86 will go on sale in the UK next month, priced from £25,495.
High on the refreshed model's list of improvements is a revised intake and exhaust system, which Toyota says delivers a more linear torque delivery on manual versions of the GT86, while tweaks to the shock absorbers are said to boost stability. Both ride and rigidity have been improved with the addition of more spot welds on the rear pillars. Upgraded shock absorbers will also now feature in the options list.
The car's 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer engine still produces 197bhp and 151lb ft, so the 0-62mph sprint time remains the same at 7.6sec and the car's top speed is 140mph.
Toyota says the aerodynamics of the GT86 have been improved thanks to revisions across the car's exterior, while inside a 362mm-diameter steering wheel - the smallest the brand has ever used - and a 4.2in infotainment screen, which is now standard on GT and GT Limited models, top the improvements. The new screen can show performance-orientated statistics such as live G-force loadings and power and torque patterns, in addition to more practical information such as fuel economy.
In a bid to make the GT86 feel more premium, Toyota has added new leather and Alcantara upholstery to the cabin, with soft-touch suede-effect material on the door trims. Added to the options list is new cloth upholstery with contrasting silver stitching.
Aesthetic changes to the exterior include a restyled front bumper with new three-slat inlets and LED headlights. The car also sits on new 10-spoke alloy wheels.
The car's new starting price increases over that of the outgoing model by a substantial £2795.
The Toyota GT86 is an Autocar favourite, read why we love this small coupé
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Extreme Ways
The little problems seemed exacerbated by one big one- the price. For this sort of money it has to do better than the naff cockpit it offers, including the surely ironic inclusion of that clock, a staggeringly user unfriendly satnav that you need a cocktail stick and a Masters in Electronics to operate, a bizarrely designed dial speedo when there is a digital one embedded in the rev counter right next to it, and utterly lame soundproofing. Maybe a driver focused track car was the aim, and on that front alone they succeeded, but then the bean counters told them to give it wider appeal with a £6.30 per car budget and it muddied exactly where this car is positioned and who it is aimed at. It has never a looker but this facelift has made it worse. Too much of the car has an aftermarket whiff about it and those new three slat inlets only add to the Fast & Furious image it is struggling with.
I wanted to love it. My wife knew before we went to the showroom I was prepared to make some compromises. But what I learned is unless I got my game face on every time I went near it then drove around like I had a Catherine wheel in my pants I had to walk away. A modern interpretation of the Celica, offering eighty percent of the fun of this but with a hell of a lot more percent of 'I can live with and use this every day' could be the sweet spot.
Millenials just be quiet...
Drivers need this car...