The next-generation Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ is coming sometime next year, but until it arrives, the Japanese automaker brings a new TRD Performance Package to the 2020 Toyota 86 for driving enthusiasts. Unlike the 86 Hakone Edition that is essentially an appearance package, the new performance pack will deliver improved handling and braking performance similar to the Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition we tested last month.
The 2020 Toyota 86 TRD Performance Package upgrades include 18-inch alloy wheels, upgraded Sachs dampers, Brembo four-piston calipers and rotors on the front and dual-piston calipers and rotors on the rear, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 high-performance tires, all which contribute to improved handling. The package is basically the same as the optional Subaru BRZ Performance Package.
2020 Toyota 86 TRD Perfromance Package
The TRD Performance Package will only be available with the 6-speed manual gearbox. The 2020 Toyota 86 continues with the same 205 horsepower 2.0-liter Boxer engine with no additional upgrades. You will have to wait for the next-generation BRZ/86 for more power.
Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition
We drove the Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition and the sports car is an affordable, superior handling rear-drive coupe. It ramps up the fun-to-drive meter with its retuned suspension and stiffer springs. The SACHS performance shocks showed up in its superior covering ability in the corners. We took it up into the mountains west of Denver in the twisty roads near Evergreen. The special edition 86 kept its balance with minimal body roll as we tossed it around the tight curves.
In base trim, the 2020 Toyota 86 TRD Performance Package cost is $2,320, bringing the total MSRP to $30,300 including destination and delivery. Stepping up to the GT will cost you an extra $1,270 bringing the total cost to $32,340. For the 2020 model change, the Toyota 86 also features a new 7-inch touchscreen and two features missing on the 2019 model, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard.
We like the Toyota 86 TRD Performance Package because it offers more grip and control over the standard 86 with an even more well-balanced character. After driving the 86 TRD, we came away feeling it needs more power to be a more exciting sports car.
Subaru and Toyota engineers are working now on the next-generation BRZ/86 sports coupe which should see more power upgrades. For now, the 2020 Toyota 86 model change with the performance pack is a good choice for driving enthusiasts.
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Photo credit: Toyota USA
Comments
Have you driven the Toyota 86
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Have you driven the Toyota 86? Give us your impressions on its power.
As we all know at this point,
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In reply to Have you driven the Toyota 86 by Denis Flierl
As we all know at this point, the problem isn't so much that it only has 205hp, rather it's that dip in the power band between 3k-5k rpm. If it were tuned a little differently to flatten that out, 205hp could be perfectly adequate for the car. It is generally fun to drive, but that power dip really subtracts from the overall experience. I feel like It's precisely in the range it would benefit most from a more linear power delivery. Nobody wants a sports car that does absolutely nothing when you put the petal all the way to the floor. I don't necessarily need more horsepower, just for that power to be delivered more efficiently.
I mean, maybe for whatever
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I mean, maybe for whatever reason it was impossible to flatten out that power band without adding significantly more horsepower than their budget allowed. It's baffling to me that they put the car in production with such a significant power delivery flaw, and even refreshed it with 5 added horsepower, yet still didn't totally remedy this to any satisfactory degree.