I am of the firm belief that if everyone drove a Toyota GR86 Hakone Edition, the world would be a better place. It’s damn near impossible to drive this car without it pasting a smile across your face, and even after you’re done driving it just looks so damn good you’re compelled to keep peeking over your shoulder as you walk away to get another glance. OK, so it doesn’t have to be the Hakone Edition, but the exclusive Ridge Green with matte bronze wheels is worth the price premium. I got an opportunity to test it on track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a few dozen laps, and it was a wonderful experience.
Full disclosure: Toyota flew me to Charlotte, North Carolina for a day with the updated GR Corolla, and a tour of the company’s racing facilities in the region. They supplied me with a nice hotel room and a couple of nice meals. There happened to be one GR86 Hakone Edition there, and I got a bunch of time in that car, too.
Everything that comes standard in the Hakone, bar the color combo, can be had in a GR86 Premium with the optional performance package. That package adds larger Brembo brake calipers and a special Tuned By Sachs damper setup. I did not get an opportunity to test a car without the performance package, but judging by the car’s on-track mannerisms, it seems like a worthy upgrade. Hell, that package is worth it just for the aesthetic upgrade of red Brembo calipers alone.
On the same day at the same track I was going back-to-back between the GR Corolla and the GR86. My biggest takeaway was that, while the Corolla was more powerful and probably a bit more useful in the real world, the 86 was a more enjoyable experience on the street and the track. In basically every scenario, I’d rather have the low-slung sports coupe than the upright hot hatch, even with a 72 horsepower deficit. In the 2024 new car market, the GR86 is a breath of fresh air. It’s reasonably affordable, accessible, and fun to drive, and, unlike its Mazda Miata competitor, I actually fit inside at 6-foot-2. Throwing a helmet on eliminates all headroom, but I could still manage the shoulder scrunch slouch for a 20-minute track session if I needed to.
Hopping aboard for an abbreviated lap of the Charlotte Motor Speedway course, I was treated to a delightfully rev-happy engine and a firm clutch. It’s been said many times before, but as someone who has owned more than their fair share of Porsche 944s, this car is exactly what a modern one would feel like. The 86 is engaging and playful in a confidence-inspiring way, while the GR Corolla’s propensity to step out the back end while trail braking felt a little uneven and not easily repeatable lap to lap.
As a reminder, or in case you didn’t read my GR Corolla track review, Toyota closed off the front straight of the oval and forced everyone to return to start finish by slowly traversing the pit lane after two-thirds of a lap. The track felt like a really big autocross with some fast sweepers and short straights, but the real fun was out on the banked oval and fast back straight. The course was set up to show off the GR Corolla’s strengths in slow-speed tossability and off-corner acceleration, which in turn makes it less GR86-friendly. The horsepower deficit between the two was very noticeable coming out onto the banking, as the 86 didn’t shoot up the banking like the GRolla did.
Boy, the GR Corolla drivetrain in a GR86 would be an incredible combination. Someone should build that.
If you can live without heated-and-leather-accented suede seats and premium audio, and the color isn’t a dealbreaker, buy the base model GR86 with the $2,020 optional performance package to get exactly the same driving experience for a few grand less. The GR86 Hakone Edition will run you $36,405 including destination. Opt for a black wheels and one of the included paint colors (my favorite is Trueno Blue) and you can grab a base model with the Brembos and Sachs dampers for $33,065. Hell, I may just have to do that myself.
