Toyota 86 Hot Lava: the color, the car and the first mods worth doing

Hot Lava is the bright metallic orange of the first-generation Toyota 86, and its paint code is H8R (AutomotiveTouchup, PaintScratch). In the US it was one of seven launch colors on the 2013 Scion FR-S, priced from $24,930 with destination (Motor Authority). The same H8R code shows up under the Toyota 86 too, so a Hot Lava car is the same orange whichever badge it wears.

This is the color's history, the ZN6 numbers, and the first mods owners usually do, with real prices.

Where Hot Lava came from

Hot Lava was there from day one in the US. When Scion announced 2013 FR-S pricing on March 22, 2012, the color list was Raven, Asphalt, Hot Lava, Argento, Ultramarine, Firestorm and Whiteout (Motor Authority).

PaintScratch lists H8R Hot Lava Metallic on the Scion FR-S for the 2013 through 2016 model years. It also shows a 2017 listing, but the FR-S name ended after 2016, when the car became the Toyota 86 in North America from August 2016 (Wikipedia). AutomotiveTouchup lists H8R Hot Lava Metallic under the 2016 Toyota 86 as well.

Orange was part of the car's identity worldwide. Jalopnik, covering the orange GR86 10th Anniversary model, called it a finish "familiar to fans of the original Toyota 86, released in 2012." We couldn't confirm the Japanese or Indonesian market name for H8R, so match by code, not name, if you're buying paint.

Not every orange 86 is Hot Lava. Two later special editions used different paints:

The UK Orange Edition cost £28,800 for the manual (Top Gear). The US 860 Special Edition was $29,155 with a manual, before delivery (Toyota).

The ZN6 Toyota 86 in numbers

The first-generation 86 was built by Subaru at Ota, Gunma, from 2012 to 2021 (Wikipedia). It was sold as the Toyota 86, the GT86 in Europe, the Scion FR-S in North America until 2016, and the Subaru BRZ, which carries the ZC6 code.

The GT86 hit 62 mph in 7.6 seconds, according to Top Gear. It's not fast, and it was never meant to be.

The first mods worth doing

Most owners start with grip and stance, then fix the engine's weak spot. Here's what the common first mods cost from a big FT86 parts retailer.

Wheels and tires

Wider wheels and tires make the biggest difference you'll feel. ThreePiece's guide says 245 is the key tire width: a 17x9 +35 with a 245/40R17 cleared without rubbing on an FR-S on lowering springs. Go wider and you'll likely need to roll the fenders.

On stock suspension, APEX suggests 17x8 ET40 with a 225/45R17 or 235/40R17 as a direct fit. Cars with the Brembo brakes need at least 17-inch wheels, and some spoke designs won't clear (ThreePiece).

Suspension

Springs are the cheap route; coilovers are the adjustable one. Eibach's Pro-Kit drops the car about an inch at each end for $395 (FT Speed). BC Racing's BR coilovers add damping and ride height adjustment for $1,345, with a one-year warranty and an 8 to 10 week build time.

Plan for an alignment either way. APEX recommends extra negative camber once you go to a 245 or wider performance tire.

Header and tune

This is the fix for the FA20's famous flat spot. ModBargains describes "this terrible spot in the rev band around 4000rpm" where an early shift leaves the car bogging.

A header helps most in that dip. FT Speed claims its catted unequal-length header adds about 18 lb-ft and 12 hp in the dip, and about 14 hp at peak, with no tune. It weighs 13.0 lb against 20.8 lb for the stock part. ModBargains reports around 14 lb-ft more in the dip on regular fuel, and recommends fitting a header with a tune.

The tune is the cheap half. An OpenFlash Tablet costs $575 and claims up to 20 hp (FT Speed). ModBargains reports up to 20 whp on regular fuel, and up to 25 whp and 30 lb-ft on E85. Our guide to Stage 1 tunes explains what an off-the-shelf map does and doesn't change.

Unequal-length headers give the boxer rumble, and equal-length ones sound smoother, with very similar gains (ModBargains). Check your local emissions rules before fitting any header.

Exhaust

A cat-back mostly changes sound and weight. Tomei's titanium Expreme Ti Type-80 costs $1,290 and weighs 15.2 to 16.9 lb depending on which figure on the listing you trust (FT Speed). The listing makes no specific power claim.

What to do first with a Hot Lava 86

1. Check the paint code on the door jamb sticker. H8R confirms factory Hot Lava, which matters for touch-ups and resale.
2. Fit good tires on 17x8 or 17x9 wheels before anything else.
3. Add lowering springs or coilovers, then get a proper alignment with extra front camber.
4. Do the header and tune together if you want to fix the 4,000 rpm dip.
5. Leave the cat-back for last. It's the most expensive mod here for the least performance.

Sources

• Motor Authority: 2013 Scion FR-S priced from $24,930
• PaintScratch: Scion Hot Lava Metallic H8R
• AutomotiveTouchup: 2016 Toyota 86 paint colors
• Wikipedia: Toyota 86
• Jalopnik: Toyota GR86 10th Anniversary Limited gets the orange finish of the original
• Top Gear: It's the Toyota GT86 Orange Edition
• Toyota UK: GT86 archive timeline (PDF)
• Toyota Pressroom: 2017 Toyota 86 860 Special Edition
• ThreePiece: BRZ / FR-S wheel fitment guide, square vs staggered
• ThreePiece: Everything you need to know about BRZ/FR-S/GT86 wheel fitment
• APEX Wheels: Scion ZN6 FR-S wheel and tire fitment guide
• FT Speed: Enkei RPF1 17x9 +35 5x100
• FT Speed: Eibach Pro-Kit springs
• FT Speed: BC Racing BR coilovers
• FT Speed: FT-86 SpeedFactory catted unequal length header
• FT Speed: OpenFlash Tablet OFT 3.0
• FT Speed: Tomei Expreme Ti Type-80 cat-back
• ModBargains: How to fix the torque dip on the FR-S / BRZ

Featured image: Scion FR-S Hot Lava by zombieite, CC BY 2.0. Source