Toyota 86 vs GR86: what changed from ZN6 to ZN8

The big change is the engine. The GR86 (ZN8) gets a 2.4-liter flat-four with 228 hp and 184 lb-ft. The last 86 (ZN6) had a 2.0-liter with 205 hp and 156 lb-ft. Peak torque arrives at 3,700 rpm instead of 6,600, by Toyota's numbers (Toyota).

The rest is a careful update. The body is stiffer, the car is a little heavier, and it's clearly quicker. The shape, layout and price class barely moved.

What changed from ZN6 to ZN8

Toyota kept the formula: front engine, rear drive, a manual or automatic, two small rear seats. Subaru still builds the engine, and the Subaru BRZ is still the twin.

Spec card comparing the Toyota 86 and GR86 on engine, power, torque, weight, test times and price — The GR86 wins on power, torque and pace; the 86 is lighter and cheaper

Spec	Toyota 86 (2017–2020)	GR86 (2022 on)
Engine	FA20, 1,998 cc flat-four	FA24, 2,387 cc flat-four
Bore x stroke	86 x 86 mm	94 x 86 mm
Power, manual	205 hp at 7,000 rpm	228 hp at 7,000 rpm
Torque	156 lb-ft at 6,400 rpm	184 lb-ft at 3,700 rpm
Curb weight, Car and Driver test	2,754 lb	2,838 lb
Torsional rigidity	Baseline	About 50% stiffer (Toyota)
0-60 mph, Car and Driver test	6.2 s	5.4 s
Quarter mile, Car and Driver test	14.8 s at 95 mph	13.9 s at 101 mph
Skidpad, Car and Driver test	0.89 g	0.98 g
Base price new	$27,120 (2017)	$27,700 (2022), $31,400 (2026)

The 86 figures come from Car and Driver's 2017 manual test, which lists the torque peak at 6,400 rpm; Toyota quotes 6,600. The GR86 figures come from its 2022 manual test, Toyota's launch release and iSeeCars' 2026 price list.

The naming confuses people. In the US the first-generation car was the Scion FR-S until the 2017 model year, when it became the Toyota 86 (Wikipedia). There was no US 2021 model. The GR86 arrived for 2022.

FA20 vs FA24: the engine change

The FA24 is a bored-out FA20. Bore grows from 86 mm to 94 mm, the stroke stays at 86 mm, and displacement climbs from 1,998 cc to 2,387 cc (Toyota, Wikipedia).

The FA20 was never short of revs. It ran 12.5:1 compression and Toyota's D-4S direct and port injection. For 2017, manual cars got 205 hp, 156 lb-ft and a shorter 4.30 final drive in place of the 4.10 (Wikipedia).

Its weak spot was the middle of the rev range. Car and Driver's 2017 test flagged "a pronounced sag in its torque curve around 4000 rpm" (Car and Driver via Yahoo). That's the dip owners talk about, and the reason so many 86s got headers and tunes.

The FA24 fixes the problem with displacement. Peak torque now lands at 3,700 rpm, right where the FA20 sagged. MotorWeek put it simply: "far more important is that peak torque arrives much sooner" (MotorWeek).

We didn't find a published, sourced torque curve for both engines, so we've compared measured acceleration instead.

How much quicker the GR86 is

The GR86 is about 0.8 seconds quicker to 60 mph in like-for-like manual tests. Car and Driver ran the 2017 86 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and the 2022 GR86 in 5.4 (Car and Driver via Yahoo).

Grouped bars comparing 0-60 mph and quarter-mile times for the Toyota 86 and GR86 — The GR86 is 0.8 to 0.9 seconds quicker in every measure

The quarter mile dropped from 14.8 seconds at 95 mph to 13.9 at 101 mph. Toyota's own claims say the same thing. It quotes 6.1 seconds to 60 for the manual GR86 against 7.0 for the old car. For automatics, it's 6.6 against 8.0.

The automatic gains the most. MotorWeek's automatic GR86 hit 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and noted that power "does not drop off nearly as much as before" during shifts.

Weight and chassis

The GR86 is heavier, but not by much. Car and Driver weighed the 2017 86 manual at 2,754 lb and the 2022 GR86 manual at 2,838 lb, an 84 lb gain. Toyota quotes 2,811 lb for the manual GR86 and 2,851 lb for the automatic.

Toyota says torsional rigidity rose by about 50 percent. It used an aluminum roof and aluminum front fenders to keep weight down and the center of gravity low (MotorWeek). There are new front cross members, a stronger rear structure and more high-strength steel.

Grip went up too. Car and Driver measured 0.89 g on the skidpad for the 86 and 0.98 g for the GR86. Tires play a part. Current base GR86s wear Michelin Primacy HP tires, while Premium cars get Pilot Sport 4s (CarGurus).

Prices new and used

A new GR86 now costs about $4,000 more than a 2017 86 did. The 2017 86 started at $27,120 and the 2022 GR86 at $27,700. For 2026, iSeeCars lists the GR86 at $31,400 for a base manual and $34,000 for the Premium. The Yuzu Edition is $36,365, and destination adds $1,295 (iSeeCars).

Used, the gap is wider. Kelley Blue Book's fair purchase prices put a 2017 86 at $17,250 to $17,650 and a 2020 86 at $20,600 to $23,200. A 2022 GR86 is $26,100 to $28,300 (KBB).

Range bars of Kelley Blue Book used prices from 2013 Scion FR-S to 2024 Toyota GR86 — Expect to pay about $5,000 more for a 2022 GR86 than a 2020 86

Model year	KBB fair purchase price	Original MSRP
2013 Scion FR-S	$10,150 to $12,600	$24,930 to $29,430
2014 Scion FR-S	$12,400 to $14,000	$26,555 to $29,255
2017 Toyota 86	$17,250 to $17,650	$27,860 to $30,760
2019 Toyota 86	$19,300 to $20,300	$28,330 to $33,375
2020 Toyota 86	$20,600 to $23,200	$28,775 to $31,585
2022 Toyota GR86	$26,100 to $28,300	$30,225 to $32,825
2024 Toyota GR86	$28,000 to $33,300	Not listed in our source

KBB prices are national averages from October 2026 and assume a dealer sale. Mods, mileage and track history move real prices a lot.

Which one to buy

Best value: a 2017 to 2020 Toyota 86 manual. It has the 205 hp update and the 4.30 final drive, and it costs about $3,000 to $9,000 less than a 2022 GR86.
Best all-rounder: a GR86. The torque dip is gone, it's quicker everywhere, and the stiffer body is a real gain.
Automatic buyers: get the GR86. The automatic gained the most in the update.
Track regulars: a GR86, with care. Some owners have logged oil pressure drops in hard right-hand corners. Read our 86 and BRZ years to avoid first.
Tightest budget: a Scion FR-S at $10,000 to $14,000. Check that the 2013 valve spring recall was done.

If you already have an 86, our Toyota 86 Hot Lava build shows the first mods worth doing. Suspension choices are covered in coilovers vs lowering springs vs air.

Common questions

Did the GR86 fix the torque dip?

Yes, in practice. The FA24 makes peak torque at 3,700 rpm, right where Car and Driver found the FA20 sagging around 4,000 rpm.

Is the GR86 heavier than the 86?

Slightly. Car and Driver's test cars were 2,754 lb and 2,838 lb, a difference of 84 lb.

Is the Toyota 86 the same car as the Scion FR-S?

Yes. Scion's FR-S was renamed the Toyota 86 for the 2017 model year, with a facelift, 205 hp for manual cars and a shorter final drive.

Are the GR86 and BRZ the same car?

Mechanically, yes. Car and Driver notes small tuning differences, including a stiffer rear anti-roll bar on the GR86, and the two posted identical acceleration times.

Sources

Featured image: 2022 Subaru BRZ release party by zombieite, CC BY 2.0. Source