2018 Toyota 86 Adds Comfort-focused GT Trim Level

Khodrocar - Heated seats with leather upholstery, silver contrast stitching for the steering wheel, and a leather-wrapped parking brake handle are on the menu. Audio controls on the steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, push-button start with keyless entry, and an anti-theft system set the GT apart from the entry-level trim, but that’s not all there is to the newcomer.

As Cars Direct reports, the exterior adds "LED fog lights and what the order guide calls an underbody aerodynamic panel,” with the latter being the only performance-oriented upgrade. Speaking of which, the 4.2-inch display features a tachometer, g-force meter, and shows how much torque the 2.0-liter boxer engine produces at any given time. The irony is that the engine isn’t torquey at all, the reason why the driver has to put the six-speed transmission to good use to bring out the best the 86 GT can offer.

From a visual standpoint, body-color accents come as standard, and there’s even a GT Black package with contrasting Raven Black mirror caps and rear wing supports. How much does Toyota charge for the GT, you ask? That would be $29,280 including the $895 destination charge, with the six-speed automatic upping the price by $720.

Driving enthusiasts who want the same level of equipment for less money out of the pocket have an alternative in the Subaru BRZ in Limited specification, which starts at $28,465 including destination. At the end of the day, what’s setting the BRZ Limited and 86 GT apart is nothing but a set of badges.

In related news, Toyota and Subaru are working on the second generation of their jointly-developed sports car. Estimated to touch down in 2019, the all-new model is likely to be more of an evolution rather than a revolution compared to the original. Adding fuel to the fire, Toyota confirmed that it’s developing a dedicated sports car platform.