Six decades have passed since Toyota entered the Canadian marketplace, during which time the company has gone from taking its first tentative steps into the Great White North to becoming Canada’s largest automotive manufacturer and the purveyor of the only remaining full line of cars and trucks. The company’s presence is felt far beyond its business, though, as Toyota is actively integrated into our communities, providing livelihood and philanthropic engagements coast to coast.
In traditional Japanese culture, a 60th birthday is called the Kanreki, and it’s a time to reflect, show gratitude for past achievements, and plan for the future. To do this, Toyota Canada invited a handful of automotive media to participate in a drive across Canada, visiting places of significance to the company’s history, and letting the media sample a breadth of models offered.
I was among the lucky few who kicked off the adventure in St. John’s, Newfoundland where we piled into four new models and headed west on the Trans Canada toward the ferry at Port aux Basques, and over to Cape Breton Island. While Newfoundland has no shortage of sensational, rugged scenery, its primary paved artery cuts through the densely forested inland areas, largely steering away from the coast line.
While most of my media peers arm-wrestled for seat time in the new Land Cruiser and Crown Signia, I was happy to quietly slip into the GR86 sports coupe also offered up for the drive. No stranger to road-tripping the GR86, I toured the north shore of Lake Erie in one just last year, proving that it’s not a one-trick, corner-carving pony.
A Snug GR86 Interior With Enough Space for Your Luggage
In fairness, it should be noted that several of the other automotive writers are notably taller and, ahem, huskier than yours truly, and it turns out, they find the little coupe cramped, especially for long distances. But without having Sasquatch-like proportions, the GR86’s cockpit fits my slender 5-foot-9 frame like a glove. Its seats are supportive and comfortable for hours behind the wheel, and with the addition of adaptive cruise control for 2024, even long slogs through endless woodlands are less fatiguing.
Plus, while the rear seats in this Toyota coupe are mostly suited for pets or elves, it can be folded flat to expand the already-decent cargo area, making the GR86 surprisingly capable of containing enough luggage to go away for extended travel.
The Trueno Edition’s Enhanced Performance Makes for a Spirited Drive
One of only 50 in Canada (and 860 in total), this GR86 is the range-topping Trueno Edition with its “panda” white-and-black colour scheme (it’s also available in red with black). More than just a decal package, the Trueno Edition pays homage to the 80s’ Sprinter Trueno (a lightweight sports coupe based on the famous AE86 Corolla in the classic manga series, Initial D), and benefits from 4-piston Brembo brakes and new Sachs dampers.
The GR86 is remarkably capable of doing triple duty for canyon-carving and track days, daily commuting duties, and as a surprisingly adept long-distance cruiser.
While those beefier binders do a great job slowing down the 86 with great initial bite, solid pedal feel and serious stopping power, it’s the suspension that really impresses. Sure, it’s a bit stiffer than the other GR86es, and with such a short wheelbase, it will never be mistaken for a Toyota Crown in terms of its highway cruising prowess, but the ride is certainly not harsh, and managed the many maritime potholes we encountered without incident. The level of refinement and sophistication in the suspension should raise eyebrows at the high-end European sportscar companies.
Admittedly, the GR86’s frenetic steering that makes it so much fun on an autocross course or scything through mountain roads does require a driver to pay more careful attention than in less sporting machines, but when turned loose on Cape Breton’s famed Cabot Trail, I was hard-pressed to come up with another car I’d rather drive – certainly none as accessibly priced as the GR86’s 35-grand entry point.
Not Fuel Efficient, And That’s OK
The Trueno Edition sees no updates under the hood, working with the same 2.4L horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine found in other trims of the GR86 (and the Subaru BRZ we compared it to). Although the boxer engine isn’t melodious (and many folks complain about the augmented sound effects pumped in through the car’s speakers), it’s energetic and revs agreeably past 7,000 rpms, chasing its 228 horsepower. The 184 lb-ft of torque doesn’t sound like much – and in this age of turbos and supplementary electric motors, it isn’t – but it’s enough to make the 2,800-pound GR86 a properly quick sports car.
As we edge ever-closer to more automotive electrification, the GR86 will become increasingly unique, reminding us what motoring fun used to be.
Repeatedly revving the GR86 to wring out the most of its engine is a large part of its enjoyment, especially since it also means getting to frequently shift gears. The shift throws are quite short and shift feel is direct, plus the clutch set up is well-matched with a feel that’s neither too light, nor so stiff.
All that revving does come at the cost of efficiency as the GR86 consumes premium fuel at a surprisingly thirsty rate of 12.0 L/100 km City, 8.9 Highway and 10.6 Combined; more than many small crossovers!
Takeaway
Pros:
- Sensational Handling
- Great fun to rev and shift
- Sensual styling
Cons:
- Dated infotainment system
- Cramped cockpit for larger folks
- Thirsty for such a small car
By the time our Toyota convoy rolled into Halifax a few days after leaving St. John’s, I had logged more kilometers in the GR86 than any of my peers, and that was fine by me. The more time I spent with the car, the more enamoured I become. Sure, a bigger, brighter (and wireless) infotainment system would be nice, and maybe some richer sound quality out of the 8-speaker audio system would be nice, but they’re small nits to pick. The GR86 is remarkably capable of doing triple duty for canyon-carving and track days, daily commuting duties, and as a surprisingly adept long-distance cruiser.
As most vehicles continue to bloat with size and mass, such a pure, lightweight sports car is an extremely rare treat. It provides a level of driver engagement that exists in very few modern road machines, and even fewer at this price point. As we edge ever-closer to more automotive electrification, the GR86 will become increasingly unique, reminding us what motoring fun used to be. The GR86 Trueno Edition is the perfect vehicle for Toyota Canada’s Kanreki, celebrating past achievements, current successes, and the company’s future here. It’s also a heck of a road trip car for those who fit.
