2015 Toyota 86 gains extra kit and sharper value

Toyota has added the safety of a reversing camera and the convenience of a touch-screen display audio system to the GT variants of its top-selling 86 sports coupe.

The value-added features are worth at least $1,000 but are now included at no extra cost on the GT manual while the GT auto price has been lowered by $300.

A full-size spare wheel can now be ordered at no extra cost, giving customers an alternative to the weight-saving tyre-repair kit which is fitted as standard.

Prices have also been reduced for the GTS grades – the manual by $500 and the auto by $800 as a result of the recent Free Trade Agreement between Australia and Japan.

As a result of the running changes, the price for the most affordable 86 remains at $29,990 plus on roads – unchanged from the car’s launch price more than two-and-a-half years ago.

The reversing camera image is viewed on the new 6.1-inch touch-screen monitor that doubles as the control centre for the upgraded audio system. GTS variants already have these features with the addition of satellite navigation.

Other features managed through the 86 audio system include voice recognition and hands-free operation for a mobile phone, audio streaming, FM radio text, iPod control, USB input, SD card slot and a CD player.

A neat addition to the boot when the full-size spare is fitted comes in the shape of a urethane cover embossed with the 86 logo and the model’s distinctive T-mesh motif, a design repeated throughout the car in areas such as the grille, instrument panel and meters.

The 86 has been extremely well-received since being launched in mid-2012. The lightweight rear-wheel-drive coupe has been Australia’s best-selling sports car for the past two years with local sales topping 13,000 cars since June 2012 – making Australia the third largest market for the Toyota 86 in the world, behind the United States and Japan.

The dynamic abilities and fun-to-drive characteristics of the 86 provide a credible platform for motorsport, leading Toyota to announce recently the 86 will form the basis of a one-make race series.

Known as the Toyota 86 Pro-Am, it will be an affordable, grassroots motorsport series to be raced exclusively at V8 Supercars events from next year.

Under the banner Toyota Racing Australia, it will be run as a pro-am. Up to five selected professional drivers will mentor and compete against a larger field of amateur drivers who will have to qualify to get onto the starting grid at each round.

The 86 race cars will be based on the GT manual with key specifications controlled to ensure their suitability and reliability while keeping costs as low as possible.

Read ForceGT’s Toyota 86 GTS Review

2015 Toyota 86 pricing (excluding on roads)