This Rally-Inspired Toyota GR86 Concept Needs To Make Production

Late 20th century nostalgia, it seems, is the name of the game for Toyota’s offerings at the 2024 SEMA show. Fresh from the extremely rad ’80s-inspired 4Runner TRD Surf concept comes this, the Toyota GR86 Rally Legacy, and it’s all kinds of wonderful.

We first learned about this car’s existence a couple of months back, when we heard that Toyota was planning to drop the powertrain from the GR Yaris into the body of a GR86, combining the two best cars it currently makes.

The finished product, though, wins us over even more with rally light pods and a paint scheme lifted straight from the Castrol-sponsored Celica GT-Four rally cars that Toyota ran in the ’90s. Be still, our beating hearts!

As a reminder of the basic package, Toyota has ditched the rear-wheel drive GR86’s 2.4-litre flat-four and replaced it with the 1.6-litre turbo three-pot from the GR Yaris – more familiar to this car’s US audience from the GR Corolla where, with less restrictive emissions rules, it makes a healthy 300bhp. It maintains that car’s four-wheel drive and six-speed manual, too.

Swaps like this are never as simple as bolting in the new drivetrain and cracking on, and so it was in this case. While the engine and gearbox slotted into the GR86’s engine bay and transmission tunnel without modifications, the swap necessitated a custom subframe and engine mounts to get everything to fit properly.

It also has the front axle and hubs from the GR Corolla to facilitate its four-wheel drive, and there’s a full set of custom coilover dampers and control arms.

The engine’s been kitted out with a new intercooler, oil cooler and race-spec ECU, but it’s apparently producing the same 300bhp and 273lb ft of torque as standard.

Then, of course, are the wonderful rally-inspired bits adorning the outside: the lightpod, mudflaps, delectable white Speedline wheels, and a big hoop spoiler inspired by that of the Celica GT-Four rally car. And that livery. Mmmm. Similarly, the inside’s been stripped out and fitted with a full roll cage, racing seats with six-point harnesses and a big ol’ rally-style shifter. Excellent.

This is, of course, just a concept, but we know from the likes of the Porsche 911 Dakar that there’s a market out there for rally- and off-road-inspired sports cars. Toyota, you know what to do.