For $4,500 in JDM Parts Your GR86 Can Look a Lot Worse
The Toyota GR86 is easily one of our favorite sports cars at the moment. And from the factory, it needs virtually nothing to turn heads with its latest design. But if you did want to, erm, “enhance” the looks of your Toyota sports car, TRD Japan is here to…help? And these JDM GR86 accessories are even available in the US!
Spend $800 on louvers and relive your 80s dream
One of the more unique JDM GR86 accessories are the rear window louvers. In US dollars, they’ll cost about $841 before taxes and shipping. And while the look is certainly…different, it also looks a little garish for such an understated sports car. Considering the GR86 is all about simplicity and form, adding louvers is, to put it delicately, a specific choice.
If you’re going for a retro AE86-inspired build, the louvers are in-line with that goal. But if you want to enhance the autocross or track day capabilities of your 86, maybe leave these out of your cart.
The swan neck wing is a styling downgrade
For another $3,800, you can also add a swan neck rear wing to your GR86. The swan neck design is good for improving downforce while reducing drag, making this a legitimate performance upgrade. But for style, it kills the clean look that is inherent to the current-gen Toyota sports car. The optional ducktail spoiler flows beautifully with the natural body lines of the GR86. This wing, however, is a rather extroverted design choice.
There are three settings to blend downforce and drag for more balanced handling. However, you cannot have both the swan neck wing and the ducktail spoiler together. Unfortunately, that means only one poultry-themed aerodynamic upgrade for your Toyota sports car.
Toyota Racing Development JDM GR86 accessories catalog includes some good upgrades
All jokes aside, most of the kit found in the new JDM GR86 TRD catalog is well-thought-out stuff. The body kit additions are aggressive but not obnoxious. And, according to TRD, there are legitimate improvements to both aerodynamics and handling as a result. The front spoiler and nose cone work together to reduce drag and lower the ground height appearance by 26 mm for a cleaner look.
The side skirts are designed to clean up airflow and aid in cornering stability. A rear diffuser pulls air from the underside of the car, reducing lift for more stability at high speeds.
Toyota even offers replacement mirror caps for smoother airflow around the A-pillar. And the most fascinating bit is the aero-stabilizing cover. Sitting at the base of the rear window, this bit of resin fills the gap ahead of the trunk, smoothing airflow to the rear spoiler for enhanced rear downforce.
TRD considers all the details
There are real performance bits, too. A short shift kit and monoblock brakes lead as a pair of genuine improvements to the GR86’s driving experience. The JDM GR86 suspension parts lower ride height by 15 mm and include stiffer shocks for enhanced cornering. Suspension bracing kits include cross-member braces for the front and rear subframe, as well as a rear-bumper insert to increase rigidity and thus, cornering response.
There are even gap-filler plates for the door latches to reduce how far the doors can move, further enhancing structural rigidity. With strut tower dampers, the GR86 gets a smoother ride with improved handling response.
Can you get the JDM Toyota GR86 accessories in the U.S.?
TRD specifically states that “our products are intended only for use within Japan”. But, we live in a global economy, and there are American distributors for overseas products. Black Hawk Japan is one such distributor, based in Japan but shipping globally. It’s a similar story for Nengun, so there are certainly options for JDM GR86 parts in the US.
