What does GR in gr86 stand for?
The GR in GR86 stands for Gazoo Racing, Toyota's performance division.
The GR86 is the product of a Toyota-Subaru collaboration and sits under Toyota’s Gazoo Racing umbrella. The "86" in the name nods to Toyota’s iconic AE86, a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive model from the 1980s, linking the modern sports car to its heritage.
Decoding the GR branding
Gazoo Racing is Toyota's in-house performance arm responsible for tuning, racing, and the development of higher-performance variants. The GR badge marks models that receive enhanced handling, tuning, and overall sportier character beyond the standard lineup.
Before listing examples of GR models, note how Toyota uses the badge across its performance lineup:
- GR Supra
- GR Yaris
- GR Corolla
- GR86
The GR badge across these models signals Toyota's commitment to performance engineering, including the GR86 as the modern, co-developed sports coupe in the series.
The 86 heritage
The 86 name pays homage to the AE86 generation of Toyota’s lightweight, rear-wheel-drive coupes from the 1980s. In Japan, fans commonly refer to the AE86 as Hachi-Roku (eight-six), a nickname that has endured in automotive culture and enthusiast communities.
Key milestones in the 86 lineage include:
- AE86 Sprinter Trueno and Corolla Levin (1983–1987): the original lightweight, driver-focused coupes that defined the era.
- 2012 revival: Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ launch, reviving the 86 name in a modern, twin-engine collaboration.
- 2021 onward: GR86 debuts under the Gazoo Racing banner, merging heritage with contemporary performance tuning.
The GR86 thus fuses a storied past with modern engineering, preserving the spirit of the 86 while embracing Toyota’s current performance philosophy.
Summary
In short, the GR in GR86 stands for Gazoo Racing — Toyota’s performance division — and the 86 pays tribute to the AE86 heritage. The GR86 embodies that legacy in a contemporary, co-developed sports coupe born from Toyota-Subaru collaboration.
