Road Test: 2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

For decades, the answer to the question “which affordable rear-wheel-drive ports car sold in North America should I buy?” didn’t deviate much past the Mazda MX-5 and the Ford Mustang.

2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

Then, about a decade ago, a new – well, two new – competitors came to the table. One was called the Scion FR-S and the other, the Subaru BRZ. They were twins from another mother, as it were, and one of them – the FR-S – came with almost as much historical baggage as the MX-5. It was the descendant of the Toyota AE86 Corolla/Sprinter Trueno. The problem was, it was a Scion and not a Toyota. So, after a little while (and a model name change), it became a Toyota.

Which brings us to today, and the Toyota GR 86 “Hakone” edition.

Styling

Like the 86 has always done, the Hakone turns to the history of the car for inspiration. Only this time, it’s not a car it’s channeling, but a place. The Hakone Turnpike is known today as the place where RWD cars slide themselves ‘round mountain roads to their hearts’ content.

2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

Those cars were fast and tuned (and often concepts as Japanese manufacturer’s used the private toll road for their own development testing), but they also looked it, which is why the Hakone gets special Ridge Green exterior paint, gold wheels from behind which peek red Brembo brake calipers and an enlarged spoiler. To top it all off, “Hakone” shines in the negative space within puddle lights emanating from the black-capped wing mirrors. It’s not quite as flash as the recently-revealed – and very yellow – “Yuzu” version, but it still has enough tweaks to handsomely differentiate it from other 86 models.

Interior

Change come inside as well; the charcoal suede/brown leather seats plus contrast colour stitching is a Hakone exclusive, and the shift lever gets a “Hakone” badge of its own. Otherwise, it’s standard 86 inside; a nice, small steering wheel with just a few buttons thereon, mechanical handbrake, a pair of seats in the back that you wouldn’t exactly call “back seats” though it’s more than what an MX-5 gets (which is none) and they can fold flat for more trunk storage and digital gauge cluster. It looks a little more fit for a motorcycle or quad, but it’s good in that it doesn’t overwhelm you with data; oil temp, fuel gauge, central tachometer/speedometer, trip computer plus you can cycle through the displays for more “performance”-oriented stuff such as a g-meter or race car-like horizontal tachometer.

2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

All that is good – a bit basic, but good – but the real plus for me came when the new generation debuted for the ’22 model year. At that time, they mounted the seats lower down for more headroom, which also allows taller folk to stretch their legs a bit more. As one of said taller folk, it meant that I no longer had to splay my legs quite so much to correctly reach the pedals, which meant I didn’t smack my knee on the side of the centre stack quite so much. It became a much more livable space both compared to the old model and the MX-5.

Tech

Well, there is some; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both here, though they are wired-only, and only via USB-A port. The central display measures eight inches, but it’s responsive to touch inputs and CarPlay stayed connected throughout my drive.

2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

The tech highlight is the audio system and it’s not about the number of speakers – there are eight, if you’re asking – because you don’t need that many speakers for a car this size. It’s more the quality of the audio – bass especially – that emanates from there and it’s well done here. You do have to turn it up, though, because there is quite a bit of road noise as speeds increase. This is a light car and a good way to save weight is to, say, reduce the amount of sound deadening materials used in its construction.

Power and handling

2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

Power comes courtesy of a flat-four engine – that’s a Subaru unit (says so right atop the exhaust manifold) – good for 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. In this instance, it’s all fed to the rear tires via a six-speed manual transmission. You can get an auto in other versions of the 86, but not this one. Which, if I’m honest, is fine by me; a lightweight rear-wheel drive coupe like this? It’s gotta have a stick.

In this instance, said gearlever moves well through well-defined slots; it’s a little longer on throw than you’ll find in a MX-5 or a Honda Civic Si, but it’s still a joy to row. Which is good, because to extract max power from the 86 you have to keep the revs high and who want to miss a shift when that’s the case?

2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

Even still; revvs or no, this isn’t a straight line speed kind of car. This is what some would call a “momentum car”, ergo one I which you use the well-balanced chassis and good weight distribution to carry you forward through the bends (or the autocross cones). Thusly, smooth steering inputs are the order of the day and the 86 returns those efforts with a responsive front end and well-weighted steering that is electronically boosted but feels pleasingly old-school. I’ve never driven an old, say MG GT, but I feel like this is in that vein.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, what really stuck with me – still sticks with me, in fact – is how for the first time, the decision to go with an MX-5 for your affordable Japanese motoring bliss isn’t such a quick conclusion. With its good use of interior space, honed chassis and steering and the way it encourages the driver to push it a little more, a little more and a little more still, the 86 has really hit its stride. The changes the Hakone brings, meanwhile, are a great cherry on top of the proceedings and while those that think “sports car” and “roadster” are inextricably linked are going to have to go another way, this is a darn good sporting machine that those of us that love the act of driving would be loathe to skip.

Road Test: 2025 Toyota GR 86 Hakone Edition

Tags: