Toyota GT 86 TRD

The Toyota GT 86 TRD has been confirmed for the UK. Just 250 examples of the limited edition model will be brought to the UK, and sales start on 1 March.

TRD is short for Toyota Racing Developments, and the upgraded GT 86 is the first production car to be sold in the UK that features a suite of TRD parts as part of its showroom spec.

Both six-speed manual and automatic versions will be available, and buyers will have the choice of just two exterior colours: Pearl White and GT 86 Black. Prices for the GT 86 TRD manual start at £31,495 and £32,995 for the auto, which is £6,500 more than the standard GT 86 coupe.

For the extra investment, you get special 18-inch alloys, a deeper front bumper, extended side skirts and a revised rear bumper that features a quad-exhaust system and diffuser.

Under the bonnet, the 2.0-litre boxer engine remains almost completely unchanged, except for a TRD-branded radiator cap. The fuel filler cap also gets a TRD makeover, while inside, there’s a new TRD gear lever.

Like the regular GT 86, the TRD model features HID headlamps, front fog lamps, a limited slip differential, climate control, sports seats, cruise control and the Toyota Touch multimedia system.

The performance figures remain unchanged, at 7.6 seconds for 0-62mph and a 140mph top speed for the manual and 8.2 seconds and 130mph for the automatic.

However fuel consumption does take a hit. Fuel economy drops from 36.2mpg to 34.9mpg, while CO2 emissions increase from 181g/km to 192g/km for the manual model. The automatic also drops from 39.8mpg to 36.2mpg, while CO2 emissions rise from 164g/km to 181g/km for the automatic.