The GR86 Hakone adds a little spice to the 86 formula.

The GR86 Hakone adds a little spice to the 86 formula.

Nowadays, fewer and fewer brands are following the lightness over power equation. Still, there are a few sports cars out there that might lack in the numbers department but offer an exhilarating driving experience due to the light nature of the vehicle. The GR86 falls into this category and offers incredible driving characteristics, albeit at the expense of what is often considered an impressive 0-100km/h time. Toyota has released the GR86 Hakone to ensure the best possible experience for the driver, and it looks the part.

The Hakone is a special edition that refines the 86's driving dynamics even further. The Hakone had some work done to the throttle response and now offers a more intuitive downshifting blimp with the use of heel-toe to ensure rapid and accurate downshifts before the corners. They have also improved the power steering to enhance the sense of direction and steering feel.

It offers improved SACHS dampeners and four-piston Brembo brakes in the front and two-piston brakes in the rear to further enhance its tracking capabilities. Pair these two together, and you get a more responsive and predictable ride and cornering quality. These features are available as an additional package for the standard GR86 too. 

The Hakone makes use of the same 2.4-litre flat-four that produces 170kW and 250Nm as the standard GR86. It offers a 0-100 time of 6.1 seconds for the 6-speed manual and 6.6 seconds for the automatic. 

To top it off, the Hakone comes with a new Ridge Green exterior, bronze wheels, an ultra-suede interior, and a boot lip wing in the back, all of which complement the unique and sportier nature of the Hakone GR86. Unfortunately, there are only 860 units to be made for the American market, so the likelihood of South Africa being graced with this special edition is slim, so we must love it from a distance.

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