Toyota keeps the sports-car faith with the launch of the new 2022 GR 86.

While there are many ways to enjoy driving, it’s hard to beat a small rear-wheel drive sports car like the 2022 Toyota GR 86. This is the redesigned version of the Toyota 86, itself originally known as the Scion FR-S in North America. Whatever it’s called, this car emphasizes the driving experience above all else.

The name change from 86 to GR 86 is because this sports car is now under the auspices of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing performance division, which is also responsible for the Supra and many of the Japanese automaker's racing programs. Note that Gazoo Racing is distinct from Toyota Racing Development (TRD), which also applies its own badging to some Toyota models in North America.

This second-generation version gets updated exterior styling, a more powerful engine, and more tech features. As before, though, the Toyota is a virtual clone of the Subaru BRZ, which also gets redesigned for the 2022 model year (and will be covered in a separate review). Joint development helps spread out costs over more units, providing a better business case. Toyota did the same thing with the Supra, which was developed in tandem with the BMW Z4.

The 2022 Toyota GR 86 launches in base and Premium trim levels. We had an opportunity to test both.