The 2022 Toyota GR86 Will Be Sold In Europe For Only Two Years Due To Safety Regulations

The 2022 Toyota GR86 has touched down in Europe but it will only be sold on the continent for two years.

While the new GR86 was first unveiled for North America in April, Toyota has only just announced that it will launch in Europe in the spring of 2022. It retains the same key specifications as it does in other markets.

Found beneath the new body of the GR86 is a 2.4-liter horizontally opposed boxer four-cylinder from Subaru that produces 231 hp at 7,000 rpm in Euro-spec and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque at 3,700 rpm. Toyota says models equipped with the six-speed manual will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.3 seconds while automatic models require 6.9 seconds to hit the same mark. The stick shift variant will top out at 226 km/h (140 mph) while the automatic can’t exceed 216 km/h (134 mph).

While this engine is a solid upgrade over the 2.0-liter of the old 86, enthusiasts will only be able to enjoy this new powertrain for two years.

Speaking at Toyota’s annual Kenshiki European Forum, the automaker revealed that the GR86 won’t be compliant with forthcoming European safety regulations without significant re-engineering, hence why it won’t be sticking around for long.

“We felt that the vehicle is so good and so needed for Toyota’s image in Europe, and we have a small but very passionate group of customers out there who are searching for vehicles like the GR86,” Toyota Europe vice-president Tom Fux told Autocar. “In the end, we decided it’s important to offer this vehicle, and then we will need to stop the vehicle, because it will not meet the new requirements in the future. But these two years will still provide an opportunity for passionate customers to get the vehicle.”

Toyota hasn’t said how much European customers will need to pay for the new sports car.