Look: 2022 Toyota GR86 has finally arrived in PH

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) chose the Gazoo Racing Festival to reveal a surprise for its loyal fans – the 2022 Toyota GR86 is now in the country.

Arriving later than its Subaru twin, TMP previewed the GR86 at the Clark International Speedway. The second-generation model has a thorough redesign both inside and out while getting a bigger and more powerful Boxer engine.

The GR86 has the same FA24D engine as that of the BRZ. The new 2.4-liter unit makes 237 PS and 250 Nm of torque.

While specs and prices are not yet finalized, the GR86 shown by TMP is set to become the base variant of the 2+2 sports coupe that's fitted with a six-speed manual transmission. That seems to be the case since the GR86 is wearing 17-inch wheels with Michelin Primacy HP tires compared to the recently launched Subaru BRZ which has 18-inch wheels with high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires. In addition, it's also wearing fabric upholstery for its seats.

For some, this may look like the Toyota GR86 is shortchanged compared to its Subaru twin, but from a product planning standpoint, we could expect the GR86 to be offered with more attractive pricing which could favor enthusiasts. After all, most owners of the first-generation model used to trade their stock wheels for aftermarket ones with more grippy tires.

But for those who like to enjoy the GR86 right away, there's good reason to believe TMP could release another variant of the GR86 that comes with the aforementioned Pilot Sport rubber, plus the Toyota Safety Sense. If we're looking at how Subaru did it with the BRZ, the more premium variant may only be available with a 6-speed auto.

More details should emerge ahead of the official launch of the all-new Toyota GR86 in August. Rest assured, we'll keep an eye on this one.