Toyota GR86 to be sold in Europe for just two years

Following its initial reveal in April this year, the Toyota GR 86 has since made its European debut, with the first units scheduled to arrive at dealerships there in the spring of 2022. However, European customers will want to hurry to secure a unit for themselves because Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has confirmed that production of the sports car for the region will be limited to just two years.

In an official release, the company said the limited production run for Europe makes the GR 86 “an exclusive proposition for customers” and that “when it’s gone, it’s gone.” So, why give the GR 86 such a short lifespan in Europe?

According to a report by Evo, this is due to incoming European safety regulations that the GR 86 will not be compliant with, at least not without significant re-engineering of its roof design. Despite the new exterior, the GR 86’s platform is an updated version of what’s used by the previous 86 (also known as the GT86), which is around a decade old.

As a result, homologating the GR 86 to meet new regulations will require a key part of its structure to be redone, which would bring about prohibitive costs and potential compromises that Toyota aren’t willing to make.

“We’re already receiving a growing number of enquiries from potential customers – including those who believe the GR 86 could be the last of its kind. And at least for Europe, they might be right,” said Matt Harrison, president and CEO of TME during Toyota’s annual Kenshiki forum, as reported by Autocar.

Meanwhile, Tom Fux, senior vice president of TME, said the GR 86 is “so good” and important for the brand’s image in Europe, with a passionate group of customers that will undoubtedly be interested in the new model.

“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,” he said.