Why is the Toyota GR86 only on sale for two years?

GR86

While it is true that the new Toyota GR86 will only be on sale in Europe for two years, some people are under the misunderstanding that its lifespan is being curtailed by stricter emissions regulations. The reality is entirely different, so let us explain why the car will have to be discontinued after 2024.

In 2024, new European safety protocols will come into force, and vehicles that do not comply with these General Safety Regulation 2 standards will not be allowed to be sold. This will even apply to existing, un-registered stock held centrally by vehicle manufacturers.

In order to comply with these strict new regulations, the GR86 would have to be completely re-engineered. Apart from being economically unviable for a small-volume sports car like the GR86, compliance with these regulations would detrimentally affect the dynamic character of the car. Make no mistake, the GR86 is already a very safe car. It’s just that from 2024 it simply wouldn’t be the driver’s car everybody knows and loves.

This is why Toyota is encouraging people to recognise that the window of opportunity to own and enjoy a new GR86 is strictly limited. Because once that window has closed, it’s closed for good.

Regarding emissions, Toyota’s pre-emptive investment in electrification technologies means that our Clean Air For Europe statistics are already much lower than those of all other major car manufacturers. As a result, there was no legislative pressure from the European Commission to prematurely withdraw the GR86 from sale in this respect.

37 comments

  1. Hello, since you specified that the new regulation only prevents the car from being sold in Europe, could I still buy one in another country (e.g US) and then get it imported and registered in UK or a EU country?

    1. Hi Rob,
      Thanks for your comment.
      Unfortunately, we are unable to advise on imported vehicles.
      We apologise that we cannot assist you further.
      Thanks.

  2. Given the short timeframe that this vehicle could be on sale for, isn’t it time for a more substantial update as to when deposits or a reservation list will be opened? I understand that predicted deliveries are less well known, but something is better than nothing.

    So far, apart from the GR86 page and the display in Goodwood, updates have been almost non existent, not even a “we anticipate the reservation list be opened in Q1 2022 or something?

  3. Hi

    Will the current GR Supra still meet the new requirements or will that need to have changes made or be removed from the European market too?

    Andy

    1. Hi Andy,
      Thanks for your comment.
      We do not have any information on this at the moment.
      We apologise that we cannot assist you further.
      Thanks.

  4. The article leaves me a bit confused. Initially it says , “Toyota GR86 will only be on sale in Europe for two years”. Then it comes onto “In 2024, new European safety protocols will come into force, and vehicles that do not comply with these General Safety Regulation 2 standards will not be allowed to be sold”

    On putting the two together, it seems to me like the car can only be sold in 2023 and not into 2024. Is that interpretation right as the safety protocols come into existence in 2024 ( presumably January?). I will appreciate if you could please clarify.

    Also could you advise what additional safety features will the new Gen 2 have vs Gen 1? Many thanks.

    1. Hi there,
      Thanks for your comment.
      The GR86 will be sold throughout 2022 and 2023 (2 years).
      Furthermore, we do not have any information to share about when in 2024 these protocols will be put in place.
      Thanks.

      1. Thank you! Could you also clarify what new/improved safety features are available compared to previous gen and i believe Automatic has greater safety this time around?

  5. Bought a V2 ducati …asked ducati if a special addition was going to be made. Got no straight answer. Bought the bike then a special addition was launched- they did no ,they just lied. So a straight answer would be appreciated special addition GR86 due or not?
    Cheers!

      1. What a farce,first the site crashed,then the dealers could not access the site then cars were sold out by noon in U.K.what idiot at Toyota decided to only supply 400 cars,considering Toyota have until 2024 to sell the cars before legislation bans current cars from being sold you would have thought Toyota would try and sell as many as possible especially considering it has been on sale in U.S.since December 2021 I will now keep my modified GT86 for another year hoping by then Toyota would have sorted out supply and the special edition will be available by then C.R.Turrell

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

To be the first to hear about all of our latest news, offers and events, check the box below, we’ll send these communications by email, phone, SMS or post. Be assured that Toyota will only share your personal information with companies that are an integral part of fulfilling the services we deliver. If you would like to find out more about how we process your data please visit our privacy policy for details.

I understand that I can unsubscribe at any time.