Toyota has quite a lineup at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. One of the highlights is the company’s mid-engine GR Yaris that’s going racing in Japan this year. There’s also a futuristic body kit for the RAV4.
The company’s range isn’t all about show cars, though. It’s also displaying software upgrades to the GR86 to improve the transmissions to be more dynamic.
Upgrades For The GR86
The GR86 transmission software upgrade comes from the brand’s education in motorsport. The tweaks prioritize the brand’s experience in racing.
There are revisions for both the manual and automatic gearboxes. For the six-speed, there are quicker downshifts and better throttle response. The auto is also quicker at downshifting. The company plans to offer these parts starting in spring 2025, but no pricing is available yet.
To be specific, the manual gearbox software makes it easier to blip the throttle to make it easier to change gears smoothly. Meanwhile, the automatic transmission has an “allowable range of engine speeds during downshifting,” according to Toyota. Both revisions are supposed to provide improved access to the powerplant’s torque across the rev band.
Software And Other Improvements
The software upgrades make it easier to blip the throttle because of better sensitivity. This means that drivers can downshift, which results in better access to the torque band for better acceleration out of corners.
Toyota is rolling out this upgrade to Japanese GR86 owners, who have production dates from October 2021 to July 2024. These improvements will become available in Japan in the spring of 2025.
The improvements are available through the GR Garage locations in Japan. The pieces include a GR Final Gear Kit with four available ratios (3.909, 4.100, 4.300, and 4.556), depending on a driver’s preference.
A differential cover with extra cooling fins also helps maintain a more consistent fluid temperature.
In Japan, Toyota will sell the transmission final gear upgrade for roughly the equivalent of $544. The upgraded differential exterior with cooling fins will be around $248. These parts become available in the spring.
TopSpeeed’s Take
The GR86 has all the makings of a performance car icon. It’s widely available and fairly affordable, while also offering plenty of performance. Transmission improvements can only make it even better. Imagine being able to put more torque down to the road from that power point without tweaking any of the engine’s internals.
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