Still No Turbo: 2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition Debuts
The 2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition has made its debut today and just in case you were wondering – no, it does not have any extra power.
That’s right, the 2019 86 TRD Special Edition powers forward with the same 205 hp 2.0-liter Boxer engine the little sports coupe has always had and is offered with the same six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.
It does have some other neat extras, though. Stiffer SACHS dampers have sharpened the 86’s steering response, while Brembo brakes with four-piston front calipers and two-piston rear calipers provide improved stopping performance. There are also 18-inch alloy wheels shod in extra sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires, a TRD body kit, TRD side decals and a TRD exhaust system with stainless steel tips.
SEE ALSO: 2019 Toyota TRD Pros Arrive with All-New Upgrades
Inside, the limited-run 86 gets a red and black trimmed steering wheel, red contrast stitching, red and black sport bucket seats, faux suede dash trim, a TRD logo on the dash and neat red seat belts. Just 1,418 will be built, each starting at $32,420 USD. Oh yeah, the only color you can have it in is black.
The 86 lineup remains unchanged for 2019, save for a new exterior color called Neptune, which we imagine is some sort of blue-ish turquoise shade.
The 2019 Toyota 86 and Toyota 86 TRD Special Editon will arrive at US Toyota dealers next month.
Discuss this story on our Toyota Forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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They won't add more power to it because of the 4 cylinder Supra that's coming out. I'd bet the cheaper Supra will start at around $35 (CAD) which, if Toyota was being honest about the 86's platform not being well suited to a Turbo without throwing it's handling out of whack, then a new platform was definitely needed, and there's nothing wrong with that. Save the 86 for people who want an easy driving sports car, and have the two Supra versions for the enthusiasts. Having said that, if you added a turbo to the 86 at this point and modified it to still handle as well as it does now, but with the extra power, I think it would easily cost the extra $5k that I think they'll be asking for the smaller engine Supra so it's a wash.
With the Civic Type R readily available, the 4 cylinder Supra will be dead on arrival. Toyota will then make the 6 cylinder Supra so expensive that it will only garner a few early adopters, with the majority of potential buyers opting for the more prestigious Beemer with the same drivetrain. It's a mystery to me why Toyota wouldn't turbo the 86 as a low end car (it doesn't need to be great, just better) with the object of moving the 86 buyer into the more powerful Supra after a taste of "performance light". Their current product strategy looks like a lose/lose to me.