Toyota's Updated 2027 GR86 Skips Europe Again: Why Italy's Only Way In Is the Used Market

A major update, landing in the wrong place (for us)

In early August 2026 Toyota unveiled the biggest update the GR86 has received since it launched in 2021: recalibrated electric power steering, informed by lessons learned racing the car in the Super Taikyu Series, a revised manual-gearbox synchronizer for a smoother fifth-to-fourth downshift, a new three-camera EyeSight safety system tuned for the car's lowered stance, and the return of the classic Solid Gray paint alongside a new Thunder color and a Cockpit Red interior option on Premium trims. Japanese dealers open orders on August 28, 2026, with first deliveries expected before year end[1][2].

There is a catch, though, for anyone in Italy dreaming of a light, rear-wheel-drive coupe with a naturally aspirated engine and a manual gearbox: the updated GR86 currently has no date, and no confirmation, for a European launch[3].

Why you cannot buy a GR86 at an Italian Toyota dealer anymore

This is not breaking news in itself. The current generation arrived in Europe in 2022 but stayed on sale for less than two years, with official sales ending in mid-2024. The main cause was not emissions, as one might assume, but a new set of European safety rules known as GSR2 (General Safety Regulations 2), which mandate a long list of electronic driver-assistance systems on every new type approval. For Toyota and Subaru, retrofitting two low-volume niche sports cars to meet those requirements made little economic sense, with the added risk of diluting exactly what makes the car special to drive[4].

The upshot is that in Italy, the second-generation GR86 is already, in practice, a used-market-only car: anyone who wants one has to hunt down one of the few officially imported examples from 2022-2024, almost always with very low mileage, or consider a parallel import from outside the EU.

How much a used GR86 costs today, and how rare it already is

The numbers confirm the scarcity: only a few dozen GR86 listings circulate on the Italian used market, priced from roughly 35,500 euros up to 45,000 euros for the newest, lowest-mileage examples, averaging around 39,000 euros[5]. Those are high figures for a car that started around 40,000 euros new: limited supply is effectively propping up used values, the opposite of what usually happens with higher-volume models, where recent used cars typically depreciate faster.

The more affordable route: the first-generation GT86

For buyers unwilling to chase the handful of remaining GR86s, there is a simpler and cheaper alternative: the first-generation GT86, officially sold in Italy from 2012 to 2020. It shares the same basic layout, a naturally aspirated boxer engine, rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual, but with much higher sales volumes, and correspondingly lower used prices today, often under 20,000 euros for cars with a few tens of thousands of kilometres on the clock.

One thing worth checking carefully, though: early GT86s and their Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S twins from 2012-2013 were subject to a valve-spring recall, and in some documented cases, even after the warranty fix, owners reported spun rod bearings in the 2.0-liter boxer engine[6]. It is not a flaw that affects every single car, but before buying a GT86 from those years it is worth asking for the complete service history and, where possible, a borescope inspection or an oil analysis.

The Subaru twin: the BRZ, another route to the same car

Subaru followed the same path as Toyota: the second-generation BRZ, on sale since 2021, was also pulled from the European market, and only around sixty units were ever officially imported into Italy, making it even rarer than its Japanese sibling[7]. Used prices reflect that scarcity and span a wide range, from roughly 20,000 euros for older first-generation BRZs to over 50,000 euros for the rare, very low-mileage second-generation cars[8]. Mechanically the two coupes share the same naturally aspirated 2.4-liter boxer and very similar road manners, so the choice between them today usually comes down to which listing you can actually find and its price, rather than any meaningful difference in how they drive.

The uncomfortable comparison: the Mazda MX-5 stayed, this pair did not

It is worth remembering that not every lightweight sports car had to leave Europe. The Mazda MX-5, regularly homologated and updated, remains on sale at Italian dealers. That is a useful reminder that Toyota's and Subaru's decisions are a volume calculation, not a verdict on the cars themselves: the MX-5 sells in numbers that justify the cost of European type approval, while the GR86 and BRZ, selling in far smaller numbers, simply do not.

What to check before buying a used coupe from this family

A few checks apply across the whole GT86, GR86 and BRZ family, regardless of generation:

• Full service history and regular oil changes: the naturally aspirated boxer engine does not forgive neglected maintenance.
• Whether the car has seen track use: many examples, given what they were built for, have done track days. That is not necessarily a problem, but it should be disclosed and reflected in the price.
• Clutch and manual-gearbox synchronizers, especially on the fifth-to-fourth downshift: a known weak point even before the 2027 update addressed it.
• Originality of the exhaust, ECU mapping and suspension: many of these coupes have been modified, which can affect remaining warranty and insurance terms.
• On 2012-2013 GT86s, always ask for confirmation that the valve-spring recall was carried out and check the condition of the rod bearings.

Bottom line: the used market is the only realistic route, for now

The 2027 update shows Toyota still believes in this formula, even if Europe is left watching from the sidelines for now. For anyone in Italy chasing a light, rear-wheel-drive coupe with a manual gearbox, the realistic path runs almost entirely through the used market: the more affordable but carefully-checked first-generation GT86, or the rarer, pricier but mechanically newer GR86/BRZ pair. On marketplaces like VendiVoce, where private sellers and small dealers list for free, it is worth setting an alert for these models: when a genuinely good example shows up, it rarely stays listed for long.

Sources

1. Automoto.it, Toyota GR86 2027, arriva l'aggiornamento: migliora la dinamica di guida e debutta il nuovo EyeSight
2. HDmotori.it, GR86 2027, arriva un ricco aggiornamento: tutte le novità
3. Motorbox.com, Toyota GR86, piccoli ritocchi per la sportiva che manca all'Europa
4. Motor1.com, The Toyota GR86 And Subaru BRZ Are Dead In Europe. Here's Why
5. AutoUncle.it, Toyota GR86 usata: prezzo da 22.555 euro
6. Carscoops.com, Did Recent Recall Cause Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S Engines To Die?
7. Carvago.com, Subaru BRZ vs Toyota GR86: confronto completo 2026
8. AutoUncle.it, Subaru BRZ usata: prezzo da 20.600 euro