The Toyota 86 is somehow already 10 years old

In a fact that feels almost custom-made for clickbait, the Toyota 86 came out 10 years ago and YOU WON’T BELIEVE what it looks like now.

Or, y’know, you probably will. It’s an 86, after all, the poster child for accessible fun (not now, Miata) and it’s survived for 10 whole years – way longer than we ever thought (I said not now, Miata).

To celebrate the occasion, Toyota Australia has minted a 10th Anniversary Edition based on the new 2.4-litre GR86. And it’s limited to (you guessed it) 86 examples, with members of the local Gazoo Racing Club getting priority access.

As for the rich reward that 86 lucky fans will get, Toyota’s keeping schtum on the full details until the GR86’s Australian debut in September. That said, the Anniversary Edition does get some serious headline features... like orange paint. And some orange stitching. Honestly, in terms of bounty, only Captain Bligh ended up with less.

OK, so it’s a rather nice orange paint on the outside, the little 10th Anniversary embossing on the door card isn’t too twee, and the two-tone black and orange interior colour scheme manages to be much more reserved than that sentence suggests. Not like it’s tiger print or anything.

And the GR86 was never about features, frippery or fawning over spec sheets. It’s exactly as much car as you need to have fun, with a badge on the front that’s a byword for bulletproof reliability. Make something worthwhile, after all, and there’s no need for clickbait.