Toyota GR86 vs Subaru BRZ 2nd Gen. What is the Actual Difference Anyways? Mechanically...

Look, these two are basically siblings.

The second-gen Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ (2022–2024) come from the same Toyota and Subaru collaboration, share the same platform, the same 2.4-liter flat-four, and the same overall “lightweight RWD coupe” mission. On paper, they’re almost annoyingly similar. Subaru should have just outfitted with the Turbo FA24 engine from WRX, just sayin.

But here’s the thing: Toyota and Subaru did mess with a bunch of details like springs, dampers, sway bars, some hardware choices, and software calibration, so the cars don’t drive exactly the same. You feel it most in:

• how the car turns in

• how the rear behaves when you’re pushing

• how calm (or rowdy) it feels at the limit

I’ll keep styling/interior stuff short and stay focused on what matters if you actually care about driving.

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Engine and drivetrain...

If you’re expecting a horsepower “gotcha”… nope.

Both cars use the same 2.4 L naturally aspirated Subaru Boxer (FA24) in U.S. spec: 228 hp @ 7,000 rpm and 184 lb·ft @ 3,700 rpm, with a 12.5:1 compression ratio and premium fuel. Toyota and Subaru will each tell you they did their own ECU tuning, but in real life the output and power delivery feel basically the same.

Same story with the rest of the drivetrain:

• 6-speed manual standard, 6-speed automatic optional

• Torsen limited-slip diff standard on all trims

• Same gearing: 4.10:1 final drive (manual), 3.90:1 (auto)

• Straight-line performance is a wash: 0–60 in the low 5-second range if you launch it right (often ~5.5–6.0s depending on conditions)

So yeah, engine/drivetrain won’t decide this one. The personality comes from chassis tuning.

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Suspension and chassis tuning...

Same basic layout on both:

• MacPherson strut front

• Double-wishbone rear

But the tuning targets are different.

• GR86: a little more playful, a little more willing to rotate

• BRZ: a little more front bite, a little more stable/neutral baseline

Springs + dampers

This is one of the biggest “why do they feel different?” pieces.

• GR86: slightly softer front springs, stiffer rear springs

• BRZ: slightly stiffer front springs, softer rear springs

The specific numbers you’ll see quoted:

• Toyota dropped the front spring rate ~7% and increased the rear spring rate ~11% vs Subaru’s setup

• Subaru is essentially the inverse: ~7% stiffer front, ~11% softer rear vs the GR86

Both also use their own damper tuning (different valving), matched to those spring choices. Translation in human terms:

• BRZ feels a bit more keyed-in up front

• GR86 feels a bit more willing to move around from the rear (in a good way)

Sway bars

This part is sneaky, because the headline numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Front sway bar

• BRZ: hollow 18.3 mm

• GR86: solid 18.0 mm

Hollow vs solid changes stiffness/weight behavior even when the diameter looks similar, so it’s not as simple as “bigger number wins.”

Rear sway bar

• GR86: 15 mm

• BRZ: 14 mm

But the bigger difference is mounting:

• BRZ mounts the rear sway bar to the unibody

• GR86 mounts it to the rear subframe

Body-mounted can feel more immediate (less compliance), while subframe mounting tends to add a tiny bit of “give.” This is one of the reasons people describe the BRZ as a little flatter/more composed, and the GR86 as a little more progressive when it starts to rotate.

Knuckles, arms, bushings

They’re mostly shared, but not all identical.

Front knuckles (uprights)

• BRZ: aluminum

• GR86: steel

Aluminum saves a bit of unsprung weight. Steel is… steel. Strong, and easier to work with for certain brake packages.

And that connects to a real-world detail: when Subaru did the BRZ tS with Brembos, it switched to a steel knuckle design similar to the GR86 to make the bigger calipers work.

Bushings
One small-but-real difference: the BRZ gets stiffer rear trailing link bushings, while the GR86 initially carried over the previous-gen bushings there. Stiffer bushings = less deflection under load = slightly more precision when you’re really leaning on the chassis.

Chassis rigidity / bracing

The underlying structure is basically the same.

Both got meaningful improvements over the first-gen cars (extra reinforcement, better torsional rigidity, etc.). You’ll see claims like ~50% more torsional rigidity versus the previous generation—and that benefit applies to both, not one or the other.

And yeah, there’s that fun “jack one corner up and the door still opens” anecdote people love. Point is: no meaningful “Toyota braced it more” advantage here.

How it feels (the part people actually care about)

In plain terms:

• GR86: rotates more easily → more tail-happy/playful

• BRZ: more front grip/neutral feel → more stable baseline

Toyota even reportedly delayed the GR86 launch to retune steering/suspension so it didn’t feel like a straight BRZ clone. Subaru’s engineering messaging has been more “stability and precision.”

The differences aren’t night-and-day. You notice them most back-to-back or when you’re really pushing.

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Steering and differential behavior...

Steering

Hardware is basically the same:

• Electric power steering

• 13.5:1 ratio

• 2.5 turns lock-to-lock

But the calibration differs a bit.

People usually describe it like:

• BRZ: a touch more immediate/sharp on initial turn-in

• GR86: slightly softer at the first bite, but more progressive when it starts to rotate

And honestly both of them are considered great by modern EPS standards. Any “feel” difference here is subtle and kind of subjective. Plus it don't matter when you slap on mods, which is what you should do as soon as you buy the car.

Differential + stability control behavior

Both cars use the same Torsen LSD mechanically. The “difference” is really how the chassis tuning and electronics make the car behave when you apply power mid-corner or on corner exit. OS Giken makes a nice upgrade for this if you want to have some more fun. The Torsen becomes basically an open diff as soon as you lift one side. 

A helpful way to think about it:

• GR86 unloads the inside rear a bit more under hard cornering → LSD has more to do → tail comes out more willingly

• BRZ stays planted longer → more grip until it hits the limit → then it can break away a bit more suddenly

Both have multi-mode stability/traction control and you can fully disable it in either car. Track/Sport modes exist on both; the common claim is:

• BRZ Track mode reins things in a little sooner

• GR86 Track mode lets a bit more slip angle happen first

(Official threshold data is hard to come by, so most of this is based on seat-of-the-pants and reviews.)

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Brakes...

Stock brakes

Base braking hardware is basically the same:

• Ventilated discs front and rear (about 11.6" front, 11.4" rear)

• Floating calipers (2-piston front, 1-piston rear)

For spirited street driving: totally fine.
For repeated hard track laps: both can fade.

One example head-to-head number people quote:

• 60–0 mph: BRZ 107 ft vs GR86 108 ft
  That’s basically a tie—and tires, temps, and driver can swing that either way.

2024+ factory Brembo upgrades

This is where things get interesting for track people.

• Subaru: 2024 BRZ tS (factory Brembos + tuned suspension)

• Toyota: GR86 Performance Package (Brembos + Sachs dampers; standard on Trueno Edition, optional/dealer-installed on others)

Typical rotor sizing cited for the GR86 Performance Package:

• 12.8" front

• 12.4" rear

Toyota’s approach is also notable because the kit is described as something that can be dealer-installed and even retrofitted to earlier cars (with the usual wheel-clearance caveat 18" wheels to clear the bigger brakes). I think some 17's do fit, but it's pretty close and you've got to do some research on the wheels.

And that knuckle detail matters here again:

• BRZ started with aluminum knuckles

• BRZ tS went steel to mount the Brembos

• GR86 was already steel, so adding Brembos was simpler

Bottom line: base vs base, they’re the same. Brembo vs Brembo, they’re both way better for heat/fade. No secret advantage—just spec the right version for what you actually do. I'd rather just save the money and add some aftermarket calipers. If you do the calculations, you can do that and still have money left over. 

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Trims and special editions...

Quick breakdown, because this is where buyers get tripped up.

Toyota GR86 (US, 2022–2024)

• Base and Premium

• Premium gets the usual stuff: 18" wheels + Michelin Pilot Sport 4, spoiler, nicer interior materials, etc.

Special editions:

• 2024 GR86 Trueno Edition (limited run: 860 units for the U.S.)

  • Based on Premium

  • Includes the Performance Package hardware

  • Two-tone paint options, black hood, stripes, badges, themed interior touches

  • The key thing: it mixes “nostalgia look” with real hardware (Brembos + performance dampers)

• 2023 GR86 10th Anniversary Edition (Solar Shift orange)

  • Mostly appearance-focused (color/stripes/exhaust), not a suspension/brake overhaul

Toyota’s strategy is basically: keep the trim ladder simple, then let you option the serious stuff (or buy the Trueno and get it baked in).

Subaru BRZ (US, 2022–2024)

• Premium and Limited in 2022–2023

• Limited adds the expected upgrades (including 18" wheels + PS4)

For 2024:

• BRZ tS (STI-tuned) becomes the top model

  • Hitachi performance dampers (STI tuning)

  • Brembos

  • Unique wheels

  • Subtle visual changes, with interior accents like blue stitching/seatbelts and STI-branded details

Subaru’s strategy: “Want the track-ish one? Buy the tS.”

Toyota’s: “You can build it that way (or buy the special edition).”

Pricing commentary in the original comparisons usually lands around:

• BRZ tS starts ~$36k

• GR86 Premium ~$33k

• Performance Pack cost varies/was TBD in some discussions

• Trueno Edition around ~$36k MSRP in the way people tend to position it

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Styling and interior differences... (quick, because you didn’t come here for that)

They’re the same shape. Different faces.

• GR86 front end: cleaner, big mesh opening, “GR-family” vibe

• BRZ front end: more shapes/vents, more “snout,” different grille/vent styling

• Lighting signatures differ (Toyota more horizontal, Subaru more C-shaped)

Rear spoilers vary by trim:

• GR86 Premium gets that more obvious ducktail style

• BRZ tends to be more subtle

Inside: almost identical cabin layout.
Differences are mostly:

• badges (GR vs Subaru)

• stitching colors / seat materials

• software skin on the infotainment

Driver aids also shifted over time:

• Subaru EyeSight used to be more auto-only at first, then expanded

• Toyota added more assists on manuals by 2024 as well

None of that really changes the performance story.

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Performance and track capability...

This is the “okay but which one is faster?” section. And the answer is: it depends on driver + conditions, but there are trends.

Track handling vibe

• GR86: more rotation, more willingness to oversteer, more “hooligan-friendly”

• BRZ: calmer, easier to run clean consistent laps, more “precision baseline”

A common summary from reviews:

• BRZ is the reliable partner for tidy laps

• GR86 is the one that makes you grin because it wants to play

Grip / instrumented test stuff

Numbers people cite from comparisons include:

• skidpad: 0.98 g (GR86) vs 0.93 g (BRZ)

• MotorTrend figure-eight: GR86 quicker by 1.1 seconds

• 0–60: GR86 sometimes edges it by 0.1 s

• braking: basically even (that 107 ft vs 108 ft example)

These are small gaps, and they can swing with tires, temps, and driver. But the general idea holds: the Toyota tuning can look slightly better in aggressive testing, while the Subaru feels more stable and consistent.

The 2024+ “good brakes” effect

Once you’re comparing:

• GR86 with Performance Package vs BRZ tS
  …it becomes splitting hairs.

One cited benchmark:

• BRZ tS at Car and Driver Lightning Lap (VIR): 3:11.1

• last stock BRZ Limited: 3:12.4

• 2022 GR86 Premium: 3:11.8

That lines up with the real takeaway: the factory Brembo + better damper package makes these cars hold up better when you’re actually hammering them.

Daily vs track trade-offs

If you want the calmer daily feel + confidence baseline: BRZ makes sense.
If you want the car that’s easier to rotate and mess around with: GR86 makes sense.

And yeah, the aftermarket can turn either one into basically whatever you want. But from the factory, they’re two different flavors of the same recipe.

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In the end, it doesn't even matter...

Same ingredients. Slightly different seasoning.

The 2022–2024 GR86 and BRZ share the core stuff that matters: the boxer engine, the lightweight RWD platform, the Torsen LSD, and that “momentum car” personality that makes these things so fun.

Where they split is in the details:

• spring/damper choices

• sway bar sizing + mounting strategy

• knuckle material choices

• bushing stiffness

• EPS and stability control calibration

• how each brand packages the “serious” hardware (tS vs Performance Pack/Trueno)

If you want a car that’ll rotate more willingly and feel a little more playful when you lean on it, the GR86 tends to scratch that itch. If you want the slightly more composed, front-grippy, confidence-first setup, the BRZ is usually the move.

Either way… we’re the winners here. Affordable RWD coupes with real engineering thought put into them are getting rare. Plus, there's a ton of mods for it, which makes it fun to customize... and you've got way more room as a daily than a Miata. More on that later...