While it is true that the new Toyota GR86 will only be on sale in Europe for two years, some people are under the misunderstanding that its lifespan is being curtailed by stricter emissions regulations. The reality is entirely different, so let us explain why the car will have to be discontinued after 2024.

In 2024, new European safety protocols will come into force, and vehicles that do not comply with these General Safety Regulation 2 standards will not be allowed to be sold. This will even apply to existing, un-registered stock held centrally by vehicle manufacturers.

In order to comply with these strict new regulations, the GR86 would have to be completely re-engineered. Apart from being economically unviable for a small-volume sports car like the GR86, compliance with these regulations would detrimentally affect the dynamic character of the car. Make no mistake, the GR86 is already a very safe car. It’s just that from 2024 it simply wouldn’t be the driver’s car everybody knows and loves.

This is why Toyota is encouraging people to recognise that the window of opportunity to own and enjoy a new GR86 is strictly limited. Because once that window has closed, it’s closed for good.

Regarding emissions, Toyota’s pre-emptive investment in electrification technologies means that our Clean Air For Europe statistics are already much lower than those of all other major car manufacturers. As a result, there was no legislative pressure from the European Commission to prematurely withdraw the GR86 from sale in this respect.

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