2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition gets retro stripes, better brakes, better shocks

Between the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ sports car twins, the Subaru version has received a bit more in the way of factory performance love. First it got a performance package with Sachs shocks and Brembo brakes. Then it got a special tS trim with those bits plus more chassis bracing and some extreme aero parts. Now Toyota has a special edition model to rival the BRZ performance package: the 2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition.

It is important to note that, no, this special package does not add any additional power. It still makes the same 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Performance-wise, the TRD Special Edition is very much like the aforementioned BRZ. It comes with Sachs shocks and Brembo brakes. While Toyota hasn't yet announced whether the suspension tuning is the same as the BRZ, the brakes are the same size and have the same four-piston calipers up front and two-piston calipers in the rear.

Where the TRD Special Edition adds a little more than the equivalent BRZ is in style. The 86 gets a complete body kit with redesigned front lip, side skirts, rear diffuser, rear spoiler, brushed stainless steel exhaust tips and unique 18-inch wheels (one inch larger than the BRZ's). Those wheels are shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires. TRD logos dot the exterior, and the sides get some seriously rad retro red-orange-yellow TRD stripes. Inside, the interior is all black and red, with extra faux suede and an embroidered TRD logo on the dash.

The 86 TRD will command a higher price than the regular models. The MSRP is $32,420, and with the $920 destination charge, it comes to $33,340. That makes it the most expensive version of the 86. It will come with some added exclusivity, since Toyota is only selling 1,418 examples. But if you can do without the added style and exclusivity, you can have a BRZ with the performance package for $30,500.