Toyota teased its track-focused GT 86 TRD Griffon concept at the beginning of June 2013. The car was eventually revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon, and now fans of the lightweight coupe are going to see it hit the track. Toyota is bringing the two-door to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and this little machine should prove to be quite the adept hillclimber.
To prep it for its track time, the TRD team shed as much weight as they could. Carbon fiber body panels have been swapped in so that the door, roof, hood, truck, and rear wing are all made up of the lighter material. Additionally, the front bumper and fenders have been swapped out for carbon fiber composite pieces. TRD were able to shed a very impressive 500 pounds which brings the curb weight down to a few ticks under 2,300.
The engine was left alone, but the handling and braking have been upgraded. A TRD mechanical differential was swapped in to replace the Torsen unit, and a set of lightweight 18-inch wheels was bolted on.
According to TRD, the Griffon managed to lap Japan’s Tsukuba Circuit in 1:01.872, which makes it nearly 0.4 seconds faster per lap than a Ferrari 458 Italia.
This GT 86 clearly looks to get down to racing business, and we can't wait to see it hit the hill. Not only that, we hope that these TRD products find their way into the Scion parts catalog so we can see the FR-S equivalent prowling our own streets and tracks.
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