Most new sports cars never see track use, which makes this 2023 Toyota GR86 remarkable. It was bought new and never registered for road use, instead enduring 17,000 miles of track driving. And when the original engine developed problems, the owner ordered an engine swap and kept going.
First spotted by Engine Swap Depot, this car’s Subaru-sourced FA24 2.4-liter boxer was replaced by a Honda K-Series inline-four of equal displacement by MA-Motorsports after its harmonic balancer broke off, causing damage to the crankshaft and bearings. The new engine was installed using a KPower Industries kit, which included an adapter that allowed it to connect to the stock six-speed manual transmission.
The K-Series is a popular engine swap choice because of its ubiquity, compact dimensions, and headroom for upgrades. This K24A2 engine was used in the first-generation Acura TSX, making about 200 horsepower from the factory. A Link G4X XtremeX ECU gives the swapped engine 240 hp, a decent upgrade over the 228 hp the stock FA24 made before its demise. The engine has Skunk2 camshafts and a KPower oil pan, intake manifold, and exhaust headers, but retains other factory internals.
If you couldn’t tell from the big rear wing and front splitter, the GR86 itself is also far from stock. Its suspension was redone for track duty with aftermarket coilovers, while the brakes were upgraded with AP Racing calipers in front and Brembo calipers in back. The gutted interior has a Momo steering wheel, OMP driver’s seat, and a custom aluminum dashboard housing a Link/AIM digital display.
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We’ve heard other reports of GR86 engines failing after track use, but for a different issue. Owners have complained of oil starvation due to gasket failure, something that should be covered under warranty as track use doesn’t void warranty coverage for Toyota’s GR-branded vehicles. But owners have also reported difficulty in getting the automaker to make good on that promise. The extensive modifications to this car may have voided the warranty, at any rate.
Problems like this are, to say the least, not a good look for a car so well suited to track use. But at least Toyota and Subaru are still making a simple, relatively affordable sports car like this. With the GR86’s replacement potentially evolving into something different, that may not be the case for long.