Lowered just enough and wheels with a special attention to detail
The Miyagi 86/BRZ Meeting, now in its second year, was started in 2023 as an event to create a place where owners can casually gather with other owners, regardless of whether they are fully stocked or tuned. Last year’s inaugural event was quite successful with 50 cars, and this year 150 new and old 86/BRZs participated. Among the owners from the Tohoku region, we would like to introduce one car that caught our attention.
Customized GR86 faster than anyone else
Mr. Kurosaka used to drive a ZC33 series Suzuki Swift and enjoyed light tuning. However, he had always had a yearning for RWD sports cars, and was particularly in love with the style of Nissan’s 180SX. However, when he decided to switch, he saw the Toyota “86” owned by some of his good friends and seniors, and signed a contract for a new GR86, which had just been released.
The first aftermarket part he purchased after taking delivery of the car was the GRAES coilovers. Despite the low style and high rates of 20 kg/cm2 front and 14 kg/cm2 rear, we like the ride comfort, which is surprisingly mild with no unpleasant thrust. The rear suspension was modified to full arms concerning the older drivers’ cars, and a set of WORK GT5-3P with 9.5J x 18 and 13 inset was installed with only a claw-fold process on the fenders.
Toe control arms, tension rods, and even upper and lower arms were installed to accommodate the wider wheels and alignment was adjusted. At first, they thought about compromising with an inset of 25, but they achieved their ideal style and were satisfied saying, “It was worth all the hard work”. Incidentally, the rear camber is quite large at 7 to 8 degrees, and he says that not tapping the fenders to widen them is another non-negotiable detail.
The image was changed by adopting a US-spec factory front grille
Although it is hard to notice at a glance, when placed side by side with the same car, the difference can be seen in the stock front grille, which has been replaced with a US-specification grille. The base of the license plate is smaller than that of the Japanese model, and the slant of the license plate is also slightly larger, giving it a sharper, more angular image. The horizontal honeycomb design remains unchanged, and the “GR” emblem in the upper right corner has been retained to smartly distinguish it from the stock version.
Next, he is currently planning to install a US-specification tail lens to match the front or modify the stock tail lens for more originality. Also, the side markers may be replaced with US-specification shiny side markers. Furthermore, for the exhaust system, he is planning to use a Beefree muffler as a base and combine it with a stock tail from a friend’s R35, creating a custom design that is just as simple and common as the exterior.
Although he is sad to let go of his beloved Swift, he is thrilled with the much lower eye point of the car, even in stock form, and the wide variety of custom parts and menus available for this popular car. The GR86 was finished up to this point in just 9 months after delivery, and we look forward to seeing how it will evolve in the future.
