In case you're wondering as to when the all-new Toyota GR86 made its Philippine debut, we’re here to remind you that it first arrived in the country back in August 2022. Yes, it has been nearly four years since Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) launched the second-generation sports coupe.

Since it’s been more than three years since the GR86 arrived in the Philippines, it’s due for a minor model change, and it looks like TMP is just about ready to reveal it.

Based on a recent regulatory approval, Toyota Motor Philippines has received clearance to bring a passenger vehicle that’s powered by a 2387cc gasoline engine. It also has a reference mass that spans between 1364 kg and 1400 kg. After a quick check on the engine’s displacement and its reference weight, it looks like the upgraded Toyota GR86 could be revealed later this year.

First revealed for the Japanese market around two years ago, the upgraded GR86 sports some key upgrades that the current version only wishes to get. Thanks to extensive motorsport testing and feedback from professional racecar drivers, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) applied some improvements to the suspension, throttle, steering, and engine mapping to give it better performance and handling.

Starting with the suspension and handling, Toyota said the shock absorber damping was adjusted to give it a better direct handling feel, as well as better feedback and heightened response from the electronic power steering. Meanwhile, the engine torque and mapping were also given attention to give it finer accelerator pedal control during heel-and-toe shifting on the manual models. On the other hand, the automatic variants get a raised engine speed tolerance to allow for quicker downshifts on corner entry.

Style-wise, the upgraded GR86 remains relatively the same, although the sports coupe could get new daytime running lights. There might also be a new tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) for improved monitoring of tire status.

Under the hood, the GR86 continues to be powered by the 2.4L FA24D boxer engine derived from Subaru. It makes 237 PS with 250 Nm of torque and is available with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic transmission.

With TMP already receiving the green light to bring a passenger vehicle with a 2387cc gasoline engine, it might not be long before the upgraded Toyota GR86 makes its debut in the country.