ZN6 is Toyota's model code for the first-generation Toyota 86. The car was developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru and built by Subaru at its Gunma plant in Japan, alongside its twin, the Subaru BRZ. It went on sale in Japan in April 2012. In the US it was sold under two names, Scion FR-S and Toyota 86, before the GR86 replaced it.
The Scion FR-S (2013 to 2016)
The ZN6 arrived in the US as the 2013 Scion FR-S, in dealerships nationwide by June 2012. The name stood for "Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport." It started at $24,200 with a manual and $25,300 with an automatic. Power came from a 2.0-liter boxer four with a bore and stroke of exactly 86 by 86 mm. Subaru supplied the engine, which The Drive identifies as the FA20, and Toyota added its D-4S fuel system, which uses both direct and port injection. It made 200 hp at 7,000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque. It sold well early. Hagerty reports sales of over 2,000 a month at first, settling to 1,200 to 1,500 a month later.
Scion also ran two limited editions. The 2014 FR-S Release Series 1.0 came in Yuzu paint and was capped at 1,500 cars. The 2016 Release Series 2.0 came in Lunar Storm and was capped at 1,000.
The Toyota 86 (2017 to 2020)
In February 2016, Toyota announced it was shutting down Scion, the brand it had launched in 2003. Starting in August 2016, the 2017 Scion models were rebadged as Toyotas, and the FR-S took on the Toyota 86 name already used in other markets.
The rename came with a small update. Manual cars got 205 hp at 7,000 rpm and 156 lb-ft at 6,400 rpm, while automatics stayed at 200 hp. A manual 86 weighed 2,758 pounds.
Toyota kept the special editions coming. The 2017 860 Special Edition was built in 860 cars each in Supernova Orange and Halo White. The 2019 86 TRD Special Edition was manual-only, painted Raven, and limited to 1,418 cars. The 86 Hakone Edition, based on the 86 GT, followed for the 2020 model year.
The GR86 takes over
Toyota's US lineup went from the 2020 86 straight to the 2022 GR86. The new car grew its engine from 1,998 cc to 2,387 cc and its output from 205 to 228 hp, and it reached dealers in December 2021 starting at $27,700.
Subaru built the BRZ at the same Gunma plant.
For the original 86, read why the AE86 Corolla is called the hachi-roku. You can rate the FR-S, 86, and BRZ against each other on WhipJury.
Sources:
ZN6 model code, Toyota and Subaru co-development, Gunma production, and the Japan launch: Toyota
Gunma production of the BRZ: Subaru
The FR-S engine, D-4S injection, output, and name: Toyota
US on-sale date and prices: Toyota
The FA20 engine code: The Drive
Monthly sales: Hagerty
Release Series 1.0 and 2.0: Toyota and Toyota
The Scion shutdown: Toyota
The 2017 Toyota 86 specs: Toyota
The 860, TRD, and Hakone editions: Toyota, Toyota, and Toyota
The model-year lineup: Toyota newsroom
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: IFCAR (public domain), MercurySable99 (CC BY-SA 4.0), HJUdall (CC0), and The359 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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Jeffrey Wiley has spent more time than he'd like to admit thinking about what makes a car look right. He writes about automotive design, car culture, and the opinions people have strong feelings about. He lives in north Georgia.
