Seven years after arriving in the auto scene, the Toyota 86 is somehow still going strong. At the very least, it’s going strong enough to warrant more special edition models from Toyota. Don’t look now — well, you can look now, or you should look now — but the newest special edition 86 is on its way, and it’s named after Japan’s most famous stretch of highway. The new special edition sports coupé is called the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition, and, believe it or not, it’s actually available in the U.S. Details on pricing and availability have yet to be revealed, but the model does go on sale the U.S. this fall.

2019 - 2020 Toyota 86 Limited Hakone Edition

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 - 2020 Toyota 86 Limited Hakone Edition
  • Engine/Motor: Parallel-Twin

2018 - 2020 Toyota 86 Limited Hakone Edition

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2018 - 2020 Toyota 86 Limited Hakone Edition
  • Engine/Motor: Parallel-Twin
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What Makes the 2019 Toyota 86 Limited Hakone Edition Special?

It wasn’t that long ago when I was cursing under my breath, lamenting the fact that Toyota launched another special edition version of the 86 sports car, and left the U.S. out of the fun. The Japanese automaker had just launched the 86 British Racing Green Limited Edition, which, in my mind, at least, was one of the best-looking special edition 86 models ever released. But alas, my excitement quickly wore off when it was also announced that the 86 British Racing Green Limited Edition was available only in Japan. Oh, no. Not again. In what was becoming a trend of seeing one special edition model after another arrive in Japan, the U.S. market was being left out time and time again. It wasn’t just the 86 British Racing Green Edition. There was the Solar Orange Limited, the Yellow Limited, and the Style CB. Mind you; these are just the special edition 86s that didn’t arrive in the U.S. I could go on about the number of Subarus, BMWs, and Mercedes special editions that followed the same distribution method, but that’s going to eat up all of this space, not to mention my word count.

But something curious happened recently. More importantly, the 86 Hakone Edition is available in, you guessed it, the U.S.A.

Unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true. Not only is the 86 Hakone Edition available in America, but it’s available only in America. Hallelujah!

Ok, so the 86 Hakone Edition isn’t some new-fangled special edition that Toyota cooked up in its laboratory. Automakers like Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, and Mini have used the color at one time or another, whether it was for commercial or motor racing purposes. Now it’s Toyota’s turn, and as you might expect, the color fits the 86 spectacularly.

Apart from the rich green exterior paint finish, the 86 Hakone Edition also features a black spoiler at the back and a set of 17-inch, bronze-finished cast-aluminium wheels. About the only difference is the brake calipers sitting behind the wheels. The 86 British Racing Green Limited Edition came with red Brembo brake calipers: four-piston units in the front and two-piston units in the back. The 86 Hakone Edition, on the other hand, has its own brake calipers, but it’s hard to make out if the calipers are from Brembo. They aren’t red, too, which, I suppose, is another clear distinction between the two. The model also benefits from scoring a handful of standard exterior treatments, things like LED headlights and fog lamps, chrome exhaust tips, and power mirrors, among goodies.

The biggest distinction between the two special edition 86s is the name. I’m not at all surprised that Toyota would adopt this naming strategy, but I am surprised that it named the U.S.-bound model the Hakone Edition. For those who don’t know, Toyota got the name from the Hakone Turnpike that’s located near Tokyo. The wide expanse of asphalt is considered one of the best roads in Japan, and that’s saying something considering that almost all the roads in Japan are better than anything that we have here in the U.S. The turnpike also leads to Hakone, a mountainous town that’s known for its hot springs resorts, not to mention some of the most breathtaking views of Mount Fuji. It’s a great name for a car like the 86, but if Toyota’s going to use the name of a stretch of road that not many people outside of Japan would know, wouldn’t it be better served to use that name for the local market? Instead, Toyota switched it around, leaving us with the 86 Hakone Edition, even though a lot of Americans probably don’t know what it means.

I really am nitpicking at this point, though. The truth is, the name choice is not that big of a deal. It’s coming to the U.S. That’s all that matters.

Oh, and the interior matters, too, even though it’s also identical to that of the 86 British Racing Green Limited Edition. The trim-exclusive tan and black Alcantara seats are present in the 86 Hakone Edition. The tan stitching on the armrests, steering wheel, gear shift lever, and emergency brake also makes an appearance. Ditto for the tan Toyota 86 logo that’s embroidered on the passenger side dash. Even the sports car’s trunk somehow gets in on the fun with different carpeting and an embossed 86 logo. The key fobs also get a stylistic nod, courtesy of custom tan gloves. Again, the base 86's interior features like heated seats and cruise control carry over to the Hakone Edition.

Regrettably, power and performance don’t change for the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition. Just like all Toyota 86 models, the Hakon Edition utilizes the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine powering a lot of Toyota Supras. That means the maximum output your engine can produce adds up to just 205 horsepower and 158 pound-feet of torque. It’s not that much, but it’s still potent enough to help the 86 Hakone Edition sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a little over six seconds on its way to approaching a top speed of 140 mph.

Now that we know that the Toyota 86 Hakone Edition is arriving sometime in the fall, we can start preparing for its inevitable launch. Toyota hasn’t announced pricing details or how many models it plans to sell here in the U.S., but we can at least expect it to cost somewhere in the range of $36,000 to $40,000. As for how many will be available, cross your fingers that there’s enough for everyone.

In any event, it’s nice to know that Toyota still answers prayers. That or all that begging might have actually worked.

Further reading

Read our full, driven review of the 2017 Toyota 86.

Read our full, driven review of the 2017 Subaru BRZ.

Read our full review on the 2017 Toyota Motorsport GT86 CS-Cup.

Read our full review on the 2016 Toyota 86 GRMN