Toyota's GR86 one-make race series is getting an automatic-transmission option for the first time. Announced August 6 alongside the road car's 2026 update, the GR86 Cup Car Basic — the factory-prepared race car built for competitors in the GR86/BRZ Cup — will now be available with a 6-speed automatic in addition to its existing 6-speed manual, with AT-equipped production scheduled to start in December 2026.
Why this matters
The Cup Car Basic has always been a manual-only proposition, which meant drivers who wanted to race in the GR86/BRZ Cup needed stick-shift proficiency on top of everything else required to run a spec racer. An automatic option could make the Cup Car Basic accessible to a wider range of drivers, including those without manual experience, though Toyota hasn't yet detailed how — or whether — AT-equipped cars will be eligible to race within the GR86/BRZ Cup itself.
It's a notable shift for a series built around a car whose entire identity, on the road-going side, still leans hard into manual-transmission driving purity. The move broadens the Cup Car Basic's potential audience without eliminating the six-speed manual.
What we don't know yet
Neither of the Japanese reports we reviewed included pricing or a detailed spec sheet for the AT-equipped Cup Car Basic, a technical explanation of why Toyota chose this moment to add the option, or how AT-equipped cars will fit into GR86/BRZ Cup race eligibility. We'll update this piece once official GAZOO Racing documentation or pricing becomes available.
The announcement came as part of the same August 6 update that revised the standard GR86's throttle mapping, shift feel, power steering tune, and EyeSight driver-assist hardware — but it isn't confirmed whether those specific road-car changes carry over to the Cup Car Basic.