Toyota built the GR86 all-wheel drive rally car of our dreams

• Toyota has unveiled a new GR86 Rally Legacy concept for SEMA 2024.
• It uses the GR Corolla's three-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque.
• It also adopts the all-wheel drive of the GR Corolla and has a sequential racing gearbox.

Toyota is doing everything it can for SEMA – as usual. We've already seen the 4Runner TRD Surf, Land Cruiser Rox, and a handful of other off-road equipped trucks heading to Vegas. Now the company is leaving the glory days of the 1980s behind with a rally-inspired GR86 concept.

The GR86 Rally Legacy concept will be unveiled at SEMA this week. It features all-wheel drive and a more powerful turbocharged engine, as well as a full Castrol-style rally livery with red mud flaps, white wheels and a race-ready cabin with little fuss. It has Sparco racing seats, a Sparco steering wheel, a roll cage… and that's all.

Photo by: Toyota

Photo by: Toyota

Under the hood is the GR Corolla's turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine. It makes 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, matching the standard GR Corolla – but Toyota says it's capable of even more. Photos show a sequential racing gearbox, so not a manual gearbox, but the GR86 concept at least adopts the Corolla's all-wheel drive system.

But equipping the GR86 with the engine and all-wheel drive of the GR Corolla was no easy task. Engineers had to modify the GR86's chassis to accommodate the larger, transversely mounted engine with a custom subframe and engine mounts. Adding the bulky all-wheel drive system, meanwhile, meant adding the Corolla's hubs, spindles and axles to transfer power to the front wheels.

The GR86 also adopts the GR Corolla's rear differential and casing to maintain factory gear ratios and features sophisticated center-mounted dual exhaust pipes that just look cool.

Of course you can't buy one. The complexity of the project tells us that Toyota has no plans to put it into production. But if you happen to be at SEMA this week, you'll be able to see the GR86 Rally Legacy alongside the brand's other great concepts at the Toyota booth.

Doors to the Las Vegas Convention Center open November 5th.