These Are The Main Differences Between The Toyota GR86 Yuzu And The Subaru BRZ Series.Yellow

If you thought the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ couldn't get any more similar, you'd be wrong. Not only are they essentially the same car under their barely unique skins, but each brand now offers a special edition of each car that features what looks like the exact same yellow paint color. They're called the Toyota GR86 Yuzu Edition and the less cleverly named Subaru BRZ Series.Yellow. Both cars are basically the sportiest versions of themselves, just painted with special edition yellow color codes. However, there are some subtle differences that might make customers choose one over the other.

Both cars feature identical engines: 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinders with 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. However, their transmission choices vary a bit. While the Subaru BRZ Series.Yellow is exclusively paired with a six-speed manual, the GR86 Yuzu offers both that manual and a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters for an extra $1,100. Both cars still only power their rear wheels. However, there are some mechanical and visual differences between the two yellow editions worth mentioning, too.

At first glance, especially from the side or the rear, the two cars look like identical twins. That's no surprise considering the same can be said about the standard versions of each coupe. They have the same wheels, the same rear bumper, the same standard exhaust tips, and mostly the same black trim. That yellow color looks remarkably similar in photos, even if they have different names. Toyota appropriately calls theirs Yuzu Yellow, named after the trendy citrus fruit, while Subaru calls theirs Sunrise Yellow. 

The easiest way to tell the two cars apart, however, is by their front ends, as they have ever-so-slightly different grilles and black trim around their front air intakes. However, some customers might make your car-spotting job a little bit easier, since Toyota offers an upgraded GR Aero Kit for $2,700, while Subaru makes you stick with the stock styling. Customers who opt for Toyota's upgraded aero kit get a new front splitter, side skirts, and rear diffuser, all of which have extra black trim. 

Toyota also offers another upgrade that Subaru doesn't, which is both visual and mechanical: a quad-tip exhaust that'll cost you $2,420. Since both the standard GR86 Yuzu and BRZ Series.Yellow have dual exhausts, with one tip on either side of the bumper, seeing four tips is a dead giveaway that you're looking at the Toyota. 

Since both yellow editions are based on each car's respective special performance versions — the Toyota GR86 Performance Package and Subaru BRZ tS — they each have minor mechanical differences. For example, each car is said to have specific steering and chassis tuning. How their steering differs will have to be experienced to see if there's any real-world delta between the two. However, each car also has a different suspension. The Toyota's Performance Package comes with upgraded Sachs dampers, while the Subaru uses unique Hitachi ones. Again, how they differ will have to be experienced, and which one is better will likely be down to personal preference. 

Both cars have Brembo brakes; Toyota just uses red calipers, while Subaru goes with gold. While the wheels are the same, the brands wrap them in different tires. Toyota uses Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires, while Subaru sticks with a Bridgestone Potenza S007 summer tire. Toyota also offers upgraded GR Performance stabilizer bars ($1,320), while Subaru has no such option. 

Since both cars start out so similarly, it shouldn't be a shock that they have almost identical special editions. However, their differences in suspension and performance options could separate them on the road for customers. Chances are, though, that if you see one of these yellow sports cars, it's a little bit more likely to be the Yuzu. Toyota is building 860 of them for North America, while Subaru is only building 350 Series.Yellow BRZs. The Toyota is cheaper, too, starting at $37,560 (including $1,195 destination fee) for the six-speed manual, while the Subie reportedly costs $40,555.