THE BREAKDOWN
- Kuhl Racing’s lifted GR86 blends rally-inspired styling with real off-road functionality.
- Optional turbo kit adds 50 horsepower over the stock engine.
- Full conversion packages and individual parts are available for customization.
- Kuhl asks ¥4,150,000 ($26,600) for the full kit.
Sports cars aren’t supposed to go off-road. At least, not on purpose. But companies like Lamborghini and Porsche flipped the script with their lifted, ruggedized supercars in the Huracan Sterrato and the 911 Dakar. Real ones will also remember the Aixam Mega Track.
Now, a few tuners are getting in on the fun. The latest lifted sports car comes from Japan; Kuhl Racing has transformed a Toyota GR86 into something that looks ready to blast down a rally stage. It rules.
A Toyota GR86 For the Trail
The GR86 Outroad is Kuhl Racing’s lifted, ruggedized take on Toyota’s rear-wheel-drive coupe. The most obvious change is the ride height. Kuhl fitted a custom suspension setup that lifts the GR86 by roughly 3.0 inches. There’s also an optional hydraulic lift system that can raise it even higher by up to 1.6 inches when need be, then drop it back down for normal driving.
Visually, the Outroad looks way tougher than a stock GR86. Chunky fender flares widen the stance to fit beefier tires, while redesigned front and rear bumpers improve the approach and departure angles. Skid plates, cladding, and auxiliary lights push the car firmly into rally territory, while roof rails complete the look.
Under the hood is the same stock 2.4-liter flat-four engine, but Kuhl offers an optional turbocharger kit for buyers who want more power. Alongside upgrades like revised cooling and ECU tuning, the Outroad delivers a bit more power than stock.
Kuhl says the turbocharger adds 50 more horsepower to the stock 232 horsepower. And of course, buyers can choose between a manual gearbox or an automatic.
Not Just a Concept
The best part of all is that this isn’t just a concept car. Kuhl actually plans to offer the Outroad as a full conversion package to GR86 owners, with individual components available for customers who want to build their own version. That means suspension, aero, wheels, brakes, and performance upgrades can all be mixed and matched depending on how extreme customers want to get.
Kuhl will sell you the entire Outroad package for a decent ¥4,150,000 ($26,600)—assuming you already own the car. The body kit alone costs ¥1,771,000 ($11,800), while the wheels add another ¥440,000 ($2,800) to the asking price. Opt for the turbo, and that’s another ¥1,250,000 ($8,300).
Kuhl will debut its GR86 Outroad at next month’s Tokyo Auto Salon before it goes on sale in Japan later in 2026.
