Twist the key, blip the throttle, and the boxer-four answers in a low, syrupy growl that says everything you need to know. The 2023 Toyota GR86 GTS is a purist's love letter in a market that keeps trying to forget what driving actually feels like - low slung, light on its feet, and built around the simple idea that the road is more interesting than the destination.

Pop the bonnet on this Nunawading-based example and you're looking at the 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated flat-four, paired with the six-speed manual that nobody in the segment bothered to keep alive except Toyota. No turbo lag, no torque-converter hunting for a gear, no dual-clutch confusion in the wet - just a linear, honest connection between your right foot and the rear axle.

The cabin is a study in deliberate restraint. Driver-focused, low-mounted seats hold you exactly where the chassis needs you, the gearshift falls naturally to your hand, and the wheel telegraphs every change in surface and grip. There's an Alcantara feel to the touch points and a cluster that gives you the information you actually want at speed - revs, gear, and the small details that matter when the road starts to wind.

This particular GR86 has covered just over 4,200 kilometres - effectively brand-new, still wearing its initial set of tyres, with the kind of low-mileage record that hints at a very careful first owner. For a car that depreciates this gently and gets harder to find each year, that opening chapter matters. You're not buying someone else's track-day project; you're buying a sports coupe that's barely cleared its first service interval.

Out on the Black Spur or threading through the back roads behind the Dandenongs, the GR86's reputation does the talking. Rear-wheel drive, near-perfect 53/47 weight distribution, a limited-slip diff, and steering that talks back to you mid-corner - it's the kind of car that flatters the keen driver and teaches the new one. Around town it stays composed, manageable, and surprisingly easy to live with for a proper sports coupe.

Toyota build quality keeps the daily-driver case alive too. Tight panel gaps, supportive seats for longer runs, real-world fuel economy that won't sting at the bowser, and the kind of long-term parts and service backing that makes this a smart sentimental purchase rather than a risky one. The GR86 isn't a garage queen - it's a weekend hero that also makes Tuesday morning interesting.

For a Melbourne enthusiast, this car ticks the rare double - usable enough for the daily, sharp enough for the Sunday drive, and special enough that you'll keep finding excuses to take the long way home. With manual gearboxes quietly disappearing from the new-car landscape, owning a low-kilometre 2023 GTS feels less like a purchase and more like a small act of preservation.

They asked us if a sports coupe really needs three pedals in 2026. We said yes, then took the long way back to the showroom just to make sure.

All prices displayed exclude government charges. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, MM Carz recommends you confirm with one of our consultants to confirm specific specifications/features about the car. Please also note our vehicles may not always be on display, as they may be in for detailing - please contact us in advance to confirm availability before visiting our showroom.