Toyota recognizes that at the core of any great sports car is impeccable handling rather than excessive power.
Vehicles of all manners, from sedans to crossovers to EVs and performance cars, have no shortage of merits. The latest productions have upgraded performance, multimedia systems, and utility to outdo competitors in their respective classes. But most petrolheads relish the driving experience of their car the most and enjoy nothing more than flinging a car around the racetrack.
Toyota recognizes that at any sports car's core is good handling characteristics rather than excessive power. Therefore, this Japanese automaker focuses on producing automobiles with responsive steering and tremendous grip around the corners. Stick around to discover some of Toyota's best-handling cars ever produced.
The Toyota Sports 800 was a pure sports car that some consider the forefather of fun. Not many know much about this car as it was only made for the Japanese market. Total production was over 3,100 units, with only about 300 left-hand drives.
It was a couple of hundred pounds lighter than anything else in its era while being very aerodynamic. The unique suspension gives this car a very light-hearted character. Its low center of gravity and a sufficient anti-sway bar give this car minimal swing or sway. The result was a fun-to-drive car that doesn't require a lot of power to stay at high speeds and corner immaculately.
The name Celica came from a Latin word that means celestial, and driving it is as good as the name suggests. The Celica received a facelift and performance upgrades in the 2005 model and is now one of the best cheap sports cars.
On board is the 1.8-liter 1ZZ-FE engine that coughs out 140 horsepower, can push the Celica from 0 to 60 in 8.7 seconds, and has a top speed of 130 MPH. Unlike the GT86, this car has front-wheel drive but similar driving characteristics.
Unsurprisingly, you might be aware of this Toyota as one of the purest rear-wheel drive sports cars currently on sale. It can make 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. The GT86 has a low center of gravity with a 2-liter boxer engine and maintains a lightweight of just 2800 lbs.
It has fantastic direct steering and connects well with the road without noticeable tendencies to pitch or roll. 2017 and onward models have thicker body shells and thicker anti-roll bars. The traction control is always happy to intervene if you hit the rear tires' grip limit.
Japan's first supercar came as the Toyota 2000GT in 1967. You might have seen one of these driven by James Bond in "You Only Live Twice" as a convertible. Besides starring in movies, this iconic sports car smashed records left, right, and center for speed and endurance in the 1,500 to 2,000cc class.
This rear-wheel drive grand tourer featured a 5-speed manual transmission and offered power-assisted disc brakes. Proper weight balance and expert suspension tuning meant this car handled like a dream.
The Corolla AE86 was a three-door rear-wheel-drive coupe that rode on the same free-revving 1.6-liter engine equipped in the MR2. Being an extremely lightweight car, it was fabulous to drive.
The handling is a delight on dry roads. Under any circumstances, it is difficult to upset the rear end. This car appeared in countless video games and became a symbol for tuners and drifters. Thanks to the Initial D anime series, the pop-up headlight AE86 version got a cult-like following.
Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, introduced a two-door sports car and named it The RC F. RC means Radical Coupe, which does justice to its appearance and performance. Under the hood is where you'll find all that's good.
The 5.0-liter V8 motor makes 472 horses and 395 lb-ft of torque. Once you find its best setting, the RC F will reward you with moments of brilliance. Although outrageously quick, you might find competitors, such as the lighter Audi RS5 Coupe, to be far faster.
The Celica GT-4 was Toyota's World Rally Championship car and stood as the hoodoo of the Celica lineup in the mid-1990s. The GT4 is an affordable yet reliable performance car that delivers on winter roads and track days. If you can find one that is well cared for, the maintenance and service costs are affordable.
Toyota took the challenge to make the best handling car very seriously, so this piece of racing history will handle well no matter what the forest, snow, or gravel can throw at it.
When this Japanese supercar came out, reviews praised its incredible grip and handling. Unlike many other sports cars that sacrifice handling in favor of speed, this supercar is not just about speed but maintaining high speeds through good, precise cornering.
Thanks to their exceptionally balanced chassis and massive reserves of grip, they cling around corners like a leech. It even beat the lotus Esprit and the then 911 on track. You can even enhance the grip on these marques by using wider tires in the back.
Many fanatics consider the GR Supra a bona fide rival to the Porsche 718 Cayman due to its precision handling, poise, and panache. For a front-engined sports car, that's as close as possible.
It takes up more space and feels heavier than a Cayman, but the chassis works hard to resist body roll and check pitch through faster bends. This car is athletic, and the rear axle comes across as one with great composure, while the steering feels adhesive and quick off the center.
Any driving enthusiast yet to test out the GR Yaris must be full of anticipation. The uninitiated might ignore it as a humble city-driving Toyota hatchback. But once you hear of this car's mouth-watering hype and specifications, fewer low, wide, and high-power vehicles would spark more excitement.
The single-minded design behind the Yaris gives it a purposeful look. Sit behind the wheel and instantly recognize its rally homologation features as it does not worry about the surface beneath it. It will energetically charge through ridges, compressions, and broken asphalt with high grip levels.
K. N’njagi has been a writer in the auto industry since 2017 and keeps getting okay at it. A staff writer with a taste for high mileage, rusted-out projects, and amateur endurance racing.
