Blitz Helps Toyota GR86 Owners Make Some Truly Wild Custom Rides
One of the better sports cars for automotive enthusiasts looking for a lightweight ride suited to the track is the Toyota GR86 and its Subaru BRZ twin. At a time when both rear-wheel drive and manual transmissions are becoming rare in cars, the GR86 offers both. In most areas, you won't see many GR86 cars on the roads because they are one of the rarest Toyotas of all.
Blitz Concept Parts
Despite the GR86 not being particularly common, many owners want to customize their vehicles for more style and performance. A company from Japan called Blitz has announced a full line of GR86 concept parts to improve style and performance for the road and racetrack. The company offers a line of upgrade parts for the vehicle's interior, under the hood, suspension, and body kit components.
Under the Hood
Components under development include a Carbon Power Air Cleaner, which is a cold air intake with a conical filter on the end with a body made from carbon fiber boasting what appears to be red silicone connectors and a carbon fiber filter housing with red anodized components. While the cold air intake certainly looks nice under the hood, it's worth noting that these components rarely add power unless they require retuning the engine. The company is also offering a Carbon Suction Kit, but it's unclear exactly what that consists of. It may be the carbon fiber bits on the end of the cold air intake covering the filter – but details released by the company thus far are scant.
Blitz is currently offering blue or red silicone hoses to replace the basic black rubber under the hood. In addition, it is developing a racing oil cooler kit and a racing radiator to help keep temperatures under control during hard use. Keeping a vehicle cool on the racetrack, particularly during hot weather, can be challenging, so many track day enthusiasts start with cooling upgrades.
Brakes
Going fast won't do you any good without brakes to slow you down. Blitz is currently developing a Big Caliper Kit II with six pistons for the front and a Big Caliper Kit II with four-piston calipers in the rear. While pricing isn't mentioned, big brake kits tend to be some of the most expensive modifications you can make to a car, often costing thousands of dollars.
Suspension
Blitz has several suspension components currently on sale to improve handling for the vehicle, including a Damper ZZ-R SpecDSC Plus kit, Damper ZZ-R suspension kit, Miracle Camber Adjuster, Miracle Stroke Adjuster, Stabilink Adjuster, front and rear Strut Tower Bars, Rear Trailing Arm, and Rear Toe Control Arm. The images show that at least one of the suspension kits is a coilover kit.
Exhaust
Another component people like to upgrade on their vehicle is the exhaust system. Exhaust systems aren't known for adding power, but they can reduce vehicle weight and improve sound output. Blitz is developing a NUR-Spec F-Ti Quad Model exhaust system made entirely of titanium. Titanium exhaust systems are common for exotic automobiles because the material is significantly lighter than the typical stainless steel exhaust system used by automotive manufacturers.
Electronics and Guages
One of the parts under development by Blitz promising additional power for the car is the Power Thro. The component is listed as electronics on the manufacturer's website and claims to control the throttle response and airflow sensor on a naturally aspirated car to improve horsepower.
It's also listed as a boost pressure controller for those who plan to turbocharge their GR86. In addition, the device adds driving modes and, with an additional component, can turn off the start/stop functionality of the engine. While the component is under development, it's listed for ¥50,000 (around $435 USD).
Also under development is a triple racing gauge panel, including a vacuum gauge, oil temperature gauge, and oil pressure gauge. Knowing oil pressure is critical for keeping an engine healthy under hard use on a racetrack.
Body Kit
Blitz's most visible upgrades for the car fall under its Aero Speed R-Concept body kit components. Those components include a new front bumper spoiler, side spoiler, rear bumper, front fender, and rear fender. Blitz also offers a tall rear wing for style and presumably to improve downforce on the back of the car.
The front and rear fenders are particularly interesting as they give the GR86 a wide-body look. Typically, track fans utilize front and rear fender extenders to cover wider wheels and tires to improve grip at the racetrack. Wider and stickier tires are among the best upgrades for improved handling and better lap times.
Interior Bits
Blitz also has accessories for the car's interior, including a different steering wheel, shift knob, and handbrake cover. It's unclear if these will be offered in different colors, but images show them in anodized red and leather.
Other Items
While Blitz doesn't make them, for those wondering about the other components seen on the vehicle in the images, the company does detail what the concept car is using. The wheels are ENKEI Racing Revolution RS05RR wheels in 18x9.5 front and rear. The tires on those wheels are Dunlop Direzza AIII at 255/35 R18 front and rear. The interior of the car features seats by Bride.