Toyota GR86 Raeder Motorsport in the super test: The perfect ring tool for the Nordschleife?

For decades, the touring scene on the Nordschleife has been known for its highly modified ring tools, which often cause surprises at the limits. These wolves in sheep's clothing then suddenly turn up the nose at the top dogs at the limit. And today's super test is highlighting just such a wild ring tool: welcome, Toyota GR86 from Raeder Motorsport.

Who is Raeder Motorsport? Raeder Motorsport GmbH was founded in 2001 by brothers Nicolas and Martin Raeder. Raeder Motorsport – the name evokes memories of successful racing cars from the Nürburgring Endurance Championship, such as the Porsche 996 GT3 RS in the legendary Recaro livery, the orange Ford GT, the orange Lamborghini Gallardo, and also the Audi TT RS. The surprise overall victory of the Raeder-Audi TT RS in the 6-hour race on the Nordschleife in 2011 first caught the attention of Manthey founder Olaf Manthey.

In 2013, Nicolas and Martin Raeder took over his entrepreneurial legacy and became managing directors of Manthey Racing. Raeder Motorsport was then integrated into the Manthey cosmos as a division. While Manthey focuses on Porsche racing and road cars, Raeder Motorsport today primarily focuses on non-Porsche road vehicles.

Reader Motorsport is now located across from Manthey's headquarters at the roundabout in the Meuspath industrial park. BMW M3s, Corvette Z06s, Audi R8s, and Toyota GR Yaris, all tightly tuned for racetrack performance, populate the yard and delight track tool enthusiasts. Raeder Motorsport also specializes in the restoration of historic vehicles.

The focus today is on "GReta." Behind this nickname lies the Toyota GR86, which Raeder Motorsport has converted into a ring tool. Not only the modifications implemented on the GR86, but also every move by the Raeder mechanics strongly recalls the virtues of Manthey. Similar to the recent supertests of the Porsche 992 GT3 and 718 Cayman GT4 RS with the well-known Manthey kits, the Toyota GR86 is also being prepared with logistics reminiscent of factory racing.

Heated blankets off, out onto the Nordschleife. A permanent grin under the racing helmet from the Hatzenbach bend onwards. The GR86 from Raeder Motorsport plunges into the fast right-hand bend at a minimum speed of 160 km/h – a mesmerizing 15 km/h faster than the production model. Respect!

"In your case, the lap time was of course very important to us, but also that you as a driver feel comfortable and have a good feel for driving the car at its limits. A converted vehicle should always be tailored to the driver's requirements and intended use, so that the driver primarily enjoys the project. When designing the components for the conversion, we examined every part in detail and looked for what could be improved," explains Oliver Greven, who serves as "Group Leader Road" at Manthey and whose main responsibilities include all projects at Raeder Motorsport.

Along with Oliver Greven, Alex Hardt was primarily responsible for the GR86's dynamic setup. He is officially responsible for sales and marketing at Raeder Motorsport. Hardt also competed in the Porsche Sprint Challenge GT3 of the Porsche Sports Cup last season, driving a Porsche 992 GT3 Cup, where he finished runner-up.

"GReta" at the limit on the Nordschleife? It's strongly reminiscent of a typical touring car from almost forgotten times at the Nürburgring. Those days when not every other car had 500 hp or more. The GR86 draws its lateral dynamic fascination from incredible cornering speed. On the acceleration sections in between, it continues to move along at a relatively leisurely pace with the standard rated power of 235 hp.

Unlike high-performance cars, many Nordschleife corners suddenly no longer require braking; instead, a minimal touch of the accelerator before the turn is sufficient. The GR86's motto on the loop: Always gain as much momentum as possible in the corner.

Just like the Hatzenbachbogen, the airfield section of the track is now almost at full speed. Minimum speed in the first right-hand bend at the airfield? Instead of the standard version's 161 km/h, the Raeder Motorsport GR86 zips around the corner at an incredible 177 km/h. Respect! That's almost faster than the Ferrari 488 Pista with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires (176 km/h).

The GR86 comes factory-equipped with a high-revving, naturally aspirated boxer engine and a crisp six-speed manual transmission. Raeder Motorsport has refined the purist genes of the Japanese sports coupe to perfection. Although the roll cage initially adds weight, the overall vehicle weight has been reduced by eliminating the rear seat system and trim material and by using lighter Recaro Pole Position bucket seats. At 1,266 kilograms, the Raeder Motorsport GR86 weighs 18 kilograms less than the production GR86 model.

Since "GReta" travels comparatively comfortably between the airfield and Schwedenkreuz sections with a top speed of 224 km/h, we take a mental look at the list of additional modifications by Raeder Motorsport: KW V4 Clubsport coilover suspension with specific Raeder Motorsport tuning, adjustable toe links on the rear axle, 17-inch wheels with Dunlop Direzza 03G R3 (235/45 R 17 all around), brake upgrade at the front, Endless brake pads all around, steel-braided brake lines including special brake fluid, Schroth six-point harnesses, Alcantara steering wheel cover, baffle for the oil pan, engine oil cooler, lightweight flywheel, Lithium Next lightweight battery, Milltek exhaust system after catalytic converter.

Just as impressive as the race-like sound of the Milltek exhaust system is the GR86's outstanding handling stability. While the production version presented itself with very agile self-steering behavior, the version modified by Raeder Motorsport shines with sensational levels of mechanical grip. In the production model, at the limit on the Nordschleife, the driver was constantly busy using small countersteering inputs on the steering wheel to tame the sidesteps of the rear.

In addition, the tire pressure of the standard GR86, at 2.4 bar on the front axle and 2.1 bar on the rear axle, was originally set to soften the rear axle, which was too agile for fast lap times, and to trim the vehicle balance slightly more toward the front axle. And yet, laps around the ring in the factory-fitted GR86 at times resembled a drift challenge. The miss-hit-miss load changes that once occurred in corners have now virtually disappeared.

Modified by Raeder Motorsport, the GR86 now performs much more precisely on the racing line, with high steering precision and a significantly better balance between the front and rear axles. The excellent driving stability immediately inspires more confidence at the limit. More confidence at the limit almost automatically leads to higher cornering speeds.

The lowered ride height and tighter suspension tuning of the KW coilover kit, specifically tuned by Raeder Motorsport, now significantly reduces the previous body movement. Compared to the production version, significantly higher negative camber values ​​on the front and rear axles not only ensure more precise steering behavior, but also better support (GR86 series: front axle camber -0°39', rear axle camber -1°33', GR86 Raeder Motorsport: front axle camber -2°45', rear axle camber -2°30').

Combined with the almost slick-like grip level of the Dunlop Direzza 03G tires in the R3 compound, the GR86 not only shines with largely neutral handling at the limit. Both in the standard braking test from 100 km/h to zero (Raeder Motorsport: 32.7 m, stock: 36.2 m) and on the racetrack, the modified GR86 delivers measurably better deceleration values. Vehicles that aren't available with semi-slicks as standard often stumble when subsequently swapping to these same sports tires, sometimes with an unsuitable ABS control. The Raeder Motorsport GR86 doesn't show any signs of this. The ABS and the Direzzas master even the most bumpy challenges on the loop.

In the GR86 from Raeder Motorsport, braking points can be set later than in the production version. However, in sections of the track such as the Aremberg braking zone or towards the Bergwerk, it is advisable not to brake too late due to the comparatively low engine power. It is better to set the braking point earlier so that you can accelerate sooner and gain plenty of momentum out of the corner. Overall, the braking system modified by Raeder Motorsport scores points with even more harmonious modulation at the limit and greater durability than the production version.

My favorite sector on the Nordschleife in the Raeder Motorsport GR86? Clearly, sector 4 (colored red in the track map)! Here, engine power is less important than the car's lateral dynamics. In this technically demanding sector from Hohe Acht to Galgenkopf, the Raeder Motorsport track tool leaves much higher-powered cars in the dust.

Turning into the Hohe Acht right-hander at 116 km/h, the mid-engined Ferrari 488 Pista mentioned earlier "only" reached 109 km/h here. Thanks to the phenomenal level of mechanical grip and high driving stability, the Raeder Motorsport GR86 can be pushed incredibly hard in the subsequent corners on the Hedwigshöhe section. Over the curbs toward Wippermann, you can attack with motivation without losing your stride.

The next lateral dynamic highlight in this Nordschleife sector follows the top of Pflanzgarten 1. From here, all corners, the large jump, and the alternating curves of the Bellof-S up to the approach to Schwalbenschwanz can be driven under full throttle. The result: At 206 km/h, the top speed of the Raeder Motorsport GR86 is nine km/h higher than that of the production version.

Rear axle ride height minus 2 mm, low-speed rear axle compression one click softer, rear axle rebound two clicks softer – after the first test laps, Raeder Motorsport modified the suspension setup slightly again until I felt 100% comfortable at the limit.

This isn't an exception for the super test, but rather a company philosophy. Similar to Manthey, Raeder Motorsport not only modifies its vehicles, but also subsequently adjusts them individually for its customers. "Our car's setup is tailored to you as the driver, the installed wheel-tire combination, the installed chassis, and the track. This is also what we discuss with the customer during every wheel alignment," explains Oliver Greven.

And how much does all this fun cost? The modifications to the GR86 by Raeder Motorsport cost exactly €21,782. Rarely has a lap time improvement of an impressive 26 seconds on the Nordschleife been so affordable.