Toyota is synonymous with reliability and, oftentimes, boring cars. However, throughout the years, the Japanese carmaker has given us plenty of iconic sports cars. Toyota continues to do so even today, with Celica, 86, and Supra being only some of the model names that best embody the brand’s sports car lineage.

Toyota has strong traditions in motorsports, predominantly rallying and endurance racing so, there’s no doubt Toyota engineers know how to make a proper performance car, as proven on numerous occasions. There’s an unwritten rule that the best sports car is the one that’s least practical, but that isn’t always the case. Many of Toyota’s sports cars can be daily-driven, with some even being based on regular commuter cars.

Practicality and performance don’t, usually, mix together and sports cars, often, have to compromise on the usability aspect. This, of course, isn’t true for all performance models and most Toyota sports cars are actually quite suitable for daily driving. These 10 performance models by the Japanese manufacturer are not only dependable but also great sports cars that can be driven on a daily basis.

Some of them are practical enough to be your only vehicle. Even those among them that aren’t a suitable for a full family are usable enough for your daily runabouts and can turn boring commutes into a thrilling drive. As a bonus, you get the proven, near-spotless reliability record of Toyota so, you know these 10 sports cars are also reliable.

We looked up data on Car and Driver, MotorTrend, and Toyota while putting this list together on the best Toyota sportscars for daily driving.

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10 Toyota GR Corolla

0-60 mph: 5.0 seconds

There’s a debate whether a hot hatchback should be called a sports car, but since Toyota isn’t known as an all-out sports car automaker like, let’s say, McLaren, if it’s performance-oriented, it counts. The GR Corolla is the first global Toyota model with rally genes. The Corolla chassis has been heavily reworked for better structural rigidity and to accommodate for Gazoo Racing’s all-wheel-drive system.

Performance

With 185.4 horsepower per liter, the GR Corolla boasts the most powerful inline-three engine, produced for road use. The best part is, despite the sports car performance, the GR Corolla retains a full interior with all amenities, including wireless Smartphone connectivity, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a cargo capacity of 17.8 cubic feet. You can even fold the rear seats down.

9 Toyota GR86

0-60 mph: 6.2 seconds

The GR86 is what the GT86 should have been from the start. The two-door, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe is a spiritual successor to the AE86, but it was only in 2021, that it got a much-needed boost in power, courtesy of a bigger engine. Still naturally aspirated, compact, and lightweight, the GR86 harkens back to classic sports cars before unnecessary tech took away from the pure driving experience.

Performance

There GR86 features modern driver assists, but you can turn most of them completely off and have some sideways fun. At the same time, the two-plus-two coupe has rear seats, which although good only for children are still there. Moreover, there is a usable trunk and foldable rear seats, which create a flat loading area. The GR86’s ride quality is more on the firm side, but hardly surprising for a sports car.

8 Toyota GR Supra

0-60 mph: 4.2-3.9 seconds

The fifth-generation Supra was frowned upon for, essentially, being a re-bodies BMW Z4, but people forgave Toyota for that once they saw what the GR Supra is capable of. Toyota is adamant that it did its own improvements to the platform and didn’t just slap a new body onto the BMW chassis, and when pitted against the Z4, it shows. The B58 straight-six engine allows the GR Supra to punch above its weight and is notoriously underrated.

Performance

Dyno tests have proven the engine makes over 400 horsepower even on non-premium fuel. Despite being only a two-seater, the GR Supra is a surprisingly usable car. The ride quality isn’t jarring, and the hatchback tailgate reveals a decent for the car’s size, 10.21 cubic-feet trunk space. You are obviously not going to get the 2.0-liter engine, which is also from BMW, but it’s there and capable of nearly 40 MPG in case you care.

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7 Toyota GR Yaris

0-60 mph: 4.6 seconds

A small, rally-bred hot hatchback doesn’t scream practicality, but the GR Yaris is surprisingly usable as a daily driver. With its compact size, it’s more suited to European cities than U.S. Interstates, which is one of the reasons it’s not on offer in North America. You can still import one under the show and display rules, but that comes with its own limitations. The GR Yaris was built for rallying, and it’s the smallest, all-wheel-drive performance model, currently on the market.

Performance

Its turbocharged inline-three is also the most powerful of its kind and is easily able to make double the factory power with the right parts while keeping the stock internals. The short gear ratios make it nippy around town, but probably aren’t ideal for the highway. You can still use it, of course, and it even has a full interior (unless you go for the GRMN), which fold 60/40 to create a flat loading area. If that doesn’t get you, the engine’s fuel economy will.

6 Toyota Corolla AE86

0-60 mph: 7.9 seconds

If you like delivering tofu through a mountain pass, there’s no other car for you than the AE86. I am, of course, referring to the Initial D anime, directed by Keiichi Tsuchiya (Drift King) himself. The AE86 generation put the “fun” in Toyota’s bestseller, the Corolla. Rear-wheel-drive and a rev-happy, 4A-GE four-banger in a super-lightweight, nimble chassis made it a blast to drive in the twisties.

Performance

The Toyota Corolla AE86 is a proper driver’s car, but it’s also quite practical. The stock suspension was more on the soft side, which isn’t ideal for performance, but makes it a more compliant daily driver. It has usable back seats that fold and a hatchback tailgate, revealing decent cargo space. The small, normally-aspirated engine also means its economical when not put through its paces. It may not pack a lot of power, but it only needs to lug around 2,100 pounds about.

5 Toyota Celica GT-Four

0-60 mph: 5.8 seconds

Before the GR Yaris, there was another rally-bred Toyota. The Celica GT-Four enjoyed a successful WRC career due in no small part, to an ingenious cheat that made it the subject of one of the biggest scandals in the history of motorsports. It was a neat hack that rendered the turbocharger’s boost restrictor obsolete giving the car, at least, 50 additional horsepower. It resulted in Toyota getting a one-year ban by the FIA. Regardless, road-legal versions of the GT-Four are perfect daily drivers.

Performance

The turbocharged, 3S-GTE engine is potent enough and can easily make more power while the permanent all-wheel drive gives you great traction regardless of conditions. As with all two plus two coupes, the usability of the rear seats is a divisive subject, but they can fold to create an even bigger boot space, accessed through the hatchback tailgate. Contrary to what most people believe, these cars can haul a lot of stuff too.

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4 Toyota Supra

0-60 mph: 4.9 seconds

For those not happy about the new Supra’s Bavarian underpinnings, there’s only one solution. The Mk IV Supra is a 1990s JDM icon that 23 years ago, was viewed as a Japanese car that was too expensive. How quickly things have turned around. We have the original Fast and Furious movie to thank for the Supra’s global status, but there’s more to the car than its stout mechanicals. The fabled 2JZ-GTE needs no introduction and the equally-impressive Getrag V16- manual is a good match.

Performance

Many people overlook the fact that the A80 Supra chassis is good for more than straight line speed. The car was conceived as a sporty grand tourer and it fills that role quite well. Even in stock form, the engine provides good performance and the ride quality isn’t as jarring as some of the other performance coupes. Even the rear seats are semi-usable, although they best serve when folded, as additional storage space. Last but not least is the legendary reliability of the Supra although beware of abused examples.

3 Toyota Celica GT-S

0-60 mph: 6.9 seconds

The evolution of the Celica is an interesting one. As Toyota’s golden WRC days passed, the Celica’s performance declined. The last and seventh generation still packed power, but was a lot more humble compared to its all-wheel-drive, turbocharged predecessor. Yamaha was involved in the last performance version of the Toyota Celica, which benefited from a 2ZZ engine with a Yamaha head, allowing the engine to rev to 7,800 RPM, which is also where peak power was.

Performance

The Celica may be front-wheel drive, but it’s small, nimble, and lightweight. European versions benefit from Lotus software, providing 10 additional horsepower, over US examples. The Corolla underpinnings mean the Celica is simple and reliable, although models before 2003 can suffer from engine issues due to lack of lubrication in the head.

2 Toyota MR-2

0-60 mph: 6.1 seconds

The Toyota MR-2 has always been the affordable, mid-engine, Japanese sports car everyone loves, and its highlight was in the second generation, dubbed SW20. Nickname “the Poor man’s Ferrari” for its looks, Toyota’s nimble sports car quickly became known for Ferrari 348-like performance (in turbocharged form) and snap oversteer. While the mid-engine configuration comes with inherent advantages, the MR-2’s short wheelbase also made it a bit twitchy.

Performance

As a driver, you need to work some finesse with your right foot to keep the MR-2’s rear in check, but once you do, the SW20 will prove an enjoyable sports car that you can daily drive. The MR-2’s frunk is of a decent size at 7.8 cubic feet, and the interior is surprisingly comfortable. The suspension isn’t overly-stiff meaning commutes are enjoyable even when you’re not pushing the car.

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1 Toyota Soarer

0-60 mph: 5.5 seconds

Known as the first-generation Lexus SC in the rest of the world, Toyota Soarer is a more luxurious take on the Supra. It’s also a much more affordable way to get yourself a car equipped with a 1JZ or a 2JZ engine, although the 2JZ is normally-aspirated in this case. The 1UZ V-8 is also available, which means the Soarer could be ordered with three of Toyota’s best engines. The one you really want is the 1JZ-GTE as it is the only turbocharged engine available as well as the only one that could be paired with a manual, from the factory.

Performance

Aside from that, the Soarer is a luxurious grand tourer that still packs enough performance and benefits from the same aftermarket support as the Mk IV Supra. The rear-wheel-drive platform makes it a popular drift platform. In stock form, the Soarer is more of a comfortable cruiser, which makes it one of the best Toyota sports cars you can daily drive. Being a 1990s model, it’s now a model that's old enough to import from Japan.