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The coupe sold as the Toyota GR86, along with its Subaru BRZ sibling, remains an excellent package as it stands, and that has been the case ever since it first arrived four years ago. That also means this compact sports car does not really require much in the way of mid-cycle revisions to its standard version, which is just as well, because the latest update Toyota discussed in greater detail on Thursday, after first revealing it earlier this summer, is barely an update in the conventional sense.

Toyota is highlighting only a small set of changes for its entry-level sports car, starting with minor details such as the return of a colour that was previously exclusive, called “Solid Gray” in Japan and “Thunder” in the United States. There is also a new red-and-black interior trim choice, while the car now gets expanded active safety equipment that includes a three-camera EyeSight driver assistance system, according to the Japanese release. That marks an upgrade over the earlier two-camera setup used in previous model years.

As for performance improvements, they are limited to revisions in throttle control mapping and the electric power steering control systems. Toyota says the updated throttle control setting delivers “instinctive responsiveness” in “situations that require precise acceleration control”, which should come as welcome news for GR86 owners who enjoy a bit of sideways action. Changes to the power steering system, which the company says draw inspiration from its Super Taikyu racing programme, are intended to get rid of wobbling on uneven roads or through high-speed corners.

The most microscopic change among these already tiny updates concerns the manual transmission gate, which has been widened in only one area by just under 0.02 inches. That added clearance is between fifth and fourth gear, as shown in Toyota’s graphic.

According to Toyota, this adjustment brings “enhanced operability when downshifting from fifth to fourth gear, ensuring smoother, stress-free, at-the-limit corner entry.” Apparently, the awkwardness of that specific downshift was enough of an irritation for someone to push through this revision, so it should prove to be a meaningful fix for at least one GR86 driver somewhere.

Even if these updates are nowhere near the rally-ready GR86 GT-Four that many enthusiasts have wanted ever since the idea first appeared as a SEMA build, it is still good to see Toyota keeping its most affordable sports car feeling current through its life cycle. Its bigger GR Supra stablemate may not be around for much longer, but the GR86 should continue delivering rear-wheel-drive thrills for years ahead.