While the rest of the world is out panic buying toiletries, it’s apparently business as usual in the marketing department of Toyota, where yet another GT86 model has been launched for the Japanese domestic market. The new GT86 Black Edition is finished in black with gold 17-inch alloys, a nod to the Sprinter Trueno GT Apex, a hero variant of the sports car’s spiritual predecessor from the 1980s. And – surprise, surprise – the theme looks as good now as ever, even if it lacks the original car’s gold pinstriping.

Inside, the Black Edition gets a matching trim theme, with gold lettering on the sports seats to contrast the black leathers and fabrics. Other than that, it’s largely unchanged, which will either please or disappoint – thanks to the GT86’s somewhat dated cabin having always been a divisive part of the car. Not that it’s really ever mattered to owners, who’ve almost always been lured to the Toyota (or Subaru’s sibling BRZ) by what’s on offer from the chassis.

On that note, arguably more significantly than the new paint scheme, the Black Edition gets Toyota’s higher-spec Brembo brakes and Sachs damping as standard, a setup that’s shown to really boost the naturally aspirated 200hp model’s talents at pace. It’s got some technical clout to go with the iconic colours, then, as well as flat floor bits and a standard fit rear spoiler on the bootlid. As before, however, the mods are focussed on the exterior and rolling chassis, meaning no changes to the flat-four engine or six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes.

That’s never harmed hunger for the GT86, especially in the car’s home market, where the Black Edition is exclusively offered in just 86 examples. To bag one, customers will first have to register their interest online, before a final raffle is decided and the ‘winners’ given the chance to pay 3,518,600 Japanese Yen, equivalent to about £27k, to receive their gold and black prize. Although the AE86 special was sold overseas, there’s no mention of an extension of the Black Edition outside its home this time.

While the GT Apex was the last hurrah for the Sprinter Trueno, that looks unlikely to be the case for the GT86 Black Edition. From what we can devise from the translated press information, it looks more like yet another special edition to add to the very long list of JDM GT86s. Either way, there’s a successor to the 86 and BRZ due later this decade, so it seems we won’t be waving goodbye to this wonderfully traditional take on the Japanese sports car just yet.