The widebody and fender flare movement that seemingly took over the entire tuning community a handful of years ago is not only staying the course with an always fickle fan base but still thriving. ADRO, or Aerodynamic Development Race Optimization, revealed a widebody conversion that not only enhances the look, but enhance the downforce of Toyota's GR86.
You might remember the name ADRO as they applied their carbon fiber touches to a heavily modified Tesla Model 3 which we featured just a few months ago. They've turned their attention toward the GR86 and developed a complete, multi-piece widebody aero kit produced in wet carbon fiber. Much more than just oversized fenders and fancy wheels, ADRO's design enhances the look of the car while also improving its aerodynamic efficiency.
The process began by taking a full 3D scan of the new GR86 and bringing in ADRO's aerodynamicists team for a deep dive into CFD analysis. Using fiber-reinforced polymer and wet carbon fiber together with computational fluid dynamics, this new aero package is said to grant a dramatic increase in downforce to improve cornering performance. Production is complex and each kit will be hand produced with more than 40 hours needed for completion and approval before being shipped.
The front bumper, which is about five inches longer than the factory Toyota piece, completely changes the look of the front end. Massive side vents accompany a large main grille opening with a set of "fangs" that protrudes forward, especially toward its lower half where it's met by a splitter. An additional five inches of width are added to the bumper ends and met by swooping front over fenders with integrated vents at their rears. Rather than a line that travels straight from the top of the fender out toward the tires, ADROs are contoured.
The two-piece sideskirts connect the front and rear and carry an angular splitter just underneath. The rear quarter panel flares take on a similar shape to their front counterparts, though without the venting, and equate to an additional six inches of width as compared to the factory body. All four corners require cutting and drilling, so this sort of modification is a true commitment.
The lower portion of the rear is fitted with a diffuser that traces its way around the exhaust finishers while up top, perched upon the trunk lid is ADRO's carbon fiber wing which uses swan neck style mounts. Forty-five percent lighter than an aluminum wing, the carbon fiber piece uses end plates that wrap over the wing's center portion. ADRO says their design slices through the air with less turbulence on the wing's underside, resulting in greater downforce—upwards of 250 pounds of downforce at 110 mph, the company claims. The rear pieces also push the length of the GR86 out by five more inches.
The ADRO GR86 widebody kit will retail for $4,750 and will be made available for pre-order soon, with an official launch taking place next month at the annual SEMA show.