The Toyota 86 Hankone Edition is a driver’s car, honoring Japan’s “Nürburgring Nordschleife,” the Hankone Turnpike. The dash sports a stripped-down feel with a 7-inch touchscreen, an aging infotainment system, and a miniscule backup camera in the rearview mirror, a relic of another time. But all is forgiven by an engaging, deliciously buttery six-speed manual transmission with hill-start, dark green exterior and curvy, butterscotch suede-like seats.

There is a fundamental wholesomeness of heart about the 86, formerly known as the Scion FR-S. Its simplicity coupled with amenities like heated seats and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay speaks to a purity of purpose: driving and driving well. It’s the kind of car you can throw into a camber, haul ass on the highway, or just meander along the Pacific Coast Highway, windows down and 8-speaker Clari-Fi stereo blasting.

A host of modes (track, sport, snow) requires upgrading to the six-speed automatic. It’s a tough call as chucking around the real-wheel-drive with standard tranny is just good fun, but additional modes are sometimes useful.

The lack of sunroof is a disappointment and there’s really only room for two, but overall, it’s a fully appealing experience for around $30,000.