This GR86 Build Has Everything: Widebody, Bags, and Beat-Sonic Sound | Beat-Social Ep. 14

Some builds take years of planning and a deep background in car culture. Then there's Eric — who walked into a dealership in 2023 knowing nothing about cars, saw a GR86, thought it looked nice, and bought it that day. Two years later, his 2023 Toyota GR86 debuted at SEMA with a Zeno widebody, Airlift Performance air suspension, Work Meisters, Alpha Rex lighting, Ricaro seats, and a Beat-Sonic Encore Alpha power amplifier pumping through the cabin.

This is Beat-Social Episode 14, and it might be our favorite build yet.

Watch the Full Feature

Eric sat down with us at Beat-Sonic HQ for a full walkthrough of the build — every part, every decision, every phase the car went through from stock to SEMA-ready. Watch the full interview below.

From Zero to SEMA in Two Years

Eric didn't grow up as a car guy. He was leasing a Hyundai when his lease ended, walked into a dealership without a specific car in mind, and spotted the GR86. He bought it the same day. His friends immediately started pushing him to modify it — first an exhaust, then a lip kit, then side skirts, then a wing, then a different bumper — and the momentum never stopped.

What's remarkable about this build isn't just the parts list. It's how intentional every decision was for someone who came in with zero background. Eric studied every mod obsessively before committing, matched colors across every component, and rebuilt his Work Meisters twice — once before the widebody and once after — to make sure the specs were right for each phase of the car. When he found out he was doing a Zeno widebody just a month after painting his wheels white, he didn't settle. He had them rebarreled, new lips fitted, and everything repainted to match the new direction.

The Build: What's On This GR86

Exterior

The widebody kit is from Zeno Japan — an add-on front splitter system that mounts over the factory bumper rather than replacing it, creating an aggressive aerodynamic nose. The hood is also from Zeno Japan. The wing is from Sard Japan — a full-size piece that Eric says you can genuinely feel working at speed compared to the stock body. Headlights and tail lights are from Alpha Rex, which Eric got through a SEMA sponsorship. He says the difference was immediately noticeable — six projectors per headlight and visibly more output than stock.

The current wrap color is from Inostech — a brighter, slightly different take on blue that Eric specifically chose to distinguish it from the factory Trueno Blue underneath. His previous wrap was ruby star pink. The custom Zeno badge on the front was made for him by Fusion Auto Concepts as a one-of-one piece to mark the partnership. The front bash bar is also custom — replacing the factory crash bar with a fabricated piece that allows easy jacking and adds a clean functional look to the front end.

Wheels and Suspension

The wheels are Work Meisters with custom offset and custom paint. Eric bought them on Facebook Marketplace pre-widebody, had them painted white, then had them fully rebarreled with new lips and hardware when the widebody changed the fitment requirements. Air suspension is Airlift Performance — Eric started with a cheaper brand (True Heart) and made the switch after finding the ride too stiff and the feature set too limited. The Airlift system gives him full control over ride height with the quality and reliability to match a show-level build.

Interior

The seats are Recaro — Japan-exclusive white units that Eric tracked down through an Instagram contact after months of searching. They're not available in the US, which made sourcing the seat rails and Recaro side brackets an additional challenge on top of the import process. The steering wheel is a Momo Alcantara mounted on a JQ Works hub — maintaining full button functionality and horn while giving the cockpit a sportier look. Eric also did a rear seat delete, giving the back section a clean open area that he's considering for a subwoofer display if he adds one later.

Sound System

The Beat-Sonic Encore Alpha power amplifier is installed and running through the factory speakers. Eric told us he was skeptical at first — he hadn't changed any speakers — but once it was in, he was genuinely surprised by the improvement. His exact words: "I was actually amazed." He runs the premium model, which adds rear speaker output, and his girlfriend — who controls the music — keeps it turned up loud on drives. He doesn't think he needs anything more right now, though the amplifier's built-in RCA outputs mean adding a power subwoofer is a straightforward next step whenever he's ready.

You can also spot our Beat-Sonic phone holder mounted inside — Eric uses it to hold the Airlift Performance controller, which turned out to be a perfect fit.

The SEMA Experience

This was Eric's first SEMA, and he went all out. APG Performance Brakes came on board as a sponsor specifically for the show — fully customizable caliper colors and rotor style. He got a panel from his car signed by Sun King from the Fast and Furious car family at the event, with a panel swap planned so both collectors end up with something meaningful. The car drew consistent attention throughout the show.

What Makes This Build Different

Eric has an OCD attention to detail that comes through on every part of this car. He matched screw colors to his brake calipers. He rebuilt his wheels twice to get the offset right. He waited months to source Japan-exclusive seats rather than settle for what was locally available. He designed a custom nose by taking a license plate-equipped front piece, cutting it, and having it sanded down to create a clean carbon nose that no one else makes.

His advice for anyone building a car: "Take your time. Usually if you rush things, it's when things end up a little botched. Do your build how you want to do it. Don't follow everyone else. Do what you like. There's no right or wrong — whatever is right for you is what's right."

Be Featured on Beat-Social

If you have a built car and a Beat-Sonic product installed, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at beatsonicusa.com and tell us about your build. Beat-Social is our ongoing series featuring real owners and real builds — the cars, the stories, and everything that went into making them.

Follow Eric on Instagram at @unloved_86 to keep up with what's next — a turbo build is on his radar, and knowing Eric, it'll be done right.

Explore the Beat-Sonic Encore Alpha amplifier lineup and find everything available for your vehicle at beatsonicusa.com.