RE: Toyota GT86 facelift details

[Baked_bean]

I work for Toyota and have seen the aero kit car in the flesh (surprised you can't get any photos?) And it is much like the body kit on the last gen celica....Make of that what you will!

People that mention power are missing the point, it is a fun, involving and direct drive. The fact it looks like a sports car makes it that bit more special over a hot hatch, Whenever I drive one at the weekend etc people compliment it and ask questions.

[chungasarnies]

nunpuncher said:

They need to stick these on a cheap lease deal. If they did i'd have one. Purely because that's the only way i'd ever "buy" one. Certainly not with my own money.

Yup, I was looking recently and the PCPs are pie in the sky. Even with a big deposit I would be paying less for a 30-odd-k M135i than one of these

[Fire99]

Alex said:

Forced induction would ruin what this car is about.

I'm not sure that 'what this car is about' is proving that popular. Maybe make the car 'about' something else, like being as fast as it looks.

[kambites]

Fire99 said:

Alex said:

Forced induction would ruin what this car is about.

I'm not sure that 'what this car is about' is proving that popular.

Isn't it? It's never going to compete with the Fiesta for sales, but I'd say it's the second most common sports car around here (after the MX5).

[Fire99]

kambites said:

Isn't it? It's never going to compete with the Fiesta for sales, but I'd say it's the most common sports car around here.

Well that may be true but I think I've seen three on the road in total (including the Subaru version) and the facelift / tweaks give the impression of a hint of desperation in selling a few more..

[kambites]

I haven't been counting, but I'd be amazed if I haven't seen twenty unique cars in the last month and I only spend about twenty minutes a day on the road. There's at least three of the things in my little cul-de-sac.

[Fire99]

kambites said:

I haven't been counting, but I'd be amazed if I haven't seen twenty unique cars in the last month.

Well it's all speculative at the mo, I just get the feeling that if it had the dreaded 'turbo', its sales would be notably better.. Just my own feeling of course.

[kambites]

I think that would rather depend on how much it added to the price. If they ever do a turbocharged version, I'd bet on the price starting with a "3".

[loose cannon]

W124 said:

It's not really that slow. Have you driven one? Or any of the hatches it's rival to? Yes the 135i is way faster, but it's bit woolly in comparison. It really is. It also costs a lot more in reality and isn't really a rival. Ditto the S3 (great car though that - underrated) and the Golf R. The GTI is more expensive than the GT-86 and when you add the GTI pack (or whatever it's called) it get's too expensive to really compete. At 24 Grand - what is close? Of course there is the Megane, and that really does go and stop in a different league but then it's equally as impractical as the GT-86 getting long in the tooth now. The GT-86 should really be seen as a step up from the Clio Cup and Fiesta RS, rather than a step down from the GTI et al. The 135i, S3 and even the GTI are in another price bracket.

It's not slow though. Really. It's as fast as a Civic type R, say, because it's light. It's fast.

My Megane RS slaughters a gt86 they are slower than a 1989 astra gte 16v Ffs and yes I have driven 1 i thought it was gutless, fun it maybe but it isn't fun enough though I'd find a nissan 200 sx much more fun tbh and faster if it was more fun I would own 1 but they just are not IMO sorry

[Robert Elise]

funny thing is, because of the purity of this car and lack of sales it's a classic in the making 20 years on...
only problem is that worldwide volumes are OK, so classic status harder to achieve unless many get written off.
Looking forward 20-30 years it's interesting to ponder what will be at Bonhams. The Megane for sure as it held its own amongst all comers for some time. Much else will fade i think.

[Robert Elise]

loose cannon said:

My Megane RS slaughters a gt86 they are slower than a 1989 astra gte 16v Ffs and yes I have driven 1 i thought it was gutless, fun it maybe but it isn't fun enough though I'd find a nissan 200 sx much more fun tbh and faster if it was more fun I would own 1 but they just are not IMO sorry

sorry, i think you doth protest too much. and i admire the Megane....
(not the GTE though)

[loose cannon]

lol I understand the ethos of the gt86 but it just wont live up to its hype until it has more fire then and only then it will come into its own, in 5 years time when the boys have got hold of them and turbo'd and supercharged blah blah they will suddenly be hot property and people will be fighting for them

[kambites]

loose cannon said:

lol I understand the ethos of the gt86 but it just wont live up to its hype until it has more fire then and only then it will come into its own, in 5 years time when the boys have got hold of them and turbo'd and supercharged blah blah they will suddenly be hot property and people will be fighting for them

For me that rather contradicts itself - most of the appeal of the GT86 revolves around the fact that it's slow; make it faster (and correspondingly more expensive) and the whole USP of the car vanishes.

[loose cannon]

kambites said:

For me that rather contradicts itself - most of the appeal of the GT86 revolves around the fact that it's slow; make it faster (and correspondingly more expensive) and the whole USP of the car vanishes.

Unfortunately kambites if that were true it would of sold out but it has not and its not because it's to expensive so why has it not sold ? its a good car but it's obviously not ticking the box for a lot of people me included maybe it will turn the corner and start selling but for me personally I'll leave it down to winston wolf to sort out

[tombstone]

GT86 to me is basically a MX5 coupe... It revs like a naturally aspirated sports car should, interesting to throw about, and is a fun and involving drive, will probably last forever like a toyota should... Downside is the price!

[tombstone]

GT86 to me is basically a MX5 coupe... It revs like a naturally aspirated sports car should, interesting to throw about, and is a fun and involving drive, will probably last forever like a toyota should... Downside is the price!

[chrispmartha]

kambites said:

For me that rather contradicts itself - most of the appeal of the GT86 revolves around the fact that it's slow; make it faster (and correspondingly more expensive) and the whole USP of the car vanishes.

If the USP of a sports car is that it's dlow, I'm not suprised it's not selling ;-)

[Johnnytheboy]

kambites said:

For me that rather contradicts itself - most of the appeal of the GT86 revolves around the fact that it's slow; make it faster (and correspondingly more expensive) and the whole USP of the car vanishes.

What tickles me about GT86 threads is that some people think that somehow a faster model would ruin the existing model's appeal.

I don't understand why there couldn't be the existing model, plus a faster model.

One for the market, one for the purists.

[Robert Elise]

I have a question for people:
is an Elan a true sports car?

I propose splitting PH in two. you join one side depending on answer given.

[kambites]

chrispmartha said:

kambites said:

For me that rather contradicts itself - most of the appeal of the GT86 revolves around the fact that it's slow; make it faster (and correspondingly more expensive) and the whole USP of the car vanishes.

If the USP of a sports car is that it's dlow, I'm not suprised it's not selling ;-)

Maybe I worded that badly. It's USP (amongst sports cars) is that the money spent on development hasn't been spent on performance. For me that's an enormous draw - I tend to find that really fast cars are almost (the almost is important, there are exceptions) universally dull on the road.