Thursday 26th February 2015

Picnic GT4 and Castrol Supra: YKYWT

Two of Toyota's most famous creations are up for sale and they just so happen to be on PH!

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For a company with a reputation built on quite dull and austere vehicles, Toyota can be very silly on occasion. See the Aygo Crazy, the i-Road and the Camry dragster. Alright, the last one was a US creation but it show a corporate sense of humour. Which is nice.

It's like a touring car (with an auto...)

And nowhere is that more evident than with the Picnic GT4. The Picnic really was as dull as 90s people carriers could get, right up until Toyota dropped the 2.0-litre turbo from a Celica GT4 in it. Y'know, because it could.

PH drove the tasty Picnic (sorry, just the once) back in 2013 and found it, unsurprisingly, to be like nothing else. Massive lag, quite unruly dynamics and loads of noise certainly made it memorable.

And now you can buy it. Really. As part of Toyota's sponsorship of Red Nose Day the Picnic Sport is being auctioned off to the highest bidder. It can even be test driven if you want. Full details of the bidding process are in the ad.

Furthermore, if the Picnic isn't to your taste (sorry again), another legend from Toyota's heritage fleet is available. The Castrol Supra, built back in 1996 for a Redline feature and darling of many a mag cover, is also being sold off.

Best like Castrol!

Now this being a car built for the Max Power era, the ICE is sick. Or ill. Or something. From the ad: "The Supra has studio-class six and a half-inch multi-synchronous component speakers, power by a four-channel studio-class amplifier controlled by a 30-band equaliser. Bass is provided by a massive dual basket 15-inch subwoofer, powered by an equally extreme 2,000-watt mono class D amplifier." Perfect for Just A Minute.

There are more PH-worthy mods too, including Eibach springs, an HKS intercooler and Blitz stainless cat back exhaust. Power is rated at circa 370hp. Annoyingly it has the yucky four-speed auto as well, which isn't ideal.

Ah well, can't have it all. The Castrol Supra is a unique car and one that will surely be snapped up by a Toyota fan. It would make a great show car and potentially something that could be hired out too.

If it were our money though, there would be a daft bid going on the delicious Picnic [Fine line Matt, fine line... - Ed.]. Buy an oddly appealing MPV and benefit a good cause at the same time? Perfect. Furthermore, some extra power plus proper tweaks to the suspension and brakes could surely turn it into an incredible track day thing. That sounds rather cool, doesn't it?

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TOYOTA PICNIC SPORT
Price: Make a bid!
Why you should: Looks practical, is practical, goes quite fast
Why you shouldn't: Rather more Picnic than Celica GT4

Picnic advert here.

TOYOTA CASTROL SUPRA
Price: Make a bid!
Why you should: It's that Supra from Gran Turismo!
Why you shouldn't: With less power and an auto 'box...

Supra advert here.

 

[The Don of Croy]

The Picnic I like, but who has done the 123,000 miles in it? Must be good.

Any guesses on how much it might sell for?

[GraemeLambert]

After Toyota were finished with the Picnic, it went to Ireland to a dealer who used it as a support vehicle for rallying. That's where, I think, the bulk of the miles came from.

It's a helluva thing though.

[vtecyo]

The seats in that Supra... yikes.

[cocopop]

What's special about the Supra?

It's just a Veilside body kit with a load of Castrol and Playstation stickers.

[selym]

vtecyo said:

The seats in that Supra... yikes.

That interior makes the Focus RS Mk1 look acceptable.

[Mr.Jimbo]

That Picnic is the perfect Rally spectator bus, absolutely mental and awesome as a result.

[soad]

Don't want either.

Gran Turismo, you say? That rings a bell.

[Shoukie]

The Don of Croy said:

The Picnic I like, but who has done the 123,000 miles in it? Must be good.

Any guesses on how much it might sell for?

A hamper full of cash...

[10b0b]

cocopop said:

What's special about the Supra?

It's just a Veilside body kit with a load of Castrol and Playstation stickers.

My thoughts exactly? Its just a low rent Supra with some very niche 'changes'

Not as if its even been breathed upon by at least a Japanese or even Domestic tuning company.

On that note... im out

[Dale487]

I like the Q-car looks of the Picnic & glad they resisted the temptation to put a daft body kit on it - I can think of a number of times something similar would have got a GT4 bonnet vent & the rest.

[redlinecal]

cocopop said:

What's special about the Supra?

It's just a Veilside body kit with a load of Castrol and Playstation stickers.

Arguably like the majority of limited edition cars currently.

[IrishAsal]

The Picnic is called a GT4 but its' front wheel drive? Is the engine the only modification?

I'd love this thing if it had 4 wheel drive.

[soad]

IrishAsal said:

The Picnic is called a GT4 but its' front wheel drive? Is the engine the only modification?

I'd love this thing if it had 4 wheel drive.

Engine lifted from an ST165 Celica Turbo GT4, and that's it?

Driven: Toyota Picnic GT4 (yes, really)
http://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph-features/dr...

[dirty_dog]

Missed the Picnic article before - you cant help but smile that they created that.

[dufunk]

That was the first gen 3sgte found in the ST165 GT4 only put out 185bhp 184ib-ft, also wasnt twin entry which helped alot to reduce lag. Maybe an idea to do one on the caldina GT4 260bhp 239ib-ft at high 4400rpm.

[Neil_M]

The Auto box in the Supra's is actually very good. It's a better logic than many modern alternatives.

I think the Supra's styling "enhancements" are of much bigger concern to me.

[bertie]

vtecyo said:

The seats in that Supra... yikes.

Never mind the seats, what about the steering wheel!!

[a7x88]

I'll have the picnic for a bike wagon - reckon you could have a great laugh in it!

[DanielSan]

I'll happily take the Supra. Hope everyone else thinks like you lot, might go cheap then

[j_s14a]

Neil_M said:

The Auto box in the Supra's is actually very good.

As above.

Perhaps Matt should consider doing some proper journalism, instead of merely recycling old, ill informed sound bytes.

I am on my fourth Supra, my second with the "yucky" auto gearbox.