RE: Cosworth GT86: Driven

RE: Cosworth GT86: Driven

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Discussion

k-ink

9,070 posts

179 months

Thursday 28th May 2015
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SmilerFTM said:
BBR'S MX-5 stage 2 turbo gets you more power, in a car that weighs less and costs less.
A relevant point. Certainly another fun car to consider.

As to those suggesting used M5's etc... really? In what way is a huge fat expensive to run saloon in any way comparable to a nimble fun little sports car? You may as well throw in V12 barges while you are at it hehe

Terror Factor

127 posts

170 months

Thursday 28th May 2015
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I don't get you guys.
If I were in the UK and in the market for a new-ish car for that sort of money, I'd get the 86 and get a reputable company to put a V8 or a Supra engine in it. You guys have that option, luckers!

I think I'd go for a turbocharged 1UZ, might change the character quite a bit, but NA is so expensive. Money no object, that 5.8l nascar V8 from the other post would be awesome!

pigeonskirt

506 posts

139 months

Thursday 28th May 2015
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Guvernator said:
RoverP6B said:
I just don't understand why everyone thinks the '86 is underpowered. It's pretty light and has 200bhp. It's almost identical in that respect to the E30 M3, and we don't hear people moaning about THAT lacking power...
Read my posts, I don't think the 86 is underpowered, it's just that the engine is crap. The unit in the 86 WISHES it had as much character as the S14 in the E30 M3.
I'd hazard a guess that the Cosworth 1.3 kit would change things dramatically. Here's the Fensport remap with a few other goodies....

http://youtu.be/939Grdvphaw

davyvee

295 posts

135 months

Thursday 28th May 2015
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Terror Factor said:
I don't get you guys.
If I were in the UK and in the market for a new-ish car for that sort of money, I'd get the 86 and get a reputable company to put a V8 or a Supra engine in it.
tumbleweed

Ruskie

3,989 posts

200 months

Thursday 28th May 2015
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I honestly don't get this car and the appeal. £19k (£15k + conversion) gets you a nice lotus or E90 M3. Like for like a 370z is a way more attractive package.

Terror Factor

127 posts

170 months

Thursday 28th May 2015
quotequote all
Ruskie said:
I honestly don't get this car and the appeal. £19k (£15k + conversion) gets you a nice lotus or E90 M3. Like for like a 370z is a way more attractive package.
Those are quite different cars. The appeal is the lightnes of the package, but with FR layout. An M3 or 370Z is quite a bit heavier, less wieldy/playful.
The Elise has a weight advantage, but again is a more serious car.

350Matt

3,738 posts

279 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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Ruskie said:
I honestly don't get this car and the appeal. £19k (£15k + conversion) gets you a nice lotus or E90 M3. Like for like a 370z is a way more attractive package.
I'd suggest driving one
they are a joy even in standard form and very useable everyday

Neilto

20 posts

177 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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Zyp said:
You bloody well can ignore an M135i!
No you can't - I'm a potential customer and on balance I'll probably go with a M135i (with LSD and exhaust). Much as I like the Toyota package there is no way its going to compete on economy for comparable performance. Even in standard form the Subaru engine is really bad on mpg.

Conscript

1,378 posts

121 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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jamespink said:
Conscript said:
jonah35 said:
£15k used plus £4k so £19k all in.

Boxster s
Cayman s
M5
M6
Elise

The list is endless and a Toyota with 260bhp would be down the list
In what way are the M5 and M6 suitable alternatives?
In the way that 400/500BHP is almost always suitable. Also, you would not have to drive a Toyota or a Subaru...
And with that, you've proven my point.
If you value power, the badge on the bonnet and interior plastics over all, its an alternative.
If you don't, and want a simple, light, modestly powerful and fun car to enjoy, then massively powerful German autobahn stormers aren't realy going to fulfill the brief.

Dont get me wrong, I'm sure the M5/6 are fantastic cars, but I cant see them being the sort of cars I'd want to jump in for a Sunday morning blast around the local B roads, where I cant get anywhere near the limit of the car.

Neilto

20 posts

177 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
Zyp said:
You bloody well can ignore an M135i!
No you can't - I'm a potential customer and on balance I'll probably go with a M135i (with LSD and exhaust). Much as I like the Toyota package there is no way its going to compete on economy for comparable performance. Even in standard form the Subaru engine is really bad on mpg.

LordGrover

33,545 posts

212 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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pigeonskirt said:
I'd hazard a guess that the Cosworth 1.3 kit would change things dramatically. Here's the Fensport remap with a few other goodies....

http://youtu.be/939Grdvphaw
I have similar from Fensport. Adrian did his remap with launch control, flat shift and downshift blip plus cosworth panel filter and AVO cat back exhaust. I also have stiffer ARBs - I did have the Tein springs but went back to stock as found them too crashy/harsh for my liking.
Maybe the cat-back only system still stifles it, but the difference is not immense. It's a little faster and more responsive but hardly jaw-dropping.

That being said, I still love the thing. It's plenty fast enough for where I choose to drive for pleasure and my driving style. I can't think of an occasion in over two and a half years I've had it where I've thought 'if only I still had my TVR or 350Z, I could make that overtake'.

Conscript

1,378 posts

121 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
Neilto said:
No you can't - I'm a potential customer and on balance I'll probably go with a M135i (with LSD and exhaust). Much as I like the Toyota package there is no way its going to compete on economy for comparable performance. Even in standard form the Subaru engine is really bad on mpg.
confused
Is it?
I average 34-35MPG. Obviously not outstanding, but wouldn't have defined it as "really bad".
Better than my MK3 MX5 which would average about about 32MPG from the same displacement with less power.

K14A

237 posts

110 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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Would personally get the HKS supercharger myself, and I think the 1.3 upgrade is quite expensive for what it is. A decent exhaust and Tomei header would set you back about £1500-1600 tops and add another £400 for a tune and you would be getting more performance than the cosworth package.

Neilto said:
No you can't - I'm a potential customer and on balance I'll probably go with a M135i (with LSD and exhaust). Much as I like the Toyota package there is no way its going to compete on economy for comparable performance. Even in standard form the Subaru engine is really bad on mpg.
Claimed figures and real world mpg are always different, however I've been getting a steady 26-27 mpg in mine and 90% of my commuting is through London so stop start traffic all over, and all other times I don't exactly drive eco. For contrast the (new) 1.5 diesel mini was getting 34-37mpg, driven slightly more sedately.

Edited by K14A on Friday 29th May 09:06

wolves_wanderer

12,387 posts

237 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
Conscript said:
Neilto said:
No you can't - I'm a potential customer and on balance I'll probably go with a M135i (with LSD and exhaust). Much as I like the Toyota package there is no way its going to compete on economy for comparable performance. Even in standard form the Subaru engine is really bad on mpg.
confused
Is it?
I average 34-35MPG. Obviously not outstanding, but wouldn't have defined it as "really bad".
Better than my MK3 MX5 which would average about about 32MPG from the same displacement with less power.
Seems an odd comment to me as well. Looking on fuelly it seems that mid to high 20s is about right for the 135. Obviously it has more power but I can't see how economy is a reason to choose the BM

GTEYE

2,096 posts

210 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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Can't help but think there would be better places to put £36k than this.

Very limited market for modified cars that can often be worth less than the standard car.

HustleRussell

24,707 posts

160 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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GTEYE said:
Can't help but think there would be better places to put £36k than this.

Very limited market for modified cars that can often be worth less than the standard car.
I disagree, I think the timing of all this is quite masterful and if any model could benefit from this treatment it's this 'supposedly underpowered but otherwise rather good' Japanese coupe. The earliest cars are just running out of warranty so buy an early one, Cosworth it and detail it and you can probably convince folk that it's a practically new car if you wanted to... it's not as if people have been wading through GT86s since their release.

I don't particularly care about the car, I don't think it's for me but I want Cosworth to succeed as we must surely be breeding a generation of kids who have never heard of this legendary and historic name- and there are plenty of other cars which could also benefit from a Cosworth work-over should this approach prove profitable smile

JB!

5,254 posts

180 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
GTEYE said:
Can't help but think there would be better places to put £36k than this.

Very limited market for modified cars that can often be worth less than the standard car.
Was the point I was trying to make

GTEYE

2,096 posts

210 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
JB! said:
GTEYE said:
Can't help but think there would be better places to put £36k than this.

Very limited market for modified cars that can often be worth less than the standard car.
Was the point I was trying to make
Indeed. Realistically, the market for this is tiny even within the PH community, never mind the market as a whole. The GT86 is way out of its depth at £36k, or £27k based on a second hand one.

£36k would buy you a late low miles E92 M3, which I might suggest is a more capable and properly engineered car (compared to a modified GT86), but I'm sure there are many on here who will disagree.

Each to their own, but I am sure the number of people on here who would actually buy this GT86 will be somewhere close to nil!

Guvernator

13,158 posts

165 months

Friday 29th May 2015
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The modding scene isn't really mature enough in this country to be honest. Modding is way to expensive here as we get ripped off on parts prices. Secondly our insurance isn't really geared up for it. Modding is even looked down upon in many circles as something that teenagers like doing to mess about with their cars.

It's easy to see why this car has done much better in the US and Japan where modding is seen in a totally different light. It's almost expected that you mod your car in some way and the whole scene is built around that. I remember reading statements from Toyota about finishing this car yourself and tuning it to your requirements but that's not going to happen here.

The bloke who mentioned sticking a V8 in it, it's probably already been done in the US but in the UK, dream on.

JB!

5,254 posts

180 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
GTEYE said:
JB! said:
GTEYE said:
Can't help but think there would be better places to put £36k than this.

Very limited market for modified cars that can often be worth less than the standard car.
Was the point I was trying to make
Indeed. Realistically, the market for this is tiny even within the PH community, never mind the market as a whole. The GT86 is way out of its depth at £36k, or £27k based on a second hand one.

£36k would buy you a late low miles E92 M3, which I might suggest is a more capable and properly engineered car (compared to a modified GT86), but I'm sure there are many on here who will disagree.

Each to their own, but I am sure the number of people on here who would actually buy this GT86 will be somewhere close to nil!
27k is verging on Turbo 911 money... Granted it comes with higher running costs, but... Porsche.