RE: Cosworth GT86: Driven

RE: Cosworth GT86: Driven

Friday 29th May 2015

Cosworth GT86: Driven

Finally, a chance to drive a GT86 with some real power courtesy of a Cosworth supercharger



We've written a lot about the Toyota GT86 on these pages. And each time we do it sparks a lot of discussion. Well, call it discussion. Consensus might be closer too it. To paraphrase those - literally - thousands of comments "nice idea, needs more power". All the while Toyota has stuck to its official line that the '86 is about purist thrills not horsepower bragging rights, making the addition of big wings but stubborn refusal to increase power all the more frustrating. And leaving no option but to go aftermarket.

Fine for the modders but for the mainstream it's still a leap of faith. The fact warranties are nearing the end of their term and those early cars are now available for £15K or less hopefully opens up a new market for tuning the '86 and its Subaru BRZ doppelganger. At least that's what Cosworth hopes, claiming half of the GT86s/BRZs in the global market have been modded in one way or another and it's therefore the ideal vehicle to take the brand beyond the consultancy work and back into the public realm.

It's good to have Cosworth badge on a road car too. Adventures in supercharged MX-5s weren't entirely happy, compatibility issues with earlier engines not necessarily realised by all suppliers and customers until it was too late. This time around Cosworth is keeping a tighter leash on things though. And it's been fully endurance tested, the motor bench tested through an intensive 50-hour regime in which 45 seconds of every minute are at full throttle.

New wheels and brakes also for Cosworth demo
New wheels and brakes also for Cosworth demo
Shopping list
The packages start modestly with a 15hp, £595 Stage 1.0 comprising low temperature thermostat, panel air filter and ECU upgrade with four selectable maps. Stages 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 add various levels of exhaust upgrades (see below) up to and including a new lighter and thermally coated exhaust manifold with equal length headers, mid-pipe with 'Helmholtz resonator' (nor us) and full cat-back Cosworth branded Nameless exhaust. By now you'll be over three grand in and with 230hp to show for it.

Hold that thought and go for the £3,995 Stage 2 supercharged kit instead and you're looking at a much more serious 260hp. This includes a burly looking crackle finish intake manifold built using Cosworth's proprietary lightweight Coscast technique, an intercooler and all the necessary ancillaries. A relatively modest 0.5bar of boost means this can all be bolted on without any changes to internals, compression or transmission, 280hp the maximum available if you open your wallet wide and pair the full exhaust system with the supercharger. This is on the conservative side we're told and there is more to come but Cosworth wanted to make sure the kit was safe and reliable with the base engine in its stock form. While still offering enough of a boost to unlock the potential we all hoped was there from the start.

The car you see here is the 'all-in' option with every upgrade, plus the additional £1,750 AP big brake kit, a suitably slammed KW suspension set-up and some 18-inch Rays wheels with a very 'scene' stretch to the sidewalls. The look may not be to all tastes but, clearly, you can choose how far you want to go down that route. And as our Cosworth man admits, they are engine men but wanted a bit more presence for the demo car.

Well as engine tuners go...
Well as engine tuners go...
One for the road
Driving impressions should probably carry that caveat too. Namely each to their own and the speed bump scraping slammed ride height may or may not be your thing, even if the spring/damper combination actually works well out of town. Depending how brown you like your adrenaline you'd probably want to at least consider a bit more rubber on the road than the standard eco tyres; that these relatively modest 18s pack out the '86's arches nicely proves you needn't go too mad either.

It's a pleasant reminder of just how good the fundamentals are in the '86 too. The driving position is lovely - low-slung and stretched out while still keeping the wheel nice and close. Add the delightful short-throw snickety gearbox and well-positioned pedals and you've got a great workspace; excellent visibility over the low bonnet and little peaks on the wings help you position the car into the corners, all helping confidence. The electric steering is even nicely weighted and its speed well-matched to the car. Lovely.

Supercharger at 0.5 bar of boost here
Supercharger at 0.5 bar of boost here
Scene set how is that engine? In keeping with the unapologetic looks you're not sheltered from what's going on under the bonnet, the note purposefully mechanical and aggressive if not exactly stirring or inspirational. It's not quite as feral as the old 2ZZ-GE supercharged Toyota engines used by Lotus in the old Elise SC and four-cylinder Exiges but a sense of that zing is present and it likes to rev.

There's just a hint of the forced induction but the lag-free power delivery of the supercharger and absence of chuffs and whooshes could convince you it's just a bigger motor rather than a boosted one. Credit to Cosworth for the calibration and set-up here; even in the most aggressive of the four available maps (selected via the cruise control stalk) there's an initial softness to the power delivery that helps maintain traction but from there it really takes off and pulls hard and consistently all the way to the redline. There are some gimmicks too, the most extreme map including rev matching for downshifts and a flat upshift mode that lets you keep your foot buried and engine ba-ba-ba-bapping against a safe limiter as you drop the clutch. Fun but we spent most of our time in map three, preferring to do the fancy footwork ourselves.

Go go GT86!
Go go GT86!
True to the spirit
Regardless, the power band really gives you a lot to play with and you can let it pull from low revs or flick around the close-ratio 'box to unleash the top end fury. If not especially cultured the engine always makes its presence felt without ever dominating proceedings. It's sympathetic to the overall spirit of the GT86 while making it a whole lot more potent and fun too. Let's just say it unleashes the hooligan in both car and driver... Never far from your mind is the sense it feels built for silliness from the start.

So that inherent balance is still there. But with it the kind of overtaking punch and general gusto that enables you to leave the B-road bludgers behind and really enjoy yourself. In this environment it's absolutely stellar too, the relatively short gearing and options offered by the wide power band meaning you can zing up and down the gears and generally have a bit of a riot without entirely losing grip on reality. A bit more bite to the front end and perhaps a little less rubber would let some of the throttle adjustability back in but that could all be fine-tuned according to preference.

Is it as fast and cultured as something like a Cayman? No. Is it more relevant and fun to the kind of driving you'll get to enjoy on British roads? Arguably, at a cost if you tick every box. At heart this is what we wanted though. A GT86. Just faster. And underpinned by proper engineering rigour and a badge with real pedigree.


COWORTH GT86
Stage 1 normally aspirated
Stage 1.0; £595, 215hp (Panel filter, ECU upgrade, low temperature thermostat)
Stage 1.1; £1,120, 220hp (Cat-back Cosworth by Nameless exhaust system)
Stage 1.2; £725, 225hp (Resonator and mid-pipe)
Stage 1.3; £1,295, 230hp (Thermal coated four-two-one exhaust manifold)

Stage 2 supercharged
Stage 2.0; £3,995, 260hp (Stage 1.0 plus supercharger, inlet manifold, intercooler)
Stage 2.3; £7,235, 280hp (All of the above!)

[Prices are exclusive of both VAT and fitting, full Power Package details here].

Cosworth FA20 upgrades promo video

And see here for dealer information.


TOYOTA GT86 (STANDARD CAR)
Engine:
 1,998cc flat-4
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 200@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 151@6,400-6,600rpm
0-62mph: 7.6 sec
Top speed: 140mph
Weight: 1,240kg
MPG: 36.2mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 181g/km
Price: £24,995

   
   


Author
Discussion

callahan

Original Poster:

890 posts

205 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
That looks superb, I even like the wheels / 'stance'.

It's a lot of money but should make a great handling car go well too.

I'm in (if someone can give me £20k...)

Ilovejapcrap

3,274 posts

111 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Very nice

Bodo

12,368 posts

265 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
New car £24,995
Kit £7,235
VAT £1,447
Fitting £2,500?
Total £36,177
for 280hp@1,240kg. Is there any competition?

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

264 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Too much power and not expensive enough.

Blayney

2,948 posts

185 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Bodo said:
New car £24,995
Kit £7,235
VAT £1,447
Fitting £2,500?
Total £36,177
for 280hp@1,240kg. Is there any competition?
Elise?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

Less power but lighter.

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
I am definitely buying one of these as my next car. Easier to live with than my old elise, more fun than saloons. The only question is over how much boost to add - turbo or supercharged, circa 300 or 400 ponies? Mmmm....

BigTom85

1,927 posts

170 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Just what we've all been waiting for, right? smile

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Nearing end of warranty? Two years left on the 'oldest'.

danjama

5,728 posts

141 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Sorry but as somebody who loves GT86's and the idea of a boosted model, that 'promo' video was absolute ste. Just crap.

Good article though.

itcaptainslow

3,694 posts

135 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Seriously considering making one of these my next car. More power and better tyres sort IMO the GT86's only two shortcomings.

rossub

4,400 posts

189 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
New 0-60?

Let's not pretend it's not important if you've got to spend nearly £5k just for the parts on a supercharger upgrade!

Welshwonder

303 posts

187 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
The pre-2014 BRZ's had 3 years warranty. I think the 86's had 5 years from the start.

That's serious cash for a power upgrade! eek

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Article said:
Scene set how is that engine?
Because race car?

I'm not a grammar Nazi and I'm sure I couldn't write as well as most journalists, but it's pretty hard to penetrate this particular sentence...

I suppose I should comment about the car! biggrin I'm quite glad that this lovely Cosworth exists but I'm even more glad that Toyota/Subaru are sticking to their guns about power outputs. They're putting an alternative narrative out there: There is more to driving enjoyment than adding more power. That's a narrative worth listening to.

350Matt

3,733 posts

278 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
rossub said:
New 0-60?

Let's not pretend it's not important if you've got to spend nearly £5k just for the parts on a supercharger upgrade!
probably sub 5 seconds I'd say with that power to weight

danp

1,603 posts

261 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Bodo said:
New car £24,995
Kit £7,235
VAT £1,447
Fitting £2,500?
Total £36,177
for 280hp@1,240kg. Is there any competition?
Entry GT86 is now £22,195 and it says the kit includes VAT and fitting...so would be well under 30k for 280bhp and a bit over 26k for 260bhp...bargain.


Edited by danp on Wednesday 27th May 21:07

wd888

87 posts

179 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
a very nice upgrade but at that price and surely you cant ignore a m135i..

redroadster

1,729 posts

231 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
apart from hot hatches if you need a back seat to transport kids what else fun and sporty is there in the market at this price ,people always compare against mazda mx5 why ?

jonah35

3,940 posts

156 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
£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

Zyp

14,673 posts

188 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
wd888 said:
a very nice upgrade but at that price and surely you cant ignore a m135i..
You bloody well can ignore an M135i!

Conscript

1,378 posts

120 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
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?