Toyota GT86 - Owned
Discussion
Was it the miltek from Litchfield? That is the one that I am most tempted by....?
Does anyone on here have any experience of the forced induction yet? I cannot believe that it will not completely alter the way the car drives... That and both the turbo and SC being offered by most companies seem to be mounted forward of the engine block, causing (if only small) change in the weight distribution and therefore handling characteristics.
Does anyone on here have any experience of the forced induction yet? I cannot believe that it will not completely alter the way the car drives... That and both the turbo and SC being offered by most companies seem to be mounted forward of the engine block, causing (if only small) change in the weight distribution and therefore handling characteristics.
GB71 said:
I also have a GT86 and want to improve the sound, Was just curious which exhaust it was that had a nasty drone 
Sorry, missed that.It was a custom job, not an off the shelf solution so no danger you'll get the same.
No reflection on the company either - they were more than willing to tweak, amend, even begin again to get it right - I just lost interest after the third or fourth attempt.
I believe the first UK customer owned turbo GT86 is with us: click here.
Now all we need is the Litchfield supercharger to make an appearance and we can do some comparisons.
Now all we need is the Litchfield supercharger to make an appearance and we can do some comparisons.
Podie said:
RichyBoy said:
How are you finding the lack of grunt? People discount these after a 30 minute test drive but I've found after a month the modest power output is not an issue and I'm starting to think its perfect. I'll never get tired of heel toeing to 3rd and taking the third exit of a roundabout in this car (all the nasty things off of course).
Is circa 200bhp really not enough for daily driving?Granted, I think they should have used a smaller capacity turbo with around 250bhp...
Alex looking at the car you own it will be fair bit slower than your P1
The GT86 it not about all speed it is dream to drive and you do not have to be high speeds.
I found with mine the more miles you do it seems to be getting faster.
As well i have changed my driving style i.e I do not boot it off the lights but drive it smoothly
It loves twisty roads
The GT86 it not about all speed it is dream to drive and you do not have to be high speeds.
I found with mine the more miles you do it seems to be getting faster.
As well i have changed my driving style i.e I do not boot it off the lights but drive it smoothly
It loves twisty roads
I've never driven an MX-5 - do I have to hand in my PH Membership card?I am considering getting one of these (or maybe a BRZ) next year. It doesn't entirely suit where I live (on a farm - a Forester would fit that better), my family situation (wife and two kids, 10 and 12 - cannot fit them all in at the same time) or my usage (once a week 80-mile round trip plus sundry running around) - but it appeals very much! A couple of weeks ago I sat in one in a Toyota showroom and then looked at the rear legroom, leaving rapidly in disappointment
But then I found some internet reviews/videos that suggested I had perhaps been too hasty... and I reckon I could just about fit my bass and amp/speaker combo in, plus one of my daughters (shame the rear seat folds as one piece rather than split) which is probably the absolute minimum requirement. WIfe has XC90 for family duties - she hates manual cars so she probably wouldn't drive it
So last Saturday I had a testdrive - an auto, unfortunately, but very enjoyable all the same. I would not have an auto, definitely manual. Didn't have the right combination of gear / traction control to practise anything sideways (though managed that easily on a S2000 test drive in 1999 - perhaps getting more cowardly as I get older) but the car felt very balanced and quite fast enough for my use. I don't mind having to work for the performance - in fact, I really don't like a car that feels fast easily but then has no more to give when you are trying harder - easier to drive at sensible pace
The good stuff - just the feel of the car overall. I remember LJK Setright saying that an MX5 just felt right - and in that respect I would say the GT86 is the same (I had a 1991 MX5 for a few months - NB not saying the GT86 feels just like an MX5, but it does feel "right") - which is a benefit all the time the car is being driven. Decent / comfortable ride over some bumpy roads while still feeling quite firm. Good visibility. I really didn't find the interior trim to be at all unacceptable (except for the hideous red bits on the steering wheel!) though that might be because I am used to my 2008 Outback interior;)).
I do think the whole "interior quality" thing is somewhat misleading, though - most people seem to use it to describe how posh the plastics are, or whether or not you need to pull hard on the door to open/close it (I seem to remember that Setright commented on this years ago, bemoaning the view that easy to close doors meant tinny rather than well-engineered). As a result, for example, Audi come out well, Subaru do pants. Whilst some Subarus (eg hatch Impreza I looked over a couple of years ago) did have pretty awful interior plastics, I would tend to rate a low failure rate well above swanky looking plastic - high quality is how it will last / does it work well rather than does it look pretty. My Outback is now five years and 60k miles old and the only thing to go wrong so far (apart from corroding alloys) has been the fuse on the 12v / lighter socket in the front! It is, though, a bit disappointing that the cabin is not really all that much advanced over the 1992 Legacy Turbo I had in the mid-90s (eg, the wiper stalk is all but identical 16 years on)
Didn't really like the noise of the GT86 engine - just came across to me as "noise" when pushed rather than anything particularly nice - not that I can expect it to sound like a 1.6k Caterham with throttle bodies I suppose
! Had me wondering what the effect of the Litchfield offering of ECU mods and Milltek exhaust is like... though I am not one for modding cars, generally, the circa £1,100 cost doesn't sound too bad - I would want to have a standard one for a few months first though - probably laziness would probably result in no action from me on the basis that it just took 2.5 years to get round to uprating the speakers in the Outback... (I wouldn't in any event want to consider a turbo or super charger)
I would definitely keep the standard wheels/tyres (but get a spare set for winter tyres - got stranded at home 3-4 winters ago when I had a 530D before I was properly aware of winter tyres) - when I had a 7, I kept to list 1a tyres for consistency reasons rather than having a spare set with stickier tyres that would (for me) have spoiled the feel. [Tangent - the continuing increase in what is considered to be standard wheel diameter irritates me no end - the 7s are generally recognised as working best on 13inch wheels and I think the M135i was specced with 18inchers on the basis of them working better than bigger wheels - but most people seem to fall for the "it looks great" view without considering the state of the roads / their spines]
My reasoning behind all of this? I really don't like front wheel drive and prefer rear wheel drive to four wheel drive (though that assumes I will only buy a "good" example of any of those). I like a car not to feel large and heavy. I don't really like very large cars (cumbersome on the lanes near home when avoiding people coming the other way - I seem to be nearly the only person who drives close to the verge). I like simple / pure motoring - without a turbo, there is less to worry about going wrong on a GT86/BRZ, though the five year warranties on each will of course comfort the Mrs considerably!
Anyway, I am 50 next year and I might just have to have one as my "mid-life crisis" - not sure I can scrape enough readies together to get another 7 to the spec I would like without keeping the Outback for a further 2-3 years and with a busy life I am not sure that I would get enough time driving a 7, so I think the GT86/BRZ would make a great compromise
.
[PS sorry for quoting LJK Setright so much - never normally do so!]
But then I found some internet reviews/videos that suggested I had perhaps been too hasty... and I reckon I could just about fit my bass and amp/speaker combo in, plus one of my daughters (shame the rear seat folds as one piece rather than split) which is probably the absolute minimum requirement. WIfe has XC90 for family duties - she hates manual cars so she probably wouldn't drive itSo last Saturday I had a testdrive - an auto, unfortunately, but very enjoyable all the same. I would not have an auto, definitely manual. Didn't have the right combination of gear / traction control to practise anything sideways (though managed that easily on a S2000 test drive in 1999 - perhaps getting more cowardly as I get older) but the car felt very balanced and quite fast enough for my use. I don't mind having to work for the performance - in fact, I really don't like a car that feels fast easily but then has no more to give when you are trying harder - easier to drive at sensible pace
The good stuff - just the feel of the car overall. I remember LJK Setright saying that an MX5 just felt right - and in that respect I would say the GT86 is the same (I had a 1991 MX5 for a few months - NB not saying the GT86 feels just like an MX5, but it does feel "right") - which is a benefit all the time the car is being driven. Decent / comfortable ride over some bumpy roads while still feeling quite firm. Good visibility. I really didn't find the interior trim to be at all unacceptable (except for the hideous red bits on the steering wheel!) though that might be because I am used to my 2008 Outback interior;)).
I do think the whole "interior quality" thing is somewhat misleading, though - most people seem to use it to describe how posh the plastics are, or whether or not you need to pull hard on the door to open/close it (I seem to remember that Setright commented on this years ago, bemoaning the view that easy to close doors meant tinny rather than well-engineered). As a result, for example, Audi come out well, Subaru do pants. Whilst some Subarus (eg hatch Impreza I looked over a couple of years ago) did have pretty awful interior plastics, I would tend to rate a low failure rate well above swanky looking plastic - high quality is how it will last / does it work well rather than does it look pretty. My Outback is now five years and 60k miles old and the only thing to go wrong so far (apart from corroding alloys) has been the fuse on the 12v / lighter socket in the front! It is, though, a bit disappointing that the cabin is not really all that much advanced over the 1992 Legacy Turbo I had in the mid-90s (eg, the wiper stalk is all but identical 16 years on)
Didn't really like the noise of the GT86 engine - just came across to me as "noise" when pushed rather than anything particularly nice - not that I can expect it to sound like a 1.6k Caterham with throttle bodies I suppose
! Had me wondering what the effect of the Litchfield offering of ECU mods and Milltek exhaust is like... though I am not one for modding cars, generally, the circa £1,100 cost doesn't sound too bad - I would want to have a standard one for a few months first though - probably laziness would probably result in no action from me on the basis that it just took 2.5 years to get round to uprating the speakers in the Outback... (I wouldn't in any event want to consider a turbo or super charger)I would definitely keep the standard wheels/tyres (but get a spare set for winter tyres - got stranded at home 3-4 winters ago when I had a 530D before I was properly aware of winter tyres) - when I had a 7, I kept to list 1a tyres for consistency reasons rather than having a spare set with stickier tyres that would (for me) have spoiled the feel. [Tangent - the continuing increase in what is considered to be standard wheel diameter irritates me no end - the 7s are generally recognised as working best on 13inch wheels and I think the M135i was specced with 18inchers on the basis of them working better than bigger wheels - but most people seem to fall for the "it looks great" view without considering the state of the roads / their spines]
My reasoning behind all of this? I really don't like front wheel drive and prefer rear wheel drive to four wheel drive (though that assumes I will only buy a "good" example of any of those). I like a car not to feel large and heavy. I don't really like very large cars (cumbersome on the lanes near home when avoiding people coming the other way - I seem to be nearly the only person who drives close to the verge). I like simple / pure motoring - without a turbo, there is less to worry about going wrong on a GT86/BRZ, though the five year warranties on each will of course comfort the Mrs considerably!
Anyway, I am 50 next year and I might just have to have one as my "mid-life crisis" - not sure I can scrape enough readies together to get another 7 to the spec I would like without keeping the Outback for a further 2-3 years and with a busy life I am not sure that I would get enough time driving a 7, so I think the GT86/BRZ would make a great compromise
.[PS sorry for quoting LJK Setright so much - never normally do so!]
You sound similar to me in some respects and I couldn't be happier with mine.
It was a fiftieth birthday present to me - I'd never bought a new car myself, nor shall I again.
My view has changed a little in the year (bar two weeks) I've owned it. It's less of a hooligan than I first thought or maybe it's just familiarity, especially more comfortable on long-ish runs. It's definitely rekindled my interest in driving for the sake of driving, to the point I've taken a serious interest in advanced driving and roadcraft.
I think you have a good understanding of what the car is and what it's about - maybe more importantly what it's not.
Best of luck.
It was a fiftieth birthday present to me - I'd never bought a new car myself, nor shall I again.
My view has changed a little in the year (bar two weeks) I've owned it. It's less of a hooligan than I first thought or maybe it's just familiarity, especially more comfortable on long-ish runs. It's definitely rekindled my interest in driving for the sake of driving, to the point I've taken a serious interest in advanced driving and roadcraft.
I think you have a good understanding of what the car is and what it's about - maybe more importantly what it's not.
Best of luck.
Thanks
Interesting to hear of your shift in views - given that (if I get one) I will be doing 15k-20k miles a year in it, long distance comfort is important. I thought it did quite well on that so good to hear it works over a longer period too
Just realised I didn't mention my 'man-maths' justification for it though - I recently fitted upgraded stereo and built in sat nav to the Outback with a view to making myself stick with it a couple of years longer. Have realised that I could swap over into a BRZ without losing all the money I spent on it
Interesting to hear of your shift in views - given that (if I get one) I will be doing 15k-20k miles a year in it, long distance comfort is important. I thought it did quite well on that so good to hear it works over a longer period too
Just realised I didn't mention my 'man-maths' justification for it though - I recently fitted upgraded stereo and built in sat nav to the Outback with a view to making myself stick with it a couple of years longer. Have realised that I could swap over into a BRZ without losing all the money I spent on it
Extremely happy with it... still.
I look at Pitman's topic ( click) and think that'd be great, but apart from the lack of funds, it'd make it into a different beast altogether. I really like mine the way it is - it's plenty fast enough for my driving skills on the road.
I've toyed with replacing the wheels, mainly because everyone else doesn't like them, but I still come back to why fix what ain't broke. I like it the way it is.
Clearly, this may change over time but for the moment there are no changes planned. Dull perhaps, but I'm happy.
I look at Pitman's topic ( click) and think that'd be great, but apart from the lack of funds, it'd make it into a different beast altogether. I really like mine the way it is - it's plenty fast enough for my driving skills on the road.
I've toyed with replacing the wheels, mainly because everyone else doesn't like them, but I still come back to why fix what ain't broke. I like it the way it is.
Clearly, this may change over time but for the moment there are no changes planned. Dull perhaps, but I'm happy.
LG, you need this - http://www.litchfieldimports.co.uk/Toyota/BRZ-GT86...
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff