Toyota GT86

Author
Discussion

Fishy Dave

1,024 posts

244 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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We got to drive them at Donington on Tuesday. I have to say I love it, and it is plenty quick enough around the track. I wasn't allowed to switch the VSC off despite being an instructor (although there in my role as a sales exec), but it still gave good feel and the nose tucks in nicely to the apex.
As an all round road and track car for the enthusiast driver it excels and I will be buying one to sit alongside my Caterham (once used values fall in line with my salary!). This is my own opinion and it makes no difference that I happen to work for Toyota btw.

ady_GTi

325 posts

209 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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Had my drive up goodwood hill today, in short:

Looks alot better in real life compared the pictures, Interior is typical Jap, similar to the S2k and rx8 quality. Driving position and seats are soo much better than the S2000. I was 3up and it still felt pretty quick, sounds good as well. Brakes are very good, steering is light but has good feel, shift wasnt as nice as the S2 but still good to use.

My friend in the back took a video, will post a link when he gets it on youtube. Rear seats are useless BTW, he was sat across the rear bench.

Mastodon2

13,818 posts

164 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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lexusboy said:
Very quiet, just sounds like a gay non turbo Impreza, oh wait... lol
How is a non-turbo Impreza "gay"? Not sure how that works. I'm also not sure how a non-turbo Impreza sounds much different to a turbo Impreza, apart from the obvious turbo noise, a boxer 4 with uneven length headers is a boxer 4 with uneven length headers.

otolith

55,797 posts

203 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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I also drove it at Goodwood today and agree with the above. The issue in the back is legroom. My wife was in the back and found it tolerable but wouldn't want to spend too long in there.

I really liked it. It isn't fast enough if you get your kicks humiliating diesel BMWs at the traffic lights, but it's plenty fast enough to have fun, to overtake, to drive cross country quicker than plod would like. Basically, if you can't have fun driving it, there's something wrong with you wink

And I didn't even have chance to explore the limit handling, I bet it's a hoot on a damp roundabout.

ady_GTi

325 posts

209 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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Video of my run up the hill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSCBhhLr-rA

LuckyP

6,243 posts

224 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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ady_GTi said:
Video of my run up the hill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSCBhhLr-rA
Very, very impressed with that. Nice driving!!

Pete

lexusboy

1,099 posts

142 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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Mastodon2 said:
How is a non-turbo Impreza "gay"? Not sure how that works. I'm also not sure how a non-turbo Impreza sounds much different to a turbo Impreza, apart from the obvious turbo noise, a boxer 4 with uneven length headers is a boxer 4 with uneven length headers.
Basically what I was saying is that it could sound a lot meatier than it does

ady_GTi

325 posts

209 months

Sunday 1st July 2012
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LuckyP said:
ady_GTi said:
Video of my run up the hill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSCBhhLr-rA
Very, very impressed with that. Nice driving!!

Pete
Thanks Pete, car really gives you the confidence to push!

aspen

1,419 posts

262 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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What does everyone think of the sound delivery through the footwell after 4k rpm?

I thought it was odd. Sounds like its coming out of a speaker! ( I know its actual engine noise)

jjr1

3,023 posts

259 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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Yes I agree it is very weird. Definitely artificial (I don't mean as if produced electronically) and not natural. It is not a reason to put me off but I have to say I could live without it.

LordGrover

Original Poster:

33,529 posts

211 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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I've not been following the threads very closely, but there seems to be a bit of disappointment with a perceived lack of power. I'm not too concerned as I'm not looking for a traffic light rocket, just a modern sports coupe that'll allow me to enjoy the twisties.
Anyway, does no one think there'll be a hot version next year, or maybe further down the line? I'd be surprised if there's not, pretty much every launch comes out with the 'basic' spec but invariably a 'type R', 'type S', GTi, whatever model comes out a little later.

Stig

11,817 posts

283 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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jjr1 said:
Yes I agree it is very weird. Definitely artificial (I don't mean as if produced electronically) and not natural. It is not a reason to put me off but I have to say I could live without it.
It's not artificial. There's a vent from the induction box that opens up into the cabin at higher revs.

In terms of what the car is like, I've driven both the manual and the auto on track (mostly sideways) at the European press launch in May.

Personally speaking, I thought it was excellent and a welcome return to 'fun' driving even at lower speeds. A great balance of power and chassis dynamics, well styled, interior quality was fine IMHO and even reasonably practical. I'd certainly have one.

ady_GTi

325 posts

209 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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LordGrover said:
I've not been following the threads very closely, but there seems to be a bit of disappointment with a perceived lack of power. I'm not too concerned as I'm not looking for a traffic light rocket, just a modern sports coupe that'll allow me to enjoy the twisties.
Anyway, does no one think there'll be a hot version next year, or maybe further down the line? I'd be surprised if there's not, pretty much every launch comes out with the 'basic' spec but invariably a 'type R', 'type S', GTi, whatever model comes out a little later.
I wasnt disappointed with the performance, its 200bhp at the end of the day. Its what i expected, if anything it felt pretty quick after everyone slagging it off for being "slow"

Im sure there will be a hot version next year at some point, which puts me off slightly from buying one but how much extra will that cost? There are plenty of companys already developing superchargers/exhausts etc..

CaptainSlow

13,179 posts

211 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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Mastodon2 said:
How is a non-turbo Impreza "gay"? Not sure how that works. I'm also not sure how a non-turbo Impreza sounds much different to a turbo Impreza, apart from the obvious turbo noise, a boxer 4 with uneven length headers is a boxer 4 with uneven length headers.
Some of the n/a don't have uneven length headers.

MKnight702

3,092 posts

213 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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LancerG said:
I would buy a BRZ and then park it in a dark garage until someone brings out a bolt-on blower kit.
A supercharger or a turbo would unleash 260-280 easily at which point you could properly evaluate the chassis and drive.

Even my daily company car has 200hp !
I hope that this is tongue in cheek. Or do you really believe that chassis dynamics can only be experienced with north of 200bhp?

My XI has 65bhp as standard (100bhp in mine as I breathed on the engine) but it is an absolute blast to drive on road or track. IIRC Evo tested the XI as part of their track car of the year 2005 and it did by far the most track miles of any car that year simply because it was so much fun, so much so that they ended up building one of their own.

jjr1

3,023 posts

259 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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Stig said:
jjr1 said:
Yes I agree it is very weird. Definitely artificial (I don't mean as if produced electronically) and not natural. It is not a reason to put me off but I have to say I could live without it.
It's not artificial. There's a vent from the induction box that opens up into the cabin at higher revs.
I don't think you understood what i meant by 'artificial'. I accept it is a real noise that originates from the engine but it is still artificial in the sense that it is ; lacking naturalness; forced; contrived; feigned.....

As with everyone else that has driven one, I agree that I expected to be overly disappointed with the performance but was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong I am trading in 417bhp for this car and will miss that brutal acceleration occasionally.

Now all I need is to find a white one to view or just order a burnt orange.

Save Ferris

2,683 posts

212 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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jjr1 said:
Now all I need is to find a white one to view or just order a burnt orange.
We have a Red one as our demonstrator, but are due a White one for the showroom by the end of July (Toyota Chichester)

Keith ctr

233 posts

173 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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Had a good look around them at FOS, still not sure about the looks, guess its a very colour dependant to. It screamed typical Japanease car though with reasonable build quality, very concerned about the paint finish/thickness, its very thin like Civic's, Golf's etc, even the red one on the stand had lots of swirls and a few chips in already.

The boot opening is tiny and the boot floor very high. Nice driving position.

Will have to see a few more colours and have a decent drive before giving my full thoughts.

otolith

55,797 posts

203 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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Keith ctr said:
It screamed typical Japanease car
Is that a bad thing? Does everything need to look German?

Keith ctr

233 posts

173 months

Monday 2nd July 2012
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otolith said:
Keith ctr said:
It screamed typical Japanease car
Is that a bad thing? Does everything need to look German?
Nope, I ment that in the good way smile