Discussion
Have had a GT86 for 2 days, in fact its on my drive now, about to go back to it's owner......
My impressions???
Brilliant effort from Toyota!
Handles well, feels great, driving position is perfect.
BUT it's an impracticable everyday car, no boot, no leg room, too wide for parking at the shops. You'd need another car to run around in.
Very few are going to buy it as a 2nd car, it doesn't have enough power for a weekend/toy/trackday car, it needs AT LEAST 50bhp more. Otherwise it's going to get squashed by every Audi/BMW/Merc diesel estate on the market. At 197bhp and 1200kg, It's only got some 170 BHP per tonne, which id frankly pittyful when you think that my old Westfield has over 250bhp per tonne on a 40 year old Ford engine. A Lotus Elise would be a better choice for a factory built weekend/trackday car.
They should have just gone for a balls out 280bhp trackday monster, instead they've created a compromise that doesn't fit into any useful category.
It's like they built this great car and then some fool said "hey it's too fast".
On the upside here, there are rumours of a Subaru BZR STI, so perhaps Toyota might eventually get in on that too?? IF they did then I would stand up and call it one of the best sportscars of the decade!!!
My impressions???
Brilliant effort from Toyota!
Handles well, feels great, driving position is perfect.
BUT it's an impracticable everyday car, no boot, no leg room, too wide for parking at the shops. You'd need another car to run around in.
Very few are going to buy it as a 2nd car, it doesn't have enough power for a weekend/toy/trackday car, it needs AT LEAST 50bhp more. Otherwise it's going to get squashed by every Audi/BMW/Merc diesel estate on the market. At 197bhp and 1200kg, It's only got some 170 BHP per tonne, which id frankly pittyful when you think that my old Westfield has over 250bhp per tonne on a 40 year old Ford engine. A Lotus Elise would be a better choice for a factory built weekend/trackday car.
They should have just gone for a balls out 280bhp trackday monster, instead they've created a compromise that doesn't fit into any useful category.
It's like they built this great car and then some fool said "hey it's too fast".
On the upside here, there are rumours of a Subaru BZR STI, so perhaps Toyota might eventually get in on that too?? IF they did then I would stand up and call it one of the best sportscars of the decade!!!
lyonspride said:
Have had a GT86 for 2 days, in fact its on my drive now, about to go back to it's owner......
My impressions???
Brilliant effort from Toyota!
Handles well, feels great, driving position is perfect.
BUT it's an impracticable everyday car, no boot, no leg room, too wide for parking at the shops. You'd need another car to run around in.
Very few are going to buy it as a 2nd car, it doesn't have enough power for a weekend/toy/trackday car, it needs AT LEAST 50bhp more. Otherwise it's going to get squashed by every Audi/BMW/Merc diesel estate on the market. At 197bhp and 1200kg, It's only got some 170 BHP per tonne, which id frankly pittyful when you think that my old Westfield has over 250bhp per tonne on a 40 year old Ford engine. A Lotus Elise would be a better choice for a factory built weekend/trackday car.
They should have just gone for a balls out 280bhp trackday monster, instead they've created a compromise that doesn't fit into any useful category.
It's like they built this great car and then some fool said "hey it's too fast".
On the upside here, there are rumours of a Subaru BZR STI, so perhaps Toyota might eventually get in on that too?? IF they did then I would stand up and call it one of the best sportscars of the decade!!!
Just My impressions???
Brilliant effort from Toyota!
Handles well, feels great, driving position is perfect.
BUT it's an impracticable everyday car, no boot, no leg room, too wide for parking at the shops. You'd need another car to run around in.
Very few are going to buy it as a 2nd car, it doesn't have enough power for a weekend/toy/trackday car, it needs AT LEAST 50bhp more. Otherwise it's going to get squashed by every Audi/BMW/Merc diesel estate on the market. At 197bhp and 1200kg, It's only got some 170 BHP per tonne, which id frankly pittyful when you think that my old Westfield has over 250bhp per tonne on a 40 year old Ford engine. A Lotus Elise would be a better choice for a factory built weekend/trackday car.
They should have just gone for a balls out 280bhp trackday monster, instead they've created a compromise that doesn't fit into any useful category.
It's like they built this great car and then some fool said "hey it's too fast".
On the upside here, there are rumours of a Subaru BZR STI, so perhaps Toyota might eventually get in on that too?? IF they did then I would stand up and call it one of the best sportscars of the decade!!!
GravelBen said:
Er, its narrower than a Focus and only 53mm wider than a Fiesta.
If you count wing mirrors width.....The GT86 wing mirrors are barely wider than the body, parking it up against my garage door, the rear is much wider than the back of my Vectra and that isn't a small car. Parking up at work, it was really tight squeeze just getting out of it, in fact I had to abandon my usual space because I wouldn't have gotten out of the car.
lyonspride said:
Have had a GT86 for 2 days, in fact its on my drive now, about to go back to it's owner......
My impressions???
Brilliant effort from Toyota!
Handles well, feels great, driving position is perfect.
BUT it's an impracticable everyday car, no boot, no leg room, too wide for parking at the shops. You'd need another car to run around in.
Very few are going to buy it as a 2nd car, it doesn't have enough power for a weekend/toy/trackday car, it needs AT LEAST 50bhp more. Otherwise it's going to get squashed by every Audi/BMW/Merc diesel estate on the market. At 197bhp and 1200kg, It's only got some 170 BHP per tonne, which id frankly pittyful when you think that my old Westfield has over 250bhp per tonne on a 40 year old Ford engine. A Lotus Elise would be a better choice for a factory built weekend/trackday car.
They should have just gone for a balls out 280bhp trackday monster, instead they've created a compromise that doesn't fit into any useful category.
It's like they built this great car and then some fool said "hey it's too fast".
On the upside here, there are rumours of a Subaru BZR STI, so perhaps Toyota might eventually get in on that too?? IF they did then I would stand up and call it one of the best sportscars of the decade!!!
Toyota think they can sell 100,000 of these per year.My impressions???
Brilliant effort from Toyota!
Handles well, feels great, driving position is perfect.
BUT it's an impracticable everyday car, no boot, no leg room, too wide for parking at the shops. You'd need another car to run around in.
Very few are going to buy it as a 2nd car, it doesn't have enough power for a weekend/toy/trackday car, it needs AT LEAST 50bhp more. Otherwise it's going to get squashed by every Audi/BMW/Merc diesel estate on the market. At 197bhp and 1200kg, It's only got some 170 BHP per tonne, which id frankly pittyful when you think that my old Westfield has over 250bhp per tonne on a 40 year old Ford engine. A Lotus Elise would be a better choice for a factory built weekend/trackday car.
They should have just gone for a balls out 280bhp trackday monster, instead they've created a compromise that doesn't fit into any useful category.
It's like they built this great car and then some fool said "hey it's too fast".
On the upside here, there are rumours of a Subaru BZR STI, so perhaps Toyota might eventually get in on that too?? IF they did then I would stand up and call it one of the best sportscars of the decade!!!
Lotus have sold 30,000 Elises since 1996.
As the yanks say..."do the math".
lyonspride said:
GravelBen said:
Er, its narrower than a Focus and only 53mm wider than a Fiesta.
If you count wing mirrors width.....The GT86 wing mirrors are barely wider than the body, parking it up against my garage door, the rear is much wider than the back of my Vectra and that isn't a small car. Parking up at work, it was really tight squeeze just getting out of it, in fact I had to abandon my usual space because I wouldn't have gotten out of the car.
Could be longer doors needing more space to open I guess.
Can you SERIOUSLY get the back end out in these without it
A) being wet
B) belting it around a corner
C) ramming it into tail end of first gear (for under 30mph wet bends)
The reason I ask is because I used to own an S2000 for a fairly long while which weighed the same as this and was over 40bhp up on this and you would have to cane it to get the back end out at low speed in dry conditions (easy in the wet).
Skinny tires or not I would've thought this thing would be difficult for the every day non-Tiff Needell driver
Genuinely interested
A) being wet
B) belting it around a corner
C) ramming it into tail end of first gear (for under 30mph wet bends)
The reason I ask is because I used to own an S2000 for a fairly long while which weighed the same as this and was over 40bhp up on this and you would have to cane it to get the back end out at low speed in dry conditions (easy in the wet).
Skinny tires or not I would've thought this thing would be difficult for the every day non-Tiff Needell driver
Genuinely interested
I managed to get the backend to step out on my test drive It was mildly damp, but going from a 30, round a 90 degree corner onto a long slip road onto a dual carriageway. I was told to give it some beans, so 2nd gear from the apex, and away it went way before I was near 70. All I could do was smile and say "oops"
The Geographer said:
check out this review: http://youtu.be/DYrvhkIivgA
he is a hungarian presenter, but for the first time they made the double effort and filmed an english version of their road test. very well done if you ask me
I'm a bit confused. He does about 10 million drifts, then says "this car isn't good for drifting."he is a hungarian presenter, but for the first time they made the double effort and filmed an english version of their road test. very well done if you ask me
elementad said:
Can you SERIOUSLY get the back end out in these without it
A) being wet
B) belting it around a corner
C) ramming it into tail end of first gear (for under 30mph wet bends)
The reason I ask is because I used to own an S2000 for a fairly long while which weighed the same as this and was over 40bhp up on this and you would have to cane it to get the back end out at low speed in dry conditions (easy in the wet).
Skinny tires or not I would've thought this thing would be difficult for the every day non-Tiff Needell driver
Genuinely interested
Had one for a press test a couple of weeks ago and with the TC off and in sports mode on yes, it's very easy to get the back end out.A) being wet
B) belting it around a corner
C) ramming it into tail end of first gear (for under 30mph wet bends)
The reason I ask is because I used to own an S2000 for a fairly long while which weighed the same as this and was over 40bhp up on this and you would have to cane it to get the back end out at low speed in dry conditions (easy in the wet).
Skinny tires or not I would've thought this thing would be difficult for the every day non-Tiff Needell driver
Genuinely interested
It also went round the SS Silverstone track session very well.
Brilliant car for the money and if you liked the S2000 gearbox you will adore the GT86!
crispyshark said:
Had one for a press test a couple of weeks ago and with the TC off and in sports mode on yes, it's very easy to get the back end out.
It also went round the SS Silverstone track session very well.
Brilliant car for the money and if you liked the S2000 gearbox you will adore the GT86!
Soo many mixed opinions about the playfulness of the back tyres with this car. Maybe it just comes down to whether you have the guts or not! (or whether you were daft enough to forget to turn off ESC as per somebody earlier in this thread!)It also went round the SS Silverstone track session very well.
Brilliant car for the money and if you liked the S2000 gearbox you will adore the GT86!
Either way, what seems to be agreed is that the nature of the rear tyres losing grip (when they do) is progressive rather than sudden. That's cool, yo.
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