Another red car that the Internet loves to argue about joins the fleet - welcome the GT86 Primo!
Full disclosure from the off: I like
Toyota GT86s. And
Subaru BRZs. Really like them. They are cars that divide opinion like few others but, while far from perfect, the ethos they represent and the things they do well - for me at least - far outweigh the bad bits. Don't worry, we'll come to those...
No spoiler for the win!
So to say I've been rather keen to run a GT86 long-termer would be rather underselling the excitement. But why now, with the car a few years old and with apparently every Internet argument made? Well you may have noticed recently a little range refresh
for the '86, which included the introduction of the GT86 Primo. No spoiler, 16-inch wheels, less equipment and, most importantly, a price £2,500 under a regular car. The £22K GT86 becomes a reality!
GY15 VFZ is a GT86 Primo. Furthermore, it is a £22,495 Primo, deliberately specified without a single option. Not only does this mean the car can be assessed in its most basic form, it also opens up a whole load of new comparison possibilities. See the Clio Trophy for example, which starts at £21,780. So it's painted in the only no-cost colour - GT Pure Red - with the normal stereo, seats and everything else. Which is quite refreshing actually.
TT owners avert your gaze now!
It arrived yesterday and, yes, it's certainly basic. It locks and starts with a key (!), the lights are on a stalk, the infotainment screen feels tiny and even the digital speedo has gone. The latter is quite annoying in fact but there's already a lot to like. I think the GT86 look is vastly improved by deleting the spoiler, even if the 16-inch wheels aren't quite so appealing. It feels very much like a my first Gran Turismo car, ready to do battle with Civics and Silvias in the Sunday Cup. No bad thing given I'm quite a fan of that too. The tyres - because what's a GT86 story without mention of those? - are Yokohama DB E70s; I've not heard heard of them but will report back after some, er, more comprehensive testing...
It arrived box-fresh yesterday with 81 miles and is currently on 126. A running-in period isn't advised (we've checked with Toyota, honest!) so the full fury of 200hp and 151lb ft can be unleashed from the off. For the first evening I just mooched home and there are no plans to be flat out just yet; it just seems like the right thing to do with a brand new car. Famous last words...
Remember these?
Still, we have lots of activities planned for it. With Beaulieu hosting Simply Japanese this weekend it would be rude not to pop down and there's a Scottish road trip planned too - more on that over the coming weeks. It will be heading on track as soon as possible to see how those tyres stack up and I quite fancy another
'ring trip. Don't forget there's
an AE86 on Toyota's heritage fleet as well... So plenty to look forward to over the next six months or so, particularly for a self-confessed fanboy. How deep-seated is the appeal? Would you really buy one over a turbocharged hot hatch? Can it do boring journeys as well as the fun ones? Answers to follow in due course. For now feel free to discuss how it's too expensive and not fast enough...
FACT SHEET
Car: 2015 Toyota GT86 Primo
Run by: Matt
On fleet since: July 2015
Mileage: 126
List price new: £22,495 (and £22,495 as tested! List price £22,700, GT86 Primo currently available with £205 dealer discount until September 30)
Last month at a glance: First day in what promises to be a blissful six months!
[Photos: Ben Lowden]
