Toyota GT86: PH Carpool

This PHer has been excited about the GT86 since the FT86 concept; fortunately the reality has matched it

Name: Jeff Heath
Car: Toyota GT86
Owned since: New! Collected in April 2013
Previously owned: VW Scirocco (before that - Suzuki Swift Sport, Toyota MR2, Daihatsu Copen, 3 x Honda Civics, Mini, Renault Clio and 2 x Austin Metros)

Why I bought it:
"I've always been a big Japanese car fan and I've visited Japan six times. The Scirocco was just over four years old and I was beginning to fancy a change but wanted something noticeably different. I had followed the FT86 development and so decided to give a GT86 a try. I loved the first test drive I had, then arranged an extended test drive which I hated. However, the GT86 itch was still there and so I arranged another test drive. I loved that one too so decided two out of three wasn't bad and ordered one!"

What I wish I'd known:

Jeff gets the '86 on track regularly - good man!

"I don't find the car the most liveable with on a daily basis (lots of owners do but I don't) and had I known that it may have swung me away from the purchase. I'm glad it didn't though because I'd have missed out on a whole lot of fun which has come from owning the car. To me it's as close to an 'old' car as you can get in a modern car (that's good) - the level of involvement is better than anything else I've sampled and I get a real buzz from feeling what happens in the car is a result of my inputs!"

Things I love:
"It really is a fun car to drive and tuning a GT86 brings it alive. Since buying the car I've taken part in a local sprint series and on track is where the car really shines. They are very tuneable - I have about six telephone directory (for those old enough to remember such things!) sized Japanese part catalogues at home - you can change and modify pretty much every part of the car. There is also an excellent social scene - the GT86 and BRZ Drivers' Club is an amazing resource and has regular social and track events."

Things I hate:

Services at just £150 or £250 help costs

"The GT86 is not the most comfortable or refined car and, usually when trudging to and from work, I do find myself longing to have the Scirocco back. The rear lights can get a lot of condensation and most manual cars suffer an oil weep from the block which collects on a triangular plate at the back of the engine and then drips giving a lovely burnt oil smell! Earlier cars can get rust on the quarter-light pillar, some cars seem to have somewhat reluctant second gears and batteries can go flat fairly quickly. All of these things are simple enough dealer fixes though with upgraded parts like a larger capacity battery. Due to how low the engine sits, even when the car was standard, I found that it would catch on speed bumps - this has made a number of roads virtual no-go zones especially now it's lowered."

Costs:
"Insurance is quite reasonable - I pay about £500 a year including all the modifications. Fuel is also not too bad - I'm averaging around 33mpg. Service costs are pretty reasonable too at around £150 for a minor service and £250 for a larger service. The six-year service is fairly expensive though at £600 as it requires the spark plugs to be changed, which means moving the engine to access them. Tuning parts are easily available and not too costly for most things."

Where I've been:

Ducktail one of many mods!

"I've been up and down the country for various events with the Drivers' Club and take part in as many sprint events as I can. Other than that it's mostly back and forth to work, the shops and other everyday stuff."

What's next?
"In the future I'll probably swap to an ND MX-5 as I really enjoyed the drive I had at one of the Mazda pre-launch events. However, there is still more I want to do in the GT86 yet. I've just made it to joint top of my class in the sprint events I take part in with a 1:30.1 lap time - I'd like to see that in the 1:29s! There is also a little more tuning I'd like to do - a new manifold to remove the torque dip is the next plan. Oh, and some new tyres."

Sprint video here.