Friday 4th January 2013

Time For Tea: GT86 Drifting

Japan and Australia unite to show just how well the GT86 goes sideways

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You might remember that, back before Christmas, Toyota’s CGI-rendered advert for the GT86 put some backs up at the Advertising Standards Agency. Whether you think this to be a balanced response to an ad that promoted dangerous driving or over-zealous bimbling that took a perfectly reasonable car ad off our screens depends on your perspective (though we suspect we can guess which yours is).

However, the good news is that Toyota hasn’t been deterred from running performance-based car ads elsewhere in the world. Over in Oz, for example, it’s currently running thisrather neat little promo. Showing Keiichi Tsuchiya, aka the Drift King, carving out a neat little racetrack in the outback sand with only a GT86 and a series of drifts as his tools, it proves that Toyota knows the sort of people it’s aiming at. That is to say, people who like to go sideways.

But while Toyota’s display of drifting is an enjoyable one, this one from Japan is even more so. Shot together with (and, partly, from) an AE86, the car that inspired its name, the GT looks in its element. We’re rather fond of the sans-rear-spoiler effect, too. A few disparaging comments have been made about the GT86 not quite having enough power; these chaps certainly don’t think that’s the case.  So make a brew, grab a pew, and enjoy some sideways action, Nippon-style.

 

 

[Brabus Jord]

Does look good fun! clearly not as light as the AE86 but still good fun!

[Ari]

Must be something wrong with it, there's some kind of awful rhythmic thumping scratching noise emanating from it. They need to get that fixed...

[teabagger]

I couldnt watch all the way through due to the poor "music"

The car look good though

[StormLoaded]

i like this one.. 360 spin into a drift!

http://youtu.be/bUjFLSZvl7E?t=3m48s

[gforceg]

So THAT'S how to handle cold tyres and cold dry tarmac! I knew I was doing something wrong.

I turned the sound off and listened to Smoke On the Water with it instead.

[Devil2575]

I'm sorry but it can't possibly be fun.

It doesn't have enough power to impress your mates down the pub!

[The Penguin]

Good video unwatchable by the stupid music!

[04mmurkett]

Was this on here quite recently?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFPgG45lEDE

If it was, no harm watching it again. If it wasn't, why not?!

JUMP. DRIFT.

[MC Bodge]

Needs a supercharger or turbo and to cost no more than £2000. Apparently.

[AFC1886]

One is drifting on sand, the other is not the standard car. Pointless?

[UltimaCH]

The scratching even disturbed the missus who was sitting on the other side of the room minding her business and said: "what the hell is that...?". I replied a Toyota advert and her reply was "ah..."

[Contigo]

Engine sounds like a fart in a jam jar.

[Steve vRS]

AFC1886 said:

the other is not the standard car. Pointless?

Didn't see that apart from the lack of spoiler in the article.

Steve

[EDLT]

Steve vRS said:

AFC1886 said:

the other is not the standard car. Pointless?

Didn't see that apart from the lack of spoiler in the article.

Steve

The youtube video has a link to the owner's blog. The car has a performance air filter and exhaust, a lightweight crank pulley and something else - the pictures are broken.

[FWDRacer]

Drifting......

Cannot. See. The. Point.

[Draexin]

FWDRacer said:

Drifting......

Cannot. See. The. Point.

Well, there is no real *point* to drifting, it's just fun

[bmw120d]

FWDRacer said:

Drifting......

Cannot. See. The. Point.

and in the car.... yep it has feel but 200bhp its another mx5, nice but not enough.... try again !!!!

[NelsonR32]

Looks so much better without the boot spoiler. Can you opt to have it removed in the UK?

[StormLoaded]

bmw120d said:

and in the car.... yep it has feel but 200bhp its another mx5, nice but not enough.... try again !!!!

Could be worse, they could of made it a diesel

Nelson, no option to remove the spoiler, however TRD model is out this month I believe, and the duckfin TRD spoiler is a direct replacement for those that just want the odd part.
Far better than the std one

[Conor D]

But, but, but, but.. it doesn't have 700bhp....