Tuesday 17th October 2017

Toyota 86-X blitzes Millbrook: Time for Coffee?

An Alpine route, a 900hp drift car and a camera drone. Break time, boss...

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Toyota UK doesn't proffer much of a reason for this tyre-shredding exercise - and frankly, who needs one? We're simple folk, and the idea putting a 900hp GT-86 and its former drift world champion keeper on the hill route at Millbrook would've been motivation enough for us to break the video camera out, too.

The hand in question is Fredric Aasbo, who took the Formula D Pro title in 2015. That was aboard a Scion tC . Now the Norwegian is back in Europe, competing in the Scandinavian-based Gatebil season with the same Icom Toyota 86-X seen tearing up Bedfordshire's most famous closed road.

The location makes the feat doubly impressive: not only is the hill route, well, very hilly, it also features a distinct and perilous lack of run-off - some of it where the road's camber is of the less than helpful sort. A couple of these corners don't feature on the video - and neither does the proving ground's infamous jump - but as we were at Millbrook not long after Aasbo's visit, we can tell you from firsthand experience that the strips of rubber left behind pay tribute to the seamless transition work going on here.

So kudos Mr Aasbo - and thank you, Toyota: a coffee break well earned.

 

[sidesauce]

That's some impressive footwork from your man there.

[Johnnytheboy]

I thought the GT86 didn't need any more power...

[s m]

Great name for drifting

AASBO

[mike150]

The power and sound of a 1jz.............beautiful

Pity Toyota wouldn't fit one as standard, I be buying.

[Cyder]

Bah, last time I broke the speed limit there the big brother in the cabin beeped and whizzed and bonged at me.

I bet his tracker was going ballistic.

I love the alpine course, but it ain't half scary in the dark at speed.

[W124]

Love the Alpine circuit. However many times I've been round it that blind, left hand crest still freaks me out. Just the idea of something stopped in the track on the other side. Give me the heebs every time.

[Cyder]

The crest with the new looking bit of Armco on the outside near the end of the route (just before jump?) gives me the heebies too.

There's also a crest just before that hairpin that is completely blind, drove it recently for the first time in months and almost did an emergency stop because I couldn't remember where the road went much to my passengers concern delight
About here:- 52°02'13.5"N 0°32'40.1"W
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/52%C2%B002'13....

[W124]

That's the one. If I had an untold amount of cash, I'd rent the alpine circuit for a day and just hammer around it endlessly. I've only ever done one lap I've been truly happy with. In a Focus ST estate of all things.

Seen a fair few offs there, over the years.

[hondansx]

My old man bought a DB7 V12 Vantage back in the day, and at the time an instruction day at Milbrook was part of the deal. My dad persuaded his rich (but tight) mate (who's not really into cars) Andy to buy a DB7 too, purely so he had some company at Millbrook. Andy was very risk adverse, which explained his unwillingness to spend some of his fortune on a flashy car. But he was also terrified at the prospect of just about anything, not to mention driving at speed.

The persuasion went on for months, my dad massaging Andy's ego to convince him he really did deserve an Aston. Finally, there they were at Millbrook in their shiny new DB7s. And of course, on Andy's first lap in his gleaming car, he spun off and happened to hit the only (raised) drain amongst a vast expanse of grass, promptly ripping off the rear nearside wheel, suspension and much of the bodywork.

Needless to say, Andy is still pretty risk adverse these days. Personally, I'd love a go at Millbrook!

[W124]

SMMT is always funny. Lots of people unused to the route hammering it round. Always some mayhem. Random Marshall business.

[ZX10R NIN]

That's some nice pedaling going on there, I take it the engine was a tuned Supra lump?

[sideways man]

900 BHP in a gt86,you say....

Yep, that's the version I'd buy.

[cptsideways]

Been at Millbrook over the past few weeks, those are some impressive tyre marks! I was wondering what it was that achieved them.

Not a bad effort, PS Mr T, can I buy one please

[hondansx]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Very true. They now have a later manual car though to go with the old auto. They did write it off though, and had to rebuild it!

[W124]

They wrote off the manual as well? I was the only car behind that gold NSX when it went off at Millbrook. From what I can remember. It was quite a crash.