Abbey Motorsport Toyota GT86 | Spotted
Know what the GT86 lacked? That's right - a supercharger
The Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ are rightly famed for their handling balance, but the horizontally-opposed 2.0-litre petrol engine powering them has always felt a bit strangled - especially when compared to the fire-breathing hot hatches in the same price bracket. Owners have freed it up with new intakes, exhausts and remaps, but by-and-large, the flat-four motor under the Toyobaru two-door has always played second fiddle to the chassis – at least as far as contributions to the fun factor go.
Those wanting to make the engine more spectacular have long been presented with the two traditional options: turbocharging or supercharging. The pros and cons associated with each are somewhat predictable. Those who’ve opted for a turbo to improve on the factory 200hp have often lost out on low rev driveability, while those who’ve turned to a supercharger have conceded the shove might not be so great. As usual with these things, it depends on your preference going in.
Of course the compelling thing about a supercharger - and Jaguar and Caterham will back us up here - is that power delivery can be made to mimic the character of a naturally-aspirated engine more easily, and (arguably) that makes it better suited to the GT86 or BRZ, which at 1,275kg need more of the same rather than oodles of unnecessary boost.
Cue Abbey Motorsport's 270hp-grade supercharger kit, fitment of which brought the GT86’s price up to £33k in 2014. It turned up the boxer engine's wick by 35 per cent and, as Abbey puts it on the website, provided “INSTANT BOOST”. Yummy.
The supercharger makes the engine hungrier for revs, too, with peak power coming at 7,500rpm, 2,000rpm after 206lb ft of torque makes itself known. Where Toyota’s standard sports car needs to be aggravated to get a bit sideways, Abbey’s kit offers oversteer on demand like a proper performance machine. In a straight line, the GT86 could give the likes of 370Z a run for its money, before leaving it behind in the corners thanks to the stickier-than-standard boots most buyers sensibly fitted alongside other applicable chassis upgrades.
Today’s Spotted wears them all. It’s a 2013 GT86 with £10k of bits added, including the supercharger, Cobra exhaust system and upgraded differential, as well as 18-inch OZ alloys. It looks the part, that’s for sure, and with only 23,000 miles on the clock it’s youthful enough to suggest the Cayman-aping grunt has gone nowhere. If there's a catch it's the presence of an automatic gearbox where the short-throw six-speed manual should be. Perhaps that explains the sub-£16k asking price. Or does it? With the blower onboard, there's presumably no need for a clutch kick to get the GT86 sideways - there’s 270hp to do that. Three pedals or not, you're getting a go-faster version of this decade's finest sports cars for the price of a supermini. Count your blessings.
SPECIFICATIONS – TOYOTA GT86 ABBEY MOTORSPORT
Engine: 1,998cc, flat-four, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 270@7,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 206@5,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 23,000
Price new: est. £33,000 (after modifications)
Yours for: £15,950
Anyway, how reliable would a manual version be? It's quite an appealing idea. Although a little bit more money would get you into a Cayman 2.9 with similar power, although slightly older.
Cosworth reckon it's good for 280bhp before you run into problems with the rods, most superchargers for the GT86 are below that, this one is claiming 270 so should be good. Abbey have boosted quite a few GT86s so won't be doing anything silly with their map.
Cosworth reckon it's good for 280bhp before you run into problems with the rods, most superchargers for the GT86 are below that, this one is claiming 270 so should be good. Abbey have boosted quite a few GT86s so won't be doing anything silly with their map.
king dear still. Cosworth reckon it's good for 280bhp before you run into problems with the rods, most superchargers for the GT86 are below that, this one is claiming 270 so should be good. Abbey have boosted quite a few GT86s so won't be doing anything silly with their map.
ETA:
Those all-black wheels do it no favours either, in making it look a bit 4x4. Those all-black wheels do it no favours either, in making it look a bit 4x4.If I'm being picky, which I suppose I am, I'd also want the all-red taillights like the TOMS ones, and a little ducktail instead of the current spoiler.
There's a fair few GT86 under £10k on various classifieds sites, you could probably build your own supercharged one for less than the asking for this one.
I've used them for many years for after market ECU's and work on my track cars and although I don't have a GT86 they seem to specialise in these and always have some great ones in. They do a full drive in drive out turbo conversion, I've always thought i'd go for this if i went the GT86 route.
Those all-black wheels do it no favours either, in making it look a bit 4x4.If I'm being picky, which I suppose I am, I'd also want the all-red taillights like the TOMS ones, and a little ducktail instead of the current spoiler.
There's a fair few GT86 under £10k on various classifieds sites, you could probably build your own supercharged one for less than the asking for this one.
Grazio tail-lights, but they get rid of the blingy silver without looking aftermarket. Stock-ish brakes & suspension in that photo, upgrades for those (with AP calipers!) were my Black Friday buys so will be fitted shortly. And I'm running the Tuning Developments NA package, for now...
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