2017 Toyota 86 Build - FT-86 SpeedFactory
 

Exterior

The new 86 is still the lightweight, fun to drive, balanced sport coupe we all remember but with a more modern and refined appearance. The changes go much further than the very debated front bumper styling, and to be honest it’s not bad once you see it in person. The new front end increases downforce from the larger chin spoiler and side canards. So even if you’re not pleased with the new look, you at least know it’s more functional.



Along with the new front bumper are full LED headlights with integrated DRL and turn signals which really cleans up the front end of the car. Around back are a pair of completely redesigned LED tail lights that have taken some styling cues from popular aftermarket lights.


And if you stare at the back of the car long enough, you’ll notice a very small difference in the rear bumper diffuser and redesigned tail pipes. There are also a new set of ten spoke wheels that use the same color combination as before but with a less cluttered design.

Powertrain

We didn’t get the turbocharged engine we all were hoping for, but we did at least of a bump in power. A very small bump however. The new red aluminum intake manifold and revised airbox together, produce a whopping five horsepower gain. While it isn’t much, the new red intake manifold does make you feel better about opening up the hood and showing off the engine bay.


The more noticeable performance increase will be from the new final drive gear. They’ve switched from a 4.10 gear ratio to a shorter 4.30 which multiples torque output, something these engines really needed, and it helps get into the powerband quicker. This should make 0-60 times faster, but we’ll report back on that after we’ve finished our full review.

Interior

Toyota has ramped up the material quality on just about every interior piece you come in contact with. We finally get the leather accent interior panels that were previously only available in Japan as well as new silver stitching found on nearly every interior panel.


However the biggest interior changes are the suede like material Toyota calls “Gran-lux” dash trim and smaller diameter leather wrapped steering wheel with stereo controls. Connected those new steering wheel controls is a touchscreen head unit that also displays the new standard backup camera.

Conclusion

All these changes come at a cost of only $155 over last year’s FR-S, which is an astonishing deal for all improvements offered. But for us gearheads all these improvements are still not enough. We want more power, more grip, and a more aggressive look. So over the next few months we’ll be taking matters into our own hands and modifying our new 86 with all the goodies the aftermarket has to offer. And you can follow our build progress right here.

With only 15 miles on the odo, it was time to start getting this thing broken in. After messing with these cars for 4 years now, it was a pleasure to see and feel the changes Toyota has made to the car. A good amount of gripes have been answered!

Of course, not everything has been addressed, so it is far from perfect. The improvements are a great sign for the platform and we hope the enthusiasts take note. Sales numbers will dictate the future of this car and we know we aren't the only ones hopeful for a true second generation!

2017 Toyota 86 Drive Review

2017 Toyota 86 Sidemarker Install

Something had to be done about the large fender gap these cars have in stock form. We needed to drop the ride height at least a couple inches, not only to make it look better, but to also lower the center of gravity to perform better around the twisties.

Normally if we wanted to drop the ride height quickly and easily we would just throw on some lowering springs because they’re a great bang for buck option. But for this build, we wanted the adjustability of coilovers so we can fine tune the suspension to our liking.


That’s why we went with the Fortune Auto Prime Coilover system, which will let us individually adjust the ride height, dampening, and front camber. Since they come with 6k (336 lbs/in) spring rates front and rear, we won’t have any issues with body roll under hard cornering.



With the Prime coilovers installed we went ahead and maxed out the camber plates in the front. But to get matching negative camber in the rear, we installed RSR adjustable lower control arms. The only problem with lowering and adding negative camber in these cars is the rear toe goes way out of alignment. So we fixed it with our Velox/FT86SpeedFactory toe arms, that let us correct the toe out in the rear.



To finish off the look we installed a limited edition 17x9.5 +40 Volk TE37V-SL in double pressed black with 255/40/17 Bridgestone RE71, as well as a carbon fiber SARD LSR wing.

So when are you throwing that turbo kit of yours on this car? ;)

I totally looking forward to this Yo and Jeremy! Subbed !!!!

While in Canada they are 2k more from 2016 :( sub'd!

Same! :thumbup::burnrubber:

Excellent, I'll be watching this with interest. I picked up my 86 back in mid September, and I've been carefully considering upgrades. Not coming from an FRS, I can't speak to the changes from a function standpoint, but I'm a big fan of the aesthetic changes.


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Second post updated with drive review :burnrubber:

in for more post :)

Third post updated with new suspension and wheels.

This. Is that project dead? It looked promising.