Toyota 86 first drive review (Car Guide)

[a6ela]

Hey Guys,

Here is a new review of the FT86 from Australia,

enjoy!

http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and..._drive_review/

Toyota 86: first drive review

Hachi Roku. These are the Japanese words for the number 86, but they take on far more importance today with the unveiling of the first Toyota sports car for the 21st century.

The 86 is the car that must restore passion and respect for a brand that has been through the wars in recent years, from its fabulous failure in Formula One to the safety scandals in the USA and now the loss of production and income through natural disasters in Japan and Thailand.

"Please enjoy," says the top man at Toyota, Akio Toyoda, as he drives the 86 into the spotlight at Fuji Speedway in Japan. It's a simple statement but one that comes from the heart for a man who is both a part-time racer and personally passionate about his family company.

Toyoda helped drive the Lexus LFA supercar into production and knows Toyota must do much better than the whitegoods-on-wheels Camry and Corolla that are the company's backbone. So the 86 is a two-plus-two coupe with a normally-aspirated 2.0-litre engine making 147 kiloWatts, six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes, and rear-wheel drive.

Toyota tapped Subaru for the basic engineering, including both the engine and chassis, while it concentrated on the cash and the bodywork and the finessing so essential for a car that MUST deliver real driving enjoyment.

"This is a car where one plus one adds up to three," says the chief engineer of the 86, Tetsuya Tada. "We had a strong passion to deliver again a sports car that is fun. A car with no compromise. That would be loved by enthusiasts."

The news for Australia is good, although Subuaru has yet to confirm any local sales plan for its take on the 86, called the BRZ.

"The car should be on sale around the middle of next year. Our ambition is a starting price with a three at the front," says Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen.

DRIVING

Lively. That's the first thing I feel at the wheel of the 86. I'm only getting a couple of laps at a super-tight handling track at Fuji, but the first impression in the new Toyota is that the car has hit its targets. It feels words away from a turgid Celica, much more refined than an MR2, and far more enjoyable than a Supra. Now, about that dak-dak Subaru exhaust note ...

The 86 is smaller than I expect, at least overall. It's a compact 2+2 for sure, but there is good space in the front and the seats are well shaped. The six-speed manual has a nice snick-snick feel and there is good weighting to the steering and a strong brake pedal. Underway, the car pulls well enough. It's always tough to tell on a track, unless you're in an M5 or 911, but the gearing is good and it pulls well as I upshift from second to third at 6000 revs. It doesn't have a particularly torquey feel, and I cannot assess things like wind noise or tyre roar.

The chassis has great grip, good turn-in and - with the stability control sent on holiday - it's easy to provoke a nice sideways slide. One colleague even manages a giant third-gear spin. It's impossible to know exactly how the 86 will drive in Australia, but all the signs are good. It feels shrink-wrapped and taut, with the enjoyment that Toyota promises.

It can easily handle more power and there are tuners around the world already busy on the project. It's just a pity that Subaru was not tapped for some STI turbo mojo, as it looks like the engine room could definitely handle the extra equipment. For me, the 86 feels more like the first chapter than the end of the book. There is plenty to come and, right now, it all looks pretty good.

TOYOTA 86

On sale: mid 2012
Price: $35,000 (estimate only)
Body: Two-door hatchback, four seats
Engine: 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed four cylinder
Output: 147kW/7000 revs, 205Nm/6600 revs
Transmission: six-speed manual or automatic, rear-wheel drive
Dimensions: length 4240mm, width 1775mm, height 1300mm
Wheelbase: 2570mm, tracks 1520/1540mm front/rear
Suspension: front struts, rear double wishbone
Tyres: 215x40R18 front, 225x40R18 rear.

[Jezza_hr]

Price: $35,000 (estimate only)

Hmmm

[pkptd447]

Originally Posted by Jezza_hr

Price: $35,000 (estimate only)

Hmmm

i noticed that as well but australian prices are a little bloated.
the australian prius starts at 35k, while the prius here starts at 23.5k.
we'll just have to keep waiting...

[Jezza_hr]

Originally Posted by pkptd447

i noticed that as well but australian prices are a little bloated.
the australian prius starts at 35k, while the prius here starts at 23.5k.
we'll just have to keep waiting...

That's not so bad then. We shall remain hopeful. I just want them to announce a price in Japanese yen, since it's likely I might go down the grey import route

[SUB-FT86]

It doesn't have a particularly torquey feel, and I cannot assess things like wind noise or tyre roar.


They should've used the FB25 and turned it into a FA25.

[tripjammer]

Originally Posted by a6ela

Hey Guys,

Here is a new review of the FT86 from Australia,

enjoy!

http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and..._drive_review/

_lex

FAST FACTS:
Model: Toyota 86
On sale: mid 2012
Price: $35,000 (estimate only)
Body: Two-door hatchback, four seats
Engine: 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed four cylinder
Output: 147kW/7000 revs, 205Nm/6600 revs
Transmission: six-speed manual or automatic, rear-wheel drive
Dimensions: length 4240mm, width 1775mm, height 1300mm, wheelbase
2570mm, tracks 1520/1540mm front/rear
Suspension: front struts, rear double wishbone
Tyres: 215x40R18 front, 225x40R18 rear


They got some things wrong it's not a hatchback...it's a coupe.

[CSOCSO]

35k australian dollars = 33k USD

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to high. You guys can keep suckin' on the magical unicorns horn as long as you want but i would rather have a much more powerful car for 33grand
Even the trd version would be too much with big wheels and bodykit. We just have to wait and see.

[suprachica79]

Originally Posted by CSOCSO

35k australian dollars = 33k USD

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to high. You guys can keep suckin' on the magical unicorns horn as long as you want but i would rather have a much more powerful car for 33grand
Even the trd version would be too much with big wheels and bodykit. We just have to wait and see.

You can't do regular currency conversions here, it doesn't apply correctly. Australia always gets the shaft in terms of pricing. What would be better suited is to compare the price of various cars in australia vs/ how much they cost here in the US.

[Dark]

The US version will be "much" cheaper than Aussie one. Aussie import tax is insanely high like most countries in Asia.

[Guff]

Does this mean 18-inch wheels are confirmed?

[Soravia]

All these prices are BS. Toyota has been tight lipped to come out with any price numbers. At the lowest, this car will cost a couple grands above the Impreza. It's the same car with direct injection and two fewer doors. Any extra cost is on sandwich Ring development, not much on material. (Aluminum hood?)
It will not cost more than the Miata $25K base price in the U.S. Or it won't sell against Mustang and Genesis Coupe.

[PuGZoR]

US guys, settle down. We have crap prices over here. The MX5 (Miata) is like $46k for us. Trust me, if it comes out at 35k here you guys should get it for US$20-25k no problems.

[Praetendere]

Originally Posted by Soravia

At the lowest, this car will cost a couple grands above the Impreza. It's the same car with direct injection and two fewer doors.

That hurt me to read.

[Nambo]

Cheers for posting this a6ela, I'm actually hoping that it is 35K rather than 39,999 (plus on roads) making well into the 40s.