So finally my 86 was delivered today! As far as the showroom claim, it's the first one to leave the showroom floor.. I was very excited to see it in natural lights..It even looks much prettier than i thought it would..
This is a middle east version of the Toyota 86, has some extra add-ons like a chrome bezel over the exhaust and twin canrads in the c pillar. some other touches here and there. Also has the subaru version engine the JAxxx instead of the UExxx.. which some claim has a 3 hp bump (not really sure).
Initial Feedback: White color was my fav choice, But orange was my choice due to it being a fully loaded version, When i saw the orange in natural street lights, I was blown away. It looks fantastic and demonstrates the curves very nicely.
The car looks very beefy on the road, something like a cross between a supra an LFA, ofcorse a miniature version.
from inside, the seating position is very nice, the driver sits low, within reach to everything you need, enough leg room for a big guy like me also head room.
the sound system and nav is not bad at all, the sound is not as good as my ex bimmer or range rover, but much better than my evo or c5 corvette.
the nav is an SD card featured, also comes witha cable for your usb connection (ipod + charging) and an Aux.
The drive:
I didn't floor it at all, specially being fresh, the guy at the dealer told me not to rev it across 2.5 - 3k rpm, but I have to say the throttle is absolutely responsive. Something i wasnt expecting at all. Once you kick down a bit, you can hear the boxer engines sound in the cabin, which is a lovely and lively feeling.
the steering and the stability is where you can immediately feel the edge in the 86. The steering is razor sharp, the turn angle is minimized and very accurate, turns are taken in easy and sharp.
The ride feel is a bit bumpy, not to the point being annoying, but more like an evo or an sti would feel. I swore that on multiple turns, I just want to turn off the traction control and slam the throttle, I would easily imagine an immediate tail out. But again, I didn't ( for now )!
Over all, I think my money was put in the right place, and I know that with few months down the road, this car will be a very big hit with after market parts flooding the net, It would be a bliss to customize it especially with the beautiful looks and the fine interior it accommodates.
For the cons (and trying not to be biased as an owner): I would've loved it a sun roof would've been available, and some on steering control for the audio. Also knowing that the front fenders are literally hollow ( to shave off weight) safety is also a concern if god forbid in case of collision.
Also a little bit of more power, I would say a 50 - 80 more hp would've made the car the ultimate driving / drifting machine in its ballpark.
Here are two pics during the delivery.
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...529_200418.jpg
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...529_200221.jpg