What is the point of this car?

[Leonardo]

Point A.





To







Point B.

With a BIG SMILE!

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by jflogerzi

This car provides a feeling no other car can provide in this price bracket while being new, reliable(should be), and cheap to maintain. Till you sit in one, drive one, its hard to understand the feeling and connection you get to the car.

except the miata

[Max Schnell]

Originally Posted by dem00n

The meaning of it? I know how its what we all perceive it as to be what truly matters, but what do you think it was truly made for? Drifting? Track days only? The weekend spirited drive?
I do not mean this only for the FRS, but for the GT86 and BRZ as well. Whats the point?

Its made to be driven by those who like what it offers while understanding that it is made under a price limitation, with primary goals to have lightweight RWD layout that is responsive to driver inputs, and
accomplishing as much of that as possible within that price limitation.

[_hollywood]

Originally Posted by fatoni

except the miata

You cant put 2girls in the back of a miata AND a keg in the truck, theres only room for you and your buddy, same problem with the s2k great on paper, but in the real world we like having the option of hauling ass, i mean beer, nevermind lol

[ST185RC]

This car is simply made to be great at everything on pavement and the master of none; jack of all trades of the car world. Want a handling beast? this isn't quite it. Want a beast in the straights, nope. Want a good grocery getter that will haul all your Costco bulk home? Maybe a few boxes.

It's simply an affordable car for those looking for fun past 5000rpm that will still do the everyday simple things adequately.

For some people it's the porridge that's just right.

[86'd]

It was made because there was a small hole for lightweight, affordable coupes in the market.

The other hole is a cheap RWD sedan.

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by fatoni

its not a linguistic thing. its a numbers thing. we measure speed in distance traveled per unit of time. you cant even have speed unless you have time. the fastest car will always finish in less time.

In a straight line. And even then, not always. Very often you'll find drag races where the QUICKEST car was not the FASTEST.

And just because a car can do 2000mph it doesn't mean it will complete a course the quickest. Or do you honestly believe a NASCAR Cup car could go around Monaco quicker than a F1 car?

I can't make this point any clearer. The terms are accepted and used extensively in racing of every type. I'm done.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

In a straight line. And even then, not always. Very often you'll find drag races where the QUICKEST car was not the FASTEST.

And just because a car can do 2000mph it doesn't mean it will complete a course the quickest. Or do you honestly believe a NASCAR Cup car could go around Monaco quicker than a F1 car?

I can't make this point any clearer. The terms are accepted and used extensively in racing of every type. I'm done.

in a straight line or around a track or anywhere, the car with the highest average speed will win. i dont believe that a nascar cup car will have a higher average speed than an f1 around monaco. the f1 will go around monaco quicker/faster than the nascar.

youre right though, neither here nor there. back to the point of this car...

[jmaryt]

Originally Posted by Ingen

The car provides the answer to a mountain of questions that many of us have asked, but the US domestic automakers never chose to answer.

We asked for a car with RWD, something you could cut your teeth on - predictable handling with modes to protect the new-to-rwd student, while also rewarding the experienced. At the same time, some cargo room is necessary (I'm looking right at you, NB miata. That trunk is a joke). Decent ride quality would be nice, so that it is actually usable on a daily basis. Speaking of that, how about some reasonable sized and priced wheels and tires, and not $300 dollar rubber bands wrapped around 20s? And by the way, can be it light like cars used to be? And cheap? ... Please?

And after 30 years of not bothering, the two least likely brands ever teamed up and got the job done. Honestly I thought Nissan would do it, but they refused b/c it would endanger the Z car. Then I thought Ford had the chops for this, but it would edge out the hot versions of the Neon and Focus, and another RWD coupe would chomp into the Mustang (which is STILL too big, in my opinion). I never once considered chrysler would do it, but now they might under Fiat. Who knows? Finally, Mazda totally could have, but their endless insistence in making roadsters, combined with their infuriatingly cheeky answer of "if you're too tall for the car just put the top down!" as a justification for not giving us 2 more inches of leg room. I was starting to think all hope was gone

I still laugh when I tell people Subaru helped develop it and they ask "Oh, so it's AWD? cool!" err, nope. That would be heavy and less nimble. And to have Toyota involved... It's about time they got back to light and fun.

To me this car is a tribute to what sports cars once were. And the way it is selling, maybe they could be again. You don't need a 4000 lb barge, and you don't need 500 horsepower. Enough power to have fun with, enough cargo room to take junk with you somewhere, enough ground clearance to get over a speed bump, and enough traction control to keep you alive (when you aren't busy playing).

The point of this car is to give us all what we want. And to make it so we can afford it.

well said,and "dead nuts" accurate!

[raul]

This car was made to address the ONE, just ONE problem with traveling. The stinking monotony of waiting to get to your destination.

[samsam5886]

anything that involves turning

[2point0]

...sorry I got distracted by people talking about filling holes.

I got mine because my commute bores me thiiiiis much closer to death every day. And, I got sick of cars that plow into corners.

[SpeedR]

FUN

[ultra]

If this car has a point it's obviously to be an 'affordable sports car attainable by the average enthusiast', which Toyota's own marketing and PR machines have been saying for yonks now. No rocket science there really.

The real question is - is for real?

As an owner I'm obviously biased but after 5 months of driving the thing every single day I'm increasingly floored by just how good the whole package is.

The 86 isn't the messiah of sportscar-dom or anything but it totally nails it's brief - it's very much a 'real deal' everyday sports car like nothing else this side of a Cayman S. It has that same blend of everyday practicality, fundamentally good engineering, endless abiliy to reward the driver and feeling of 'specialness' that only good Porsches have.

Yes there's other cars in similar, or adjacent, price brackets that are faster but they're all compromised in terms of driving experience in comparison to the 86 by weight, practicality, cost or design in terms of their engineering and/or execution.

I've owned stock and modified cars that are faster, more practical, more refined and more raw so it's not like this is the 'best' car I've ever owned or driven by any stretch...but I take my driving enjoyment pretty seriously and the 86 is by FAR the best package for my needs out of everything I've ever owned, or anything else I could have bought.

The best way I can describe my impression of the 86 is as if Toyota took the best ingredients of each of my precious cars and distilled me my own little sports car cocktail of goodness. The more I drive it, and the harder I drive it, the better it gets. Best of all is that there doesn't seem to be any real penalty or compromise involved - living with the 86 day to day is a total breeze.

My other choice would have been the new Boxster S but I'm glad I saved my money. The 86 is good enough that I don't feel any serious sense of envy when I'm next to a Boxster S or Cayman S at the lights. Or a Carerra for that matter...but maybe a GT3.

Zero regrets; Toyota 86 = mission accomplished.