86 upgraded

[plasma06]

The Toyota 86 – the best-selling sports car in Australia – has been updated, two years after its launch. The much-loved 86 picks up a new suspension set-up, which Toyota claims simultaneously delivers sharper handling with a smoother ride (normally conflicting goals when it comes to suspension.)

Tetsuya Tada, the global chief engineer of the Toyota 86 since its inception, has revised the way suspension components are attached to the chassis. New suspension mounts, and using lower-friction oil, oil seals and guide bushings, have decreased body roll and increased handling stability.

At the same time, the shock absorbers have been re-tuned, focusing on the initial movement and when the vehicle is operating at its limits or on wet roads, proving greater responsiveness and more communicative handling.

Inside, the GT variant is now fitted with the same instrument cluster as the higher-grade GTS. It includes a digital speed read-out and a rev indicator light to warn of the approaching red line.

Outside, Toyota has added a shark-fin antenna to the roof of both the GT and the GTS – and broadened the exterior paint palette with two new shades of white and silver paint.

On the downside, the price of the GTS goes up by $500 for the manual (to $36,490), and $800 for the auto (to $39,290.) The price of the GT stays the same: $29,990 for the manual, and $32,790 for the auto.

Toyota have sold almost 11,000 86s in Australia - the highest total for any country outside Japan and the United States.

Source http://www.topgear.com/au/news/2014/07/23-86-upgraded

[enouf]

Ar fuck, digital speedo in the GT now? That was the only thing that I wanted from the GTS :'(

[OICU812]

Didn't know digital speedo was special. It was in base model FRS a year ago here? Only wish the needle speedo didn't exist and it had been "other" things like oil temp etc...

[djmm]

When you're used to the keyless entry and push start button, it'd be quite hard to go back to normal key.
But yeah GT offerings in Australia is definitely getting better. LSD and digital speedo.

The only feature I don't need in GTS is the seat warmer as we don't get real winter here in Sydney. It is now winter and I have never even used the seat warmer once.

[Wise]

Originally Posted by djmm

When you're used to the keyless entry and push start button, it'd be quite hard to go back to normal key.
But yeah GT offerings in Australia is definitely getting better. LSD and digital speedo.

The only feature I don't need in GTS is the seat warmer as we don't get real winter here in Sydney. It is now winter and I have never even used the seat warmer once.

The seat warmer is a great feature during this brisk Melbourne winter.

[jvincent]

Originally Posted by Wise

The seat warmer is a great feature during this brisk Melbourne winter.

LOL. Come to Canada in Jan/Feb and you will feel brisk.

Apologies is you were being sarcastic.

[Wise]

Originally Posted by jvincent

LOL. Come to Canada in Jan/Feb and you will feel brisk.

Apologies is you were being sarcastic.

lol not being sarcastic. 40F degrees feels pretty cold when your basis for comparison is 110F + degree summers.

[BlueDubbinTDI]

Originally Posted by Wise

lol not being sarcastic. 40F degrees feels pretty cold when your basis for comparison is 110F + degree summers.

I feel you. Mid 50s is brisk when you've lived in FL your whole life

[Tomcat07]

as a 2015 FR-S owner, i can attest that test driving my car side by side with the older model definitely had stiffer, more responsive suspension... but its not a "smoother ride" at all. its less comfortable, but not unreasonable. i test drove it across a highway bridge and the 2014 model glided over the concrete separations rather smoothly, but the 2015 bumped over them in a more noticeable fashion.

[themajesticone]

Toyota have sold almost 11,000 86s in Australia - the highest total for any country outside Japan and the United States.

Sorry what? That makes no sense. Am I missing something?

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by Tomcat07

as a 2015 FR-S owner, i can attest that test driving my car side by side with the older model definitely had stiffer, more responsive suspension... but its not a "smoother ride" at all. its less comfortable, but not unreasonable. i test drove it across a highway bridge and the 2014 model glided over the concrete separations rather smoothly, but the 2015 bumped over them in a more noticeable fashion.

It looks like that there were 2 design directions. One was to replace the existing shock absorbers with Sachs and the other to revise the existing ones. Apparently, they choosed the latter option and smoother ride didn't become better.

[Sport-Tech]

IIRC, suspension tuning for the FR-S in NA are different from those used for the GT86 elsewhere. The NA changes may be different.

[AJ4211]

Originally Posted by themajesticone

Toyota have sold almost 11,000 86s in Australia - the highest total for any country outside Japan and the United States.

Sorry what? That makes no sense. Am I missing something?

Japan - 30k+
US - 21k+
AUS - 10k+
UK/Can/Other - 2-4k

[OICU812]

Originally Posted by Wise

The seat warmer is a great feature during this brisk Melbourne winter.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't a low temp in an Australian winter be like 10 above still?? that's shorts weather. Here I thought chopper had got to every corner in Aus to ensure you all hardened the fuck up.