Lauren
Totally Hooked
How long have I been looking forward to this? A long, long time, with all the delays before the first cars start come through. I must admit, after being a long term owner of its predecessor the GT86 which I had for 8 years and did 150,000 miles in, I had in my time become something of an authority on the old car.
Since then I opted to buy a GR Yaris and own my very own homologation special as the temptation was too much to resist and what a car that is. So with some trepidation and a good dose of excitement I was very interested to see how the new GR86 shapes up, both in comparison to my old GT86 and also to my current steed the GR Yaris.
I think of the GR86 as an evolution of the old car, addressing some of its shortcomings and hopefully more finely honing the good, well let’s face it, great attributes of the old car. We have to remember the GT86 was launched just over 10 years ago. A lot has changed in that time. As we know this is the last of the naturally aspirated manual rear wheel drive cars we will ever see before the inevitable demise of changing gears manually and the joy of chasing the redline of a petrol engine.
Many people will cry that it needs a turbo. It doesn’t. Sure there are much more powerful cars out there, but if that is your perspective, you have missed the point of this car. Toyota have responded to the ever present moans of 200bhp being woefully inadequate in a car that weighs 1240kg, and enlarged the bore of this engine so that the flat four boxer now is at 2387cc capacity. This brings a useful power increase to 231bhp and perhaps more importantly increases the torque some 30lb/ft to 183lb/ft or 250NM in newspeak. This torque peak now presents itself at 3700rpm, which is close to where the old infamous ‘torque dip’ was in the old car. For everyday drivability and those who don’t comprehend what revving an engine is, this is a good thing. There is of course the added sparkle of the Gazoo Racing development of the car, which Toyota term, ‘Waku Doki!’ Yes, really! Translated this means, ‘heart-pumping adrenaline racing’, of which more later.
The car is lowered another 10mm over that of old as well as having an even lower seat position. It was pretty low before, but this is felt in an absolutely perfect driving position, sitting low and snug in the car. The seats (heated which is lovely) are something you sit in rather than on. There is a very familiar feeling sitting in the car and it brings memories flooding back of my old beloved GT86. It feels comfortable and familiar. I scroll through the dash options, where selecting Track Mode brings up a lovely focused increasing bar rev counter where the detail is from 4-7500rpm. This will be brilliant on track as it’s clear and the important range is easy to read. When you get near the limiter it flashes up red, which is a nice touch, particularly so if you’re on the exit of a corner as it catches your peripheral vision. I think the standard rev counter presented in a circular fashion seems a bit smaller in diameter than the old car. Oil temperature is displayed in both modes with a useful digital read out of actual oil and water temps in Track mode. It also increases throttle response though I didn’t really notice the difference between Track and Normal mode. A nice trick is that if you hold down the traction control for the requisite 5 seconds or so to disable the stability control, it automatically turns the dash to Track Mode. Nice touch.
The quality of the cabin is better than the old car, though this is a very relative thing as there are still some hard scratchy plastic bits that feel a bit low rent. However the touch points feel more premium and the switchgear on the whole feels like an improvement of old.
Moving off the first shock is the flick type indicators. There is no click here, you just push the indicator down or up and it returns to the central position, then auto cancels. I didn’t like this as there was nothing wrong with indicators have been made to work for the last 50 years or so. I guess you would eventually get used to it, but it wasn’t broken so why ‘fix’ it?
Fortunately everything else seems familiar and it’s fun to sit so low to the ground again which undoubtedly helps you to feel more connected to the road. The car feels keen and low to mid range torque is vastly improved, though is obviously missing the huge dollop of mid range torque my car has. But no matter, that is expected. As we drive through Macclesfield and out of town, I begin to remember to use the revs more. This is what this engine likes. It doesn’t have that lovely buzzy, zingy feel of say a 4AGE at full chat but it gets the job done. The exhaust is predictably quiet. That’s something that could be first on the mod list.
As I get my first opportunity to open the throttle fully, the augmented engine noise starts to buzz in. It sounds odd, but had me thinking of 60’s Ferrari’s, perhaps more Dino than GTO, which sounded odd. But the more I got the car into the zone, the less I mind it. What was interesting is that you don’t really hear it unless you’re on it, so it’s well judged. As I easily heel and toe for the first time tipping the car into a nice 3rd gear 50mph corner, the steering feels slightly lighter than the old car, definitely lighter than mine, but is absolutely pinpoint in it’s accuracy and the car turns in with a reassuring crispness. Feel is good enough, but I would say it has great clarity which reassures you. The rear feels planted and Toyota have opted to fit the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyre to this car rather than the fun though snappy on the limit Primacy HP on the old car. I ran PS4’s on my old GT86 and I did feedback to Toyota with a recommendation to fit these to this car when it was in development. I’m glad they listened.
The rear feels more surefooted than I might have expected which is partly due to the tyres and road conditions today are 7-10C with a dry but sometimes greasy surface. I remember there is no turbo so the relative lack of low down torque means it’s less likely to light up the rears. What strikes me and again this is me coming from a turbo car, is how much better and sharper the throttle response is. This plays huge dividends when you play with the chassis balance which is just so good. This is perhaps the keenest area of improvement for me and I love to make minute throttle adjustments as I flex my toes. The damping is very well judged and the cars follows the contours of the road keenly, whilst the ride, though firm is not unduly so. It’s a tricky balance to get right, but it feels so good when it’s done well and this is.
This builds confidence when stepping up the pace and I love how I feel so connected to the road. Driving RRG Macclesfield’s demonstrator, I switch to Track Mode which loosens the stability control a bit to allow a little bit of slip angle.
Then it happens, as I pass a learner driver, the road clears and there are a few of my favourite bends fast approaching up the A54. I chase the redline, take some joy in a nicely executed heel and toe down change, tip the car in with it’s faithful and pointy front end, balance the throttle and plant it as I see the apex. I’m giggling now and whooping as this just feels so, so good! Sure my Yaris would kill it in pace, but that’s irrelevant, this is just so much fun. My feelings of my old car are reignited and if I put my rose tinted spectacles on, this is how I would like to remember it. Except my old car wasn’t as good as this one. Gazoo Racing and their Waku Doki mentality have moved the game on and really this car just feels brilliant. Sure you can buy a car that will cover the ground faster, but I’m not sure you can buy a car that is more fun at such reasonable speeds. All of this means you can enjoy the GR86 on the road more of the time.
The engine is willing and revs out well enough. I’m sure it will loosen as it gains miles. Soon enough instinctively I’m taking a lower gear into corners than I would in my Yaris to maximise the use of the revs. You have to work it, but that is the joy of it. As we exit some of the greasy corners, I see the predictable flashing on the dash as I instinctively apply varying smidgens of opposite lock. It’s been two years since I’ve driven a rear wheel drive car, but my brain is instantly switched into it. The mad thing is, you can do this at relatively low speeds. There’s a lot of fun to be had with this. Serious oversteer and hooning is really the reserve of the track, but oh what fun this car would be on a circuit where you could really play with the balance. Again, this is the beauty of it, you can be a little bit naughty and just play with the angle of the car without going silly. In my Yaris I would be being silly indeed to do this on the road. It’s another story on the track though.
As we progress up the A54, the fog closes in. We abandon hopes of pictures on the way up and hope for a clearing of the fog as we start on the downhill of the Cat and Fiddle. At this point, I’m starting to lean on the car even in the greasy conditions and the grip inspires confidence. This is aided by a front end that seems pretty good at not understeering and the super accurate steering. The rear is sure footed but will start to play as the car eggs you to drive harder. The brakes have a good feel and are well weighted. I blip down again on the throttle and push harder as I exit one of the many hairpins and get a bit more judicious with the throttle. As I do I smear a little bit of PS4 to the road surface and the car adopts a neutral into oversteer exit of the corner. Not enough to quite get the still active stability control to cut in. It feels so good. I push harder still and get a bit more opposite lock as the rear starts to slide. The stability control gently intervenes and just nips the slide without upsetting the car. I’d love to turn it all off, but I’m only the second person to test this brand new demonstrator with 104 miles on the clock, so I resist.
I’m still waxing lyrical at how well resolved the damping is and how it never feels like its run out of ideas, dealing with compression and the odd usual light pothole, without complaint. The car feels keyed into the road. There is little body roll and the car feels alert and agile. That 40kg weight penalty of the old car is simply not felt at all. We park up halfway down the Cat and I take some pics. I launch the car as we set off again and it slews gracefully sideways as I turn to get it back on the road. It’s so easy and so well controlled, a real doddle. The cabin smells of Michelin now and I chuckle as I head once more to the redline and take my line into the next corner. It just feels so accurate, no slop at all.
We catch a well local driven Audi A4, keeping to the speed limit, but taking the corners at a good pace It’s child’s play to ease off then chase up to it round the corners, but I relish the challenge and how I can build revs and wring the engine out through some of the longer corners, working the chassis all the time. What’s great is that we’re not being silly, we’re just enjoying working our cars through the corners. Fair play to the local driver I say.
I’m buzzing as we come back down the Cat and hit the 30mph limit back to Macc’. I note that all the controls feel tight. My back is lovely and warm from the heated seat. All the controls are beautifully weighted and I feel like I just want to do it all again. Oh how I’d love to take this car on track.
You may have gathered that I had a ball and loved how it drove, but what of the rest of it? Well, as a daily driver it will be fine. Heated seats are nice and they are comfortable like the old ones were. They have a little more bolster, but as I commented to Richard, they are made for a wider body than mine, but are more supportive than the Yaris seats. I tried the audio when Richard popped to mine mid week and it’s better than the old, but is still lacking. If you’re one of the lucky owners given the UK allocation sold out in 45minutes, then budget in an audio upgrade if you like your tunes.
The frankly barmy way the indicators work is annoying, so you’ll have to get over that. The switchgear otherwise is functional and straightforward. I note that only the automatic cars get the lane assist so it’s a bonus not have to turn it off every time you get in the car as I do in my Yaris. No adaptive cruise control seems a bit tight, though automatic drivers will get this. I was a bit disappointed to see no automatic wipers as that’s a really nice feature to have. Also missing is the auto dimming rear view mirror. This is so good to have in my Yaris for those dim witted drivers who turn on their front fog lights from October to March. I also think with how low the GT86 sits you’re more prone to being dazzled by the headlights of the bigger SUV’s behind which does become an annoyance in the dark winter months. Some of the plastics feel a bit utilitarian, belying the Subaru connection. The cup holders are a good size though and you do have an incorporated armrest which opens to reveal a useful storage space. The rear seats as ever are for little ones, though you can get away with an adult behind the passenger if you’re giving a lift, but not for a distance. The new car has a reverse camera, though I didn’t actually put the car in reverse to try it. The ride is more compliant than you would expect and makes the car perfectly usable.
A big thanks to GR supremos, Richard and RRG Macclesfield for having the car ready for me fresh out of the box first thing on a Saturday morning.
I know everyone is going to ask me, do I prefer it over my GR Yaris? In some ways I do. The driving position is better, the seats are better and it’s easier to have fun at slower speeds. The chassis has an excellent balance, but so does my Yaris. It’s nowhere near as fast as my Yaris which nobody would be surprised about and I know it wouldn’t see what way my Yaris went down a B-road. Though if you were the driver of the GR86, you’d have so much fun trying to keep up. Yes, I miss the playfulness of rear wheel drive and how I can be an idiot at low speeds. The fun and satisfaction of a perfectly executed slide can never be underestimated. However, my Yaris oversteers aplenty on the track and I’ll reserve such antics for the right place. My Yaris is more practical and my back and chiropractor much prefer it. I do like some of the additional convenience feature on my car, but miss the heated seats on the GR86. The Yaris is the more special car for its homologation credentials and oozes motorsport. However, the GR86 is easier to have fun in on the road and there is something to be said for that. I’m happy with my choice, but in an ideal world I would have both. If only I could have my cake and eat it!
Since then I opted to buy a GR Yaris and own my very own homologation special as the temptation was too much to resist and what a car that is. So with some trepidation and a good dose of excitement I was very interested to see how the new GR86 shapes up, both in comparison to my old GT86 and also to my current steed the GR Yaris.
I think of the GR86 as an evolution of the old car, addressing some of its shortcomings and hopefully more finely honing the good, well let’s face it, great attributes of the old car. We have to remember the GT86 was launched just over 10 years ago. A lot has changed in that time. As we know this is the last of the naturally aspirated manual rear wheel drive cars we will ever see before the inevitable demise of changing gears manually and the joy of chasing the redline of a petrol engine.
Many people will cry that it needs a turbo. It doesn’t. Sure there are much more powerful cars out there, but if that is your perspective, you have missed the point of this car. Toyota have responded to the ever present moans of 200bhp being woefully inadequate in a car that weighs 1240kg, and enlarged the bore of this engine so that the flat four boxer now is at 2387cc capacity. This brings a useful power increase to 231bhp and perhaps more importantly increases the torque some 30lb/ft to 183lb/ft or 250NM in newspeak. This torque peak now presents itself at 3700rpm, which is close to where the old infamous ‘torque dip’ was in the old car. For everyday drivability and those who don’t comprehend what revving an engine is, this is a good thing. There is of course the added sparkle of the Gazoo Racing development of the car, which Toyota term, ‘Waku Doki!’ Yes, really! Translated this means, ‘heart-pumping adrenaline racing’, of which more later.
The car is lowered another 10mm over that of old as well as having an even lower seat position. It was pretty low before, but this is felt in an absolutely perfect driving position, sitting low and snug in the car. The seats (heated which is lovely) are something you sit in rather than on. There is a very familiar feeling sitting in the car and it brings memories flooding back of my old beloved GT86. It feels comfortable and familiar. I scroll through the dash options, where selecting Track Mode brings up a lovely focused increasing bar rev counter where the detail is from 4-7500rpm. This will be brilliant on track as it’s clear and the important range is easy to read. When you get near the limiter it flashes up red, which is a nice touch, particularly so if you’re on the exit of a corner as it catches your peripheral vision. I think the standard rev counter presented in a circular fashion seems a bit smaller in diameter than the old car. Oil temperature is displayed in both modes with a useful digital read out of actual oil and water temps in Track mode. It also increases throttle response though I didn’t really notice the difference between Track and Normal mode. A nice trick is that if you hold down the traction control for the requisite 5 seconds or so to disable the stability control, it automatically turns the dash to Track Mode. Nice touch.
The quality of the cabin is better than the old car, though this is a very relative thing as there are still some hard scratchy plastic bits that feel a bit low rent. However the touch points feel more premium and the switchgear on the whole feels like an improvement of old.
Moving off the first shock is the flick type indicators. There is no click here, you just push the indicator down or up and it returns to the central position, then auto cancels. I didn’t like this as there was nothing wrong with indicators have been made to work for the last 50 years or so. I guess you would eventually get used to it, but it wasn’t broken so why ‘fix’ it?
Fortunately everything else seems familiar and it’s fun to sit so low to the ground again which undoubtedly helps you to feel more connected to the road. The car feels keen and low to mid range torque is vastly improved, though is obviously missing the huge dollop of mid range torque my car has. But no matter, that is expected. As we drive through Macclesfield and out of town, I begin to remember to use the revs more. This is what this engine likes. It doesn’t have that lovely buzzy, zingy feel of say a 4AGE at full chat but it gets the job done. The exhaust is predictably quiet. That’s something that could be first on the mod list.
As I get my first opportunity to open the throttle fully, the augmented engine noise starts to buzz in. It sounds odd, but had me thinking of 60’s Ferrari’s, perhaps more Dino than GTO, which sounded odd. But the more I got the car into the zone, the less I mind it. What was interesting is that you don’t really hear it unless you’re on it, so it’s well judged. As I easily heel and toe for the first time tipping the car into a nice 3rd gear 50mph corner, the steering feels slightly lighter than the old car, definitely lighter than mine, but is absolutely pinpoint in it’s accuracy and the car turns in with a reassuring crispness. Feel is good enough, but I would say it has great clarity which reassures you. The rear feels planted and Toyota have opted to fit the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyre to this car rather than the fun though snappy on the limit Primacy HP on the old car. I ran PS4’s on my old GT86 and I did feedback to Toyota with a recommendation to fit these to this car when it was in development. I’m glad they listened.
The rear feels more surefooted than I might have expected which is partly due to the tyres and road conditions today are 7-10C with a dry but sometimes greasy surface. I remember there is no turbo so the relative lack of low down torque means it’s less likely to light up the rears. What strikes me and again this is me coming from a turbo car, is how much better and sharper the throttle response is. This plays huge dividends when you play with the chassis balance which is just so good. This is perhaps the keenest area of improvement for me and I love to make minute throttle adjustments as I flex my toes. The damping is very well judged and the cars follows the contours of the road keenly, whilst the ride, though firm is not unduly so. It’s a tricky balance to get right, but it feels so good when it’s done well and this is.
This builds confidence when stepping up the pace and I love how I feel so connected to the road. Driving RRG Macclesfield’s demonstrator, I switch to Track Mode which loosens the stability control a bit to allow a little bit of slip angle.
Then it happens, as I pass a learner driver, the road clears and there are a few of my favourite bends fast approaching up the A54. I chase the redline, take some joy in a nicely executed heel and toe down change, tip the car in with it’s faithful and pointy front end, balance the throttle and plant it as I see the apex. I’m giggling now and whooping as this just feels so, so good! Sure my Yaris would kill it in pace, but that’s irrelevant, this is just so much fun. My feelings of my old car are reignited and if I put my rose tinted spectacles on, this is how I would like to remember it. Except my old car wasn’t as good as this one. Gazoo Racing and their Waku Doki mentality have moved the game on and really this car just feels brilliant. Sure you can buy a car that will cover the ground faster, but I’m not sure you can buy a car that is more fun at such reasonable speeds. All of this means you can enjoy the GR86 on the road more of the time.
The engine is willing and revs out well enough. I’m sure it will loosen as it gains miles. Soon enough instinctively I’m taking a lower gear into corners than I would in my Yaris to maximise the use of the revs. You have to work it, but that is the joy of it. As we exit some of the greasy corners, I see the predictable flashing on the dash as I instinctively apply varying smidgens of opposite lock. It’s been two years since I’ve driven a rear wheel drive car, but my brain is instantly switched into it. The mad thing is, you can do this at relatively low speeds. There’s a lot of fun to be had with this. Serious oversteer and hooning is really the reserve of the track, but oh what fun this car would be on a circuit where you could really play with the balance. Again, this is the beauty of it, you can be a little bit naughty and just play with the angle of the car without going silly. In my Yaris I would be being silly indeed to do this on the road. It’s another story on the track though.
As we progress up the A54, the fog closes in. We abandon hopes of pictures on the way up and hope for a clearing of the fog as we start on the downhill of the Cat and Fiddle. At this point, I’m starting to lean on the car even in the greasy conditions and the grip inspires confidence. This is aided by a front end that seems pretty good at not understeering and the super accurate steering. The rear is sure footed but will start to play as the car eggs you to drive harder. The brakes have a good feel and are well weighted. I blip down again on the throttle and push harder as I exit one of the many hairpins and get a bit more judicious with the throttle. As I do I smear a little bit of PS4 to the road surface and the car adopts a neutral into oversteer exit of the corner. Not enough to quite get the still active stability control to cut in. It feels so good. I push harder still and get a bit more opposite lock as the rear starts to slide. The stability control gently intervenes and just nips the slide without upsetting the car. I’d love to turn it all off, but I’m only the second person to test this brand new demonstrator with 104 miles on the clock, so I resist.
I’m still waxing lyrical at how well resolved the damping is and how it never feels like its run out of ideas, dealing with compression and the odd usual light pothole, without complaint. The car feels keyed into the road. There is little body roll and the car feels alert and agile. That 40kg weight penalty of the old car is simply not felt at all. We park up halfway down the Cat and I take some pics. I launch the car as we set off again and it slews gracefully sideways as I turn to get it back on the road. It’s so easy and so well controlled, a real doddle. The cabin smells of Michelin now and I chuckle as I head once more to the redline and take my line into the next corner. It just feels so accurate, no slop at all.
We catch a well local driven Audi A4, keeping to the speed limit, but taking the corners at a good pace It’s child’s play to ease off then chase up to it round the corners, but I relish the challenge and how I can build revs and wring the engine out through some of the longer corners, working the chassis all the time. What’s great is that we’re not being silly, we’re just enjoying working our cars through the corners. Fair play to the local driver I say.
I’m buzzing as we come back down the Cat and hit the 30mph limit back to Macc’. I note that all the controls feel tight. My back is lovely and warm from the heated seat. All the controls are beautifully weighted and I feel like I just want to do it all again. Oh how I’d love to take this car on track.
You may have gathered that I had a ball and loved how it drove, but what of the rest of it? Well, as a daily driver it will be fine. Heated seats are nice and they are comfortable like the old ones were. They have a little more bolster, but as I commented to Richard, they are made for a wider body than mine, but are more supportive than the Yaris seats. I tried the audio when Richard popped to mine mid week and it’s better than the old, but is still lacking. If you’re one of the lucky owners given the UK allocation sold out in 45minutes, then budget in an audio upgrade if you like your tunes.
The frankly barmy way the indicators work is annoying, so you’ll have to get over that. The switchgear otherwise is functional and straightforward. I note that only the automatic cars get the lane assist so it’s a bonus not have to turn it off every time you get in the car as I do in my Yaris. No adaptive cruise control seems a bit tight, though automatic drivers will get this. I was a bit disappointed to see no automatic wipers as that’s a really nice feature to have. Also missing is the auto dimming rear view mirror. This is so good to have in my Yaris for those dim witted drivers who turn on their front fog lights from October to March. I also think with how low the GT86 sits you’re more prone to being dazzled by the headlights of the bigger SUV’s behind which does become an annoyance in the dark winter months. Some of the plastics feel a bit utilitarian, belying the Subaru connection. The cup holders are a good size though and you do have an incorporated armrest which opens to reveal a useful storage space. The rear seats as ever are for little ones, though you can get away with an adult behind the passenger if you’re giving a lift, but not for a distance. The new car has a reverse camera, though I didn’t actually put the car in reverse to try it. The ride is more compliant than you would expect and makes the car perfectly usable.
A big thanks to GR supremos, Richard and RRG Macclesfield for having the car ready for me fresh out of the box first thing on a Saturday morning.
I know everyone is going to ask me, do I prefer it over my GR Yaris? In some ways I do. The driving position is better, the seats are better and it’s easier to have fun at slower speeds. The chassis has an excellent balance, but so does my Yaris. It’s nowhere near as fast as my Yaris which nobody would be surprised about and I know it wouldn’t see what way my Yaris went down a B-road. Though if you were the driver of the GR86, you’d have so much fun trying to keep up. Yes, I miss the playfulness of rear wheel drive and how I can be an idiot at low speeds. The fun and satisfaction of a perfectly executed slide can never be underestimated. However, my Yaris oversteers aplenty on the track and I’ll reserve such antics for the right place. My Yaris is more practical and my back and chiropractor much prefer it. I do like some of the additional convenience feature on my car, but miss the heated seats on the GR86. The Yaris is the more special car for its homologation credentials and oozes motorsport. However, the GR86 is easier to have fun in on the road and there is something to be said for that. I’m happy with my choice, but in an ideal world I would have both. If only I could have my cake and eat it!
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One question i have when reading it still has the Flat Four - Does it burble like the old school flat fours or does it have the equal headers ? I ask because it was only this morning when i heard a 2002 Subaru drive past with the burble of the Flat Four, and thought to myself that that noise is no close to extinct
