I didn't sign anything prior to driving, would have been an interesting conversation had I bumped it. The email re the £1k excess was waiting for me when I got home.
GR86 Test Drives Email!
- Thread starter TigerJim
- Start date
GR86Enthusiast
Dedicated member
Hi, I'm new to the forum but have been a long time lurker and have enjoyed reading all your posts.
I was one of the unfortunate individuals who didn't manage to place an order in time due to the website being unresponsive on the morning of the 20th April. Being in a coffee shop whilst visiting Manchester clearly didn't help my chances.
I had intended to order a magnetite grey manual (cash purchase)
The Toyota GR86 offered me a chance to relive my youth, a manual naturally aspirated sports car with all the ingredients that promised to put a huge smile on my face.
I am presently the owner of a nicely specced Jaguar F Type 3 litre V6 coupe (auto) which is a keeper. I bought the car at 6 months old with 220 miles on the odometer.
The GR86 was to be my second car, also a keeper, as I garage the F Type between November to March.
A couple of acquaintances whose fate on 20th April matched my own have since purchased very low mileage examples of the GT86 Club Series Blue edition, manufactured in 2020 with the performance pack, Brembo brakes, Sachs suspension and boot spoiler.
However, I prefer the look of the GR86 and like many of you I wanted to see the car in the flesh. I contacted Harry Feeney Toyota in Blackpool which is my nearest GR centre on 21th November after gaining information from your posts that demonstration vehicles were now being delivered to GR centres. They confirmed they had a GR86 and where happy for me to take a look at the car. Whilst I was sat in the car talking to the salesman he offered me a test drive which surprised me as I had already informed him I didn't have an order for a GR86 and this forum had suggested that test drives would only be given to individuals who had an order placed and I clearly see the logic to this requirement since no new cars are available.
However, the weather was poor with heavy rain and I didn't want to take it out. So I asked if I could return when I am next in Blackpool with better weather, which is a 70 mile journey from where I live, and he gave me his contact number.
I eventually returned to the dealership on 29th November and had a 35 minute unaccompanied test drive which involved B roads, dual carriageways and motorways (M55).
The car exceeded all my expectations - firstly interior quality which has been criticised in reviews, road noise which was fine, only becoming apparent on older surfaces on the M55, suspension was fine, perfect calibration in my view, performance which was immediate and impressive and l loved the notchy shift of the gearbox. The clutch took a little getting used to but I haven't owned a manual transmission car for 14 years and I was surprised the rear tyres slipped on a couple of occasions leaving junctions even though the roads were dry. With only 62 miles on the odometer I was careful not to exceed 4K revs.
I didn't try the radio and I'm a fan of analogue gauges but the LED unit in the GR86 impressed me, particularly with the addition of an oil temperature gauge.
Seats were comfortable and I liked the feel of the steering wheel. The interior is a nice place to be.
Two things that are worth mentioning, at 80mph on the M55 in 6th gear the engine revs were at 3,500 and though the brakes were very good the aesthetics of the brake calipers are questionable.
I enquired about the availability of the demonstrator and the salesman told me they would have to keep the car 12 months and TUK would stipulate when the car could be advertised for sale. I left an expression of interest but two individuals had already beaten me to this so I'm third on the list.
However, I won't pay more than the MRP so if I eventually miss out I'll bide my time until the market settles down in the same way the market for the GRY is now demonstrating.
@AndyRC , attached are a couple of pictures of the demonstrator at Harry Feeney in Blackpool.
I was one of the unfortunate individuals who didn't manage to place an order in time due to the website being unresponsive on the morning of the 20th April. Being in a coffee shop whilst visiting Manchester clearly didn't help my chances.
I had intended to order a magnetite grey manual (cash purchase)
The Toyota GR86 offered me a chance to relive my youth, a manual naturally aspirated sports car with all the ingredients that promised to put a huge smile on my face.
I am presently the owner of a nicely specced Jaguar F Type 3 litre V6 coupe (auto) which is a keeper. I bought the car at 6 months old with 220 miles on the odometer.
The GR86 was to be my second car, also a keeper, as I garage the F Type between November to March.
A couple of acquaintances whose fate on 20th April matched my own have since purchased very low mileage examples of the GT86 Club Series Blue edition, manufactured in 2020 with the performance pack, Brembo brakes, Sachs suspension and boot spoiler.
However, I prefer the look of the GR86 and like many of you I wanted to see the car in the flesh. I contacted Harry Feeney Toyota in Blackpool which is my nearest GR centre on 21th November after gaining information from your posts that demonstration vehicles were now being delivered to GR centres. They confirmed they had a GR86 and where happy for me to take a look at the car. Whilst I was sat in the car talking to the salesman he offered me a test drive which surprised me as I had already informed him I didn't have an order for a GR86 and this forum had suggested that test drives would only be given to individuals who had an order placed and I clearly see the logic to this requirement since no new cars are available.
However, the weather was poor with heavy rain and I didn't want to take it out. So I asked if I could return when I am next in Blackpool with better weather, which is a 70 mile journey from where I live, and he gave me his contact number.
I eventually returned to the dealership on 29th November and had a 35 minute unaccompanied test drive which involved B roads, dual carriageways and motorways (M55).
The car exceeded all my expectations - firstly interior quality which has been criticised in reviews, road noise which was fine, only becoming apparent on older surfaces on the M55, suspension was fine, perfect calibration in my view, performance which was immediate and impressive and l loved the notchy shift of the gearbox. The clutch took a little getting used to but I haven't owned a manual transmission car for 14 years and I was surprised the rear tyres slipped on a couple of occasions leaving junctions even though the roads were dry. With only 62 miles on the odometer I was careful not to exceed 4K revs.
I didn't try the radio and I'm a fan of analogue gauges but the LED unit in the GR86 impressed me, particularly with the addition of an oil temperature gauge.
Seats were comfortable and I liked the feel of the steering wheel. The interior is a nice place to be.
Two things that are worth mentioning, at 80mph on the M55 in 6th gear the engine revs were at 3,500 and though the brakes were very good the aesthetics of the brake calipers are questionable.
I enquired about the availability of the demonstrator and the salesman told me they would have to keep the car 12 months and TUK would stipulate when the car could be advertised for sale. I left an expression of interest but two individuals had already beaten me to this so I'm third on the list.
However, I won't pay more than the MRP so if I eventually miss out I'll bide my time until the market settles down in the same way the market for the GRY is now demonstrating.
@AndyRC , attached are a couple of pictures of the demonstrator at Harry Feeney in Blackpool.
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AndyRC
Totally Hooked
Welcome and thanks for the photos
For a minute I thought that was a red GR66 and I thought I had the only one 
Raiden61
Absorbed member
I was as surprised as you guys but it does look great. Helped place the back of the car too. I wasn't going to bother with one before but my head has been turned. Maybe that's why they did it!
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We had our test drive last Sunday at Leeds. I have been dealing with Swara who has been brilliant. If anyone wants a test drive call Swara she will sort you out . the Wife & I had 1hr unaccompanied. Loved the car.
Leeds has just had a refit & will become one of the biggest GR centres in the North apparently.
Lauren
Totally Hooked
It will be at RRG Macclesfield. Richard has a close relationship with Cobra and this will be the prototype system for the GR86. He did the same with the GR Yaris. I had an early Cobra exhaust on mine, then a revised final prototype for production which I tested for them and still have a year later. Got to be done really.
mackie
Totally Hooked
I'm seriously eyeing up the HKS Legamax Premium axle-back from Fensport. Not cheap but I love the look and adds just enough sound to be be worth it IMO.It will be at RRG Macclesfield. Richard has a close relationship with Cobra and this will be the prototype system for the GR86. He did the same with the GR Yaris. I had an early Cobra exhaust on mine, then a revised final prototype for production which I tested for them and still have a year later. Got to be done really.
ShootinJack
Obsessed member
I've gone for an accompanied test drive tomorrow - Wakefield have said we can do an unaccompanied test drive with a £1000 deposit for excess. Will probably take that up later when the weather improves.
Silver Fox
Totally Hooked
- May 7, 2022
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Me, from the dawn of time until today: I'm not going to bother getting a ducktail I prefer the clean look.
Looks at picture
Me this afternoon: Look it's only £600 quid darling it's definitely money well spent
ShootinJack
Obsessed member
Had my accompanied test drive today, went out for just under an hour - where we went was of my choosing, did a good mixture of roads.
Having never driven the original GT86 or any sports car for that matter, I am very, very impressed. Love the instant response from the NA engine, steering felt great and very precise. Clutch was fine and made for some quick gear changes when pushing on, I was mindful of the 4k rev limit as the car has only done 125 miles or so.
Inside the car is a good place to be, seats are very comfortable, driving position very good, visibility good also.
Now I am very excited to get the car - hurry up Toyota!
Having never driven the original GT86 or any sports car for that matter, I am very, very impressed. Love the instant response from the NA engine, steering felt great and very precise. Clutch was fine and made for some quick gear changes when pushing on, I was mindful of the 4k rev limit as the car has only done 125 miles or so.
Inside the car is a good place to be, seats are very comfortable, driving position very good, visibility good also.
Now I am very excited to get the car - hurry up Toyota!
Neil_C
Fascinated Member
So I'm very late to the game here, but I managed to nab my test drive from Listers in Coventry about 3 Friday's ago (25th) on break from work.
I reckon thats all 5 Cov '86 owners present and accounted for ?
It was, unfortunately, an accompanied drive but I still managed to give it a good spirited run with my man in the front.
We've already got some great reviews here so I won't go into detail, but some points of note from me:
So yeah, was a great Friday all in all. Can't wait to collect it and get my complementary mug
I reckon thats all 5 Cov '86 owners present and accounted for ?
It was, unfortunately, an accompanied drive but I still managed to give it a good spirited run with my man in the front.
We've already got some great reviews here so I won't go into detail, but some points of note from me:
- Took to the car like a duck to water - really approachable and easy to jump in and have a go. Pedal weights (clutch & brake) were great.
- Heel and toe was'nt immediately easy - Think I read someone else here comment on the height diff between brake and accelerator? Maybe I'm just too used to my Celica, which I find has great pedal position!
- Gearbox is sweet - But again, maybe i'm just used to my 20 year old gearbox, but I did find it borderline notchy. Will be interesting to know what grade gearbox oil Toyota use / recommend as I went up a grade in my Celica to smooth out the shifts and it was one of the best things I've done to the car!
- The bum warmers are very effective.
So yeah, was a great Friday all in all. Can't wait to collect it and get my complementary mug
"I PITY THE FOOL WHOSE GR86 IS PROCESSING"
Sorry, it's a slow day and I am still recovering from Sat shenanigans
Silver Fox
Totally Hooked
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*Stands to attention and salutes*: Present!I reckon thats all 5 Cov '86 owners present and accounted for ?
So yeah, was a great Friday all in all. Can't wait to collect it and get my complementary mug
Received a call from the dealer this morning (just an update and some admin stuff) and I mentioned the mug; apparently the Cov dealer were trying to keep the local artist/mug arrangement quiet so it would be a surprise for us all!
Coventry colleagues please correct me if I'm wrong (highly likely cos I'm busy/distracted/old) but I think we have:
Me
@Neil_C
@Nick
@Toy Toy (already collected his/her/their car, the lucky so-and-so)
@SmokingPancakes (who I think is collecting this week)
Edited to add: Just done a quick catch-up read and it looks like @Nick has collected his today!
Tejstar
Obsessed member
- Feb 8, 2022
- 309
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- 63
Finally had my test drive in the weekend, so thought I’d post some first impressions:
Shape – I’ve seen loads of pictures, but was taken aback about how small and low the car was on first viewing. It looks great in the flesh and better than in pictures. I liked how purposeful it felt.
Fun at low speeds – Big distinction versus my GR Yaris, is that I felt the car was more fun at low speeds. I went out first thing in the morning in what was still quite icy conditions. It’s reasonably easy to bring out the rear end, even around town. Traction works well though, so unless you are pushing hard, I don’t think you’ll find yourselves in a hedge. I had traction turned off for part of the journey and was having a hoot. Also, the sense of speed was higher than the GRY, probably the fact that the car is lower to the ground.
General ride – I’ve been used to quite a stiff suspension in the GRY, the GR86 suspension felt a bit more comfortable. Also, the steering seemed more direct, almost ‘point and shoot’.
Cabin noise – I was pleasantly surprising by the cabin noise, having got used to the racket that the GRY makes, the GR86 felt quite sedate by comparison. I’m not sure the piped in engine sound added anything, I’ll probably remove this when I pick mine up as the actual engine sounded great.
Clutch – Others have mentioned the high biting point. It certainly does, but had pretty much got used to it by the end of the test drive.
Gearbox – The gear changes didn’t feel as good on the GR Yaris, but am probably nitpicking.
Space – I’ve got two teenage kids, and need the car to take them to school on occasion. Anyone in the back has their feet completely wedged in by the seat in front – once the kids got used to that idea, they were accepting, but initially I certainly got some stern looks when asking them to sit in the back! However, for short journey’s I’m sure it will be fine. In fact, my wife joined me for a quick trip – with all 4 of us in the car.
Indicator stalk – Yes, it is annoying. I still couldn’t get used to it by the end of the drive. Sometimes it would stay indicating even once I made my turn. I then had to try and cancel it, but would start indicating the other way. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but not sure what was wrong with a more traditional indicator function.
Heated seats – They did get quite toasty hot, but seemed to take a while to heat up. Not going to complain as this will definitely be a nice to have - the GRY didn’t have them
Shallow boot – The boot on paper is bigger than the GRY, but it is quite shallow so not sure it seems much bigger in real life. However, I could fit the kids school stuff in it, which is the most it will ever have in it, so all good from that side.
Cabin/dash – Not sure where all the comments about the interior being ‘low rent’. Yes, there are some hard plastics, but found it quite nice. All of the controls/screen are laid out clearly. It seemed perfectly functional and analogue, just how I like it.
Seats – Not as good as the GRY but very comfortable nonetheless.
No folding mirrors on exit – It’s annoying that the car doesn’t fold mirrors when the car is off. I can imagine I will constantly be checking whether the car is actually locked or not!
Overall – I came away even more excited about owning the GR86. It has classic written all over it. One of the biggest impressions I had was how different it felt driving the car compared to the GR Yaris. I did not expect it to feel as different as it did. Yes, I know one is AWD and the other RWD, but these cars are chalk and cheese. Both serve different purposes, and I can’t wait to add the GR86 to the fleet!
Shape – I’ve seen loads of pictures, but was taken aback about how small and low the car was on first viewing. It looks great in the flesh and better than in pictures. I liked how purposeful it felt.
Fun at low speeds – Big distinction versus my GR Yaris, is that I felt the car was more fun at low speeds. I went out first thing in the morning in what was still quite icy conditions. It’s reasonably easy to bring out the rear end, even around town. Traction works well though, so unless you are pushing hard, I don’t think you’ll find yourselves in a hedge. I had traction turned off for part of the journey and was having a hoot. Also, the sense of speed was higher than the GRY, probably the fact that the car is lower to the ground.
General ride – I’ve been used to quite a stiff suspension in the GRY, the GR86 suspension felt a bit more comfortable. Also, the steering seemed more direct, almost ‘point and shoot’.
Cabin noise – I was pleasantly surprising by the cabin noise, having got used to the racket that the GRY makes, the GR86 felt quite sedate by comparison. I’m not sure the piped in engine sound added anything, I’ll probably remove this when I pick mine up as the actual engine sounded great.
Clutch – Others have mentioned the high biting point. It certainly does, but had pretty much got used to it by the end of the test drive.
Gearbox – The gear changes didn’t feel as good on the GR Yaris, but am probably nitpicking.
Space – I’ve got two teenage kids, and need the car to take them to school on occasion. Anyone in the back has their feet completely wedged in by the seat in front – once the kids got used to that idea, they were accepting, but initially I certainly got some stern looks when asking them to sit in the back! However, for short journey’s I’m sure it will be fine. In fact, my wife joined me for a quick trip – with all 4 of us in the car.
Indicator stalk – Yes, it is annoying. I still couldn’t get used to it by the end of the drive. Sometimes it would stay indicating even once I made my turn. I then had to try and cancel it, but would start indicating the other way. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but not sure what was wrong with a more traditional indicator function.
Heated seats – They did get quite toasty hot, but seemed to take a while to heat up. Not going to complain as this will definitely be a nice to have - the GRY didn’t have them
Shallow boot – The boot on paper is bigger than the GRY, but it is quite shallow so not sure it seems much bigger in real life. However, I could fit the kids school stuff in it, which is the most it will ever have in it, so all good from that side.
Cabin/dash – Not sure where all the comments about the interior being ‘low rent’. Yes, there are some hard plastics, but found it quite nice. All of the controls/screen are laid out clearly. It seemed perfectly functional and analogue, just how I like it.
Seats – Not as good as the GRY but very comfortable nonetheless.
No folding mirrors on exit – It’s annoying that the car doesn’t fold mirrors when the car is off. I can imagine I will constantly be checking whether the car is actually locked or not!
Overall – I came away even more excited about owning the GR86. It has classic written all over it. One of the biggest impressions I had was how different it felt driving the car compared to the GR Yaris. I did not expect it to feel as different as it did. Yes, I know one is AWD and the other RWD, but these cars are chalk and cheese. Both serve different purposes, and I can’t wait to add the GR86 to the fleet!
Silver Fox
Totally Hooked
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SmokingPancakes
Obsessed member
GR86GRY
Totally Hooked
- Apr 7, 2022
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+1 on this. Made me realise how both could very happily exist in the same fleet... Not sure how to justify a Supra in the mix as well just yet thoughOne of the biggest impressions I had was how different it felt driving the car compared to the GR Yaris. I did not expect it to feel as different as it did. Yes, I know one is AWD and the other RWD, but these cars are chalk and cheese. Both serve different purposes, and I can’t wait to add the GR86 to the fleet!
Re the indicators, I don't if it is true but the sales person told me that no other Toyota has indicators like that so why on earth did they go to the trouble/cost of developing them the way they did
Bizarre.
Bizarre.Subaru, presumablyRe the indicators, I don't if it is true but the sales person told me that no other Toyota has indicators like that so why on earth did they go to the trouble/cost of developing them the way they did
Not sure what the issue is with the indicators - I am used to old school Jap cars and it seemed to work fine to me.
Can be the only reason I guess. If not they should have spent the money on parking sensors
