GR86 What did you do with your GR86 today

Made it home just under the 1k today. This weekend looking forward to pushing up the revs a little
C91E243D-4A51-4909-879D-7BD7FE43EB0F.webp
 
Made it home just under the 1k today. This weekend looking forward to pushing up the revs a little View attachment 13976
Please can you ask a passenger to video your dash showing 7500rpm as it ticks over to 1000 miles.

That would make you an instant grzoo legend.

Extra points if it's in 6th gear.
 
Finally got round to doing a propa trip. Got the car just before Christmas and before today had a total on 150 miles. Now on just over 400 after a nice drive to Reading from Preston. Really Great drive and finally got to learn the car a bit more. Ie what most of the stuff does including cruise control. Even managed to get lost and luckily found a very nice scenic route with some great roads near Caversham. Lots of stares from people on the motorway from all ages which was nice. Also had some idiot decide to park between me and the back of a cherry picker lorry just as I returned from services giving me literally no room to get in the car . I just stood and nodded my head and he apologised and found a 3 space bay literally on the opposite side. Unbelievable. Anyway I’m here now and returning Sunday so will be closer to the 1000 miles by the time I get back. Then the real fun starts.
 
Last edited:
Please can you ask a passenger to video your dash showing 7500rpm as it ticks over to 1000 miles.

That would make you an instant grzoo legend.

Extra points if it's in 6th gear.
I’d be a legend with my neighbours too but not in a good way. Reversing out of my blind driveway at max revs!
 
Got the car back from it's maintenance wash. Come up well. Only thing I've noticed is the salt is battering the calipers already. I'm off in a few weeks so I'll take wheels off and give them a good scrub.
 
Not too shabby after 2 weeks and around 1000 miles.
20230225_104009.webp


Not so good on the lower parts of the car though.
20230225_104038.webp


Time for a clean. I'm getting close to 4000 miles now due to hitting some serious miles for work. Hopefully I'll limit that a bit next month, although i do love driving it.
 
Not too shabby after 2 weeks and around 1000 miles.
View attachment 13989

Not so good on the lower parts of the car though.
View attachment 13990

Time for a clean. I'm getting close to 4000 miles now due to hitting some serious miles for work. Hopefully I'll limit that a bit next month, although i do love driving it.
Any further thoughts or ruminations after all them miles? Any subtleties reveal themselves? A good daily would you say - or a pain in the (insignia style) ass? 🙃
 
Any further thoughts or ruminations after all them miles? Any subtleties reveal themselves? A good daily would you say - or a pain in the (insignia style) ass? 🙃
I'd say it does the daily duties well. I'm happy to get in it at 5 or 6 in the morning and go, even in the deepest / darkest days of winter that we have been having. This might mean a 100-150 mile run and it just takes it in it's stride. The only road that it, or I don't like in it is concrete sectional motorways, but I don't go on them too often. Loving country, a and b roads in it. And it sits nicely on a cruise on dual carriageways and motorways. Although I often take the cross country route instead of say the a34 and a303 as examples.

I love revving it out and taking some roads / bends at a decent speed, but you can't do that all the time and so when on a run, I just like to sit back, take it easy and relax. I tend to average anything from 35-40mpg on long journeys, so I think that tells you alot about how I drive it in the main.

Seat / driving position is perfect for me, absolutely no complaints. 👍

For me, it's just the right side of refined, whilst still being communicative and direct. Great steering, handling, damping, can talk to passengers or people on the phone / hands free whilst at a cruise. Can fit 4 adults at a push and 3 with relative ease. Can sit in it and work on my laptop, drink coffee and go off road. 🤣

In short, it works for me, my lifestyle and my work. It wouldn't however if we didn't have a 7 seater. But we go out as a full family only a few times a year and the majority of the GR86 journeys are just me, or another 1 or 2 people / kids.

Issues?

The left hand USB port dropped Android Auto out a few times on the first couple of journeys, but I then plugged into the right hand one and have had no issues since. Probably just my cable, but the right hand one is fine, so no worries.

I've messed up indicating about 1 or 2 times a month, but generally they are no way near as bad as others have said and I think muscle memory / getting used to them means that they become a non-issue.

Parking in tight spaces is a nightmare. I try not to, like in parking at the back of supermarket carparks, but head office doesn't ever have much space, especially as most others have big electric suv's now and you need to be a yoga expert to get out when you can only open the door halfway.

Had a few sketchy moments, but for example coming out of Wantage up the a338 on a dark, wet, cold night, just before a left hander at the top of the hill / where it dipped, it went a bit light at the front end. So I blame myself and the conditions for that. And a few tail out moments in bad weather, or just damp conditions, usually on roundabouts. But these have been low speed and just me being a bit aggressive / learning what the car can do - you know, you soon settle into it and stop doing stupid things. 😁

Overall, I'm very happy that I made the choice to get one. Mx5 rf could of just about worked, but would have been too much of a compromise. Gr yaris, yes, but not as refined and I think the service intervals would have killed me. Type r, i20n, rcf? There really isn't much else I like at the moment. I think I'll just be happy keeping this for 100k, maybe 200k if it lasts and just go into an 500 mile range solid state battery, or hydrogen gr86 in 8-10 years time.😁
 
I'd say it does the daily duties well. I'm happy to get in it at 5 or 6 in the morning and go, even in the deepest / darkest days of winter that we have been having. This might mean a 100-150 mile run and it just takes it in it's stride. The only road that it, or I don't like in it is concrete sectional motorways, but I don't go on them too often. Loving country, a and b roads in it. And it sits nicely on a cruise on dual carriageways and motorways. Although I often take the cross country route instead of say the a34 and a303 as examples.

I love revving it out and taking some roads / bends at a decent speed, but you can't do that all the time and so when on a run, I just like to sit back, take it easy and relax. I tend to average anything from 35-40mpg on long journeys, so I think that tells you alot about how I drive it in the main.

Seat / driving position is perfect for me, absolutely no complaints. 👍

For me, it's just the right side of refined, whilst still being communicative and direct. Great steering, handling, damping, can talk to passengers or people on the phone / hands free whilst at a cruise. Can fit 4 adults at a push and 3 with relative ease. Can sit in it and work on my laptop, drink coffee and go off road. 🤣

In short, it works for me, my lifestyle and my work. It wouldn't however if we didn't have a 7 seater. But we go out as a full family only a few times a year and the majority of the GR86 journeys are just me, or another 1 or 2 people / kids.

Issues?

The left hand USB port dropped Android Auto out a few times on the first couple of journeys, but I then plugged into the right hand one and have had no issues since. Probably just my cable, but the right hand one is fine, so no worries.

I've messed up indicating about 1 or 2 times a month, but generally they are no way near as bad as others have said and I think muscle memory / getting used to them means that they become a non-issue.

Parking in tight spaces is a nightmare. I try not to, like in parking at the back of supermarket carparks, but head office doesn't ever have much space, especially as most others have big electric suv's now and you need to be a yoga expert to get out when you can only open the door halfway.

Had a few sketchy moments, but for example coming out of Wantage up the a338 on a dark, wet, cold night, just before a left hander at the top of the hill / where it dipped, it went a bit light at the front end. So I blame myself and the conditions for that. And a few tail out moments in bad weather, or just damp conditions, usually on roundabouts. But these have been low speed and just me being a bit aggressive / learning what the car can do - you know, you soon settle into it and stop doing stupid things. 😁

Overall, I'm very happy that I made the choice to get one. Mx5 rf could have just about worked, but would have been too much of a compromise. Gr yaris, yes, but not as refined and I think the service intervals would have killed me. Type r, i20n, rcf? There really isn't much else I like at the moment. I think I'll just be happy keeping this for 100k, maybe 200k if it lasts and just go into an 500 mile range solid state battery, or hydrogen gr86 in 8-10 years time.😁
Thanks man, that’s a really useful overview - more insightful than some of the magazine reviews 🙃
 
Just tinkered with the reverse lockout, and then after that, gave the car a good wash.
I have no idea what was in the rain this week, but the car was absolutely covered in dust spots, despite not being driven. Even after a wash, I could still see it on the windscreen a bit.
 
Took the clutch pedal out and changed the spring. Bueno!

PXL_20230225_122712100.webp


Disconnected the ASC (Arcade Sound Control). Glovebox out jobbie but since its a Japanese car that's a 5 minute job.

PXL_20230225_113006772.webp


Got a 90 degree USB cable to tuck my Carsifi neatly in the centre console. It's 2023 why isn't it wireless!

PXL_20230225_134333599.webp


Then smothered it in foam for its first wash

PXL_20230225_151119442.webp


PXL_20230225_164622696.webp


Happy days! The only downside is my dealer fitted spoiler is loose :rolleyes: why can things never be simple.
 
Disconnected the ASC (Arcade Sound Control). Glovebox out jobbie but since its a Japanese car that's a 5 minute job.
If you open the glove box there is a bit of a gap at the top which you can get some of your hand through and with a screwdriver you can press the tab in on the connector and pull from the other side. It’s a bit fiddly but still quicker than removing the glovebox I’d imagine.
 
Took the clutch pedal out and changed the spring. Bueno!

View attachment 14026

Disconnected the ASC (Arcade Sound Control). Glovebox out jobbie but since its a Japanese car that's a 5 minute job.

View attachment 14027

Got a 90 degree USB cable to tuck my Carsifi neatly in the centre console. It's 2023 why isn't it wireless!

View attachment 14028

Then smothered it in foam for its first wash

View attachment 14029

View attachment 14030

Happy days! The only downside is my dealer fitted spoiler is loose :rolleyes: why can things never be simple.
Don't suppose you could link to the 90 degree cable could you? I have the occasional "Bluetooth has been disconnected" error, even with Carsifi, and I figured a quality cable might help. The one they supplied it short enough not to be much issue, but I figure if I'm buying one, it may as well have angled connectors.

Shame about the spoiler, too. Did they bolt it properly? If so hopefully it just needs tightening up.
 
Don't suppose you could link to the 90 degree cable could you? I have the occasional "Bluetooth has been disconnected" error, even with Carsifi, and I figured a quality cable might help. The one they supplied it short enough not to be much issue, but I figure if I'm buying one, it may as well have angled connectors.

Shame about the spoiler, too. Did they bolt it properly? If so hopefully it just needs tightening up.
Here you go mate, amazon I got the 20cm one, the shorter 10cm one may be better.

Am interested in doing this - does the weaker spring make a noticeable difference? And is that assembly simple enough to remove?

It does make a noticeable difference yes, however I wouldn't say it's night and day, but that may be down to the extra weight in the clutch pedal masking the change. From a technical standpoint it's very straight forward to do, but it is uncomfortable as you are laying in the footwell facing the sky, if you are a bigger chap, have back issues or the flexibility of a hippo you will struggle.
 
Cracking! Ordered the shortest one, thanks!

@Dal3D , RE: the clutch spring, I found it made a big difference. Really improved the clutch feel, made the pedal feel more linear with almost the same pressure throughout the whole throw, rather than lurching upwards at the bite point. I think a still weaker spring might improve it further, but I'm more than happy I changed it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ZN8
Back
Top