GR86 What car did you previously drive ?

Just recently, Hyundai i30N - still miss it for the pops and bangs! It got picked up by a car dealer in October and he's now still trying to shift it at below the price he paid me! It's crazy how the market tanked in the last 2 months and I feel lucky I sold it at the time I did. Offsets a bit the pain of the full price I paid for the GR literally 2 weeks before dealers could sell at discount!!

My daily is a Corolla Hybrid which does 65mpg for my daily 30 mile school run!!

Other cars included a few Subaru's, Celica GT4 (1990s with pop up lights!) and a few boring ones not worth mentioning!!
 
To the OP, I daily drove a GT86 for 3 years (as only car) and it was great except on long trips where it got a little tiring. Coilovers, manifold and Milltek didn't necessarily help there. GR86 is loads better apparently.

Practically, it's the size it is, the few times I really needed something bigger I just rented a van or something or burrowed a friends van.

I could get my full size 29" enduro MTB in the back with just the front wheel out and as such didn't stop me from doing my hobbies (at the time).

I really enjoyed my time with it and almost any other car is either dull or too precious to have the fun you have with this concept...
 
sim86 said:
A fellow City Bug driver I see, great cars despite their lack of any power.
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Yup, I really rate them. Tough, simple to work on, parts cost buttons, cheap to run (mine falls in the £0 tax bracket and does mid 50’s upwards MPG) and they don’t stand out, so I’m happy to park it anywhere.

Apart from the lack of pace, it’s the perfect daily for me - I like it, but don’t love it. It’s tidy, presentable, cleans up nicely but I don’t lose my mind over a stone chip.
 
Interestingly my old vRS has only just had a new logbook. Had MOT, failed spectacularly, had new rear subframe fitted and it's on the road again but too almost a year to go. I'm no surprised but good luck to whoever has it now.
 
Used to cut about in a Renaultsport Mégane MK4. Lots of fun and lots of memories.

Genuinely sad to see my first fairly quick car go, but smiles per gallon in the GR is 10/10.

Currently alternate week to week between the GR and a 2019 Skoda Superb Estate just to keep them both ticking over as the Mrs is a full time WFH.
 
kalniel said:
2015 A3 Sportback 1.4tfsi CoD s-line

Think I win the slowest previous car so far :D But on same tyres, same torque and same weight as the gr86 I think it's actually faster in the real world (certainly when conditions/roads are bad). Feels like I'm sitting on a bench and the pedals have a foot of travel when I get in after the gr86 though :p
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My wife and I bought one of these new in 2014 (Sport trim not Sline) and it's been pretty much perfect family transport.

Reliable, comfortable, quiet and reasonably spacious and not slow it managed 143mph on the Autobahn with 3 people and luggage. Higher than the 86's top speed! Not bad for 140bhp.

The extended warranty runs out next year so we're wondering whether to replace it or not.
 
leosayer said:
My wife and I bought one of these new in 2014 (Sport trim not Sline) and it's been pretty much perfect family transport.

Reliable, comfortable, quiet and reasonably spacious and not slow it managed 143mph on the Autobahn with 3 people and luggage. Higher than the 86's top speed! Not bad for 140bhp.

The extended warranty runs out next year so we're wondering whether to replace it or not.
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I've kept mine - £20 a year to tax is a bargain, with free for life MOTs. I bet yours is actually nearer 150bhp - for the 2015 they changed it to 150bhp officially but I don't think anything changed internally (they stuck an 'ultra' badge on the back, clearly responsible for that extra 10hp :p)
 
Vistalite said:
If it has been reliable, well maintained and still serves its purpose, why not keep it?
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Well the truth is that we don't need it for family duties now our son is at University so school runs etc. are no longer a thing.

I'd like to replace it with an A7, 840 Gran Coupe, CLS or something like that but the A3 is such a good all-rounder that I'm sure we'll keep it.
 
AudiS3 sportback, 310hp DSG gearbox. Before that a 3 door 8p S3 manual.
Found that with the S3, had to really drive it quite hard to get any enjoyment. As it was such a capable car, this could result in some quite antisocial speeds!
The GR86 is such fun to drive at any speed.
 
425D convertible - an absolute boat.

I only miss the roof going down, heated wheel and the sound system.

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I didn't replace anything with my GR86. my "other" daily is a V8 swapped Hilux surf, my other "fun car" is a Westfield, and there is a broken 90's Camaro in the garage that I'm yet to actually drive and wonder why I ever bought.
 
The GR86 was a replacement for my wife's Corsa, which I actually liked bombing around in. A 1.2 2020 model. I have my 2008 Volvo XC70 2.4 D5 SE Lux manual for dog, skip and general duties which I bought in 2019. I also bought a LEZ compliant car this year in May, a 2009 Saab 9-3 2.0t Aero Manual Convertible, the most fun you can have for £2500! However, I come from owning a few Porsche's and my best daily driver was a 1971 Volvo 1800ES I owned in the early 2000's, loved that car. And of course, a 2001 BMW R1150GS when needs must. Many other cars over the VW years, Volvo and Seat Cupra. An 89 944 2.7 Lux was another highlight, as was a 1600cc MK1 Golf GTi 4 speed. My user name comes from the 1986 Porsche 911 SuperSport I used to track race (badly!). A few pics....

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911sse said:
The GR86 was a replacement for my wife's Corsa, which I actually liked bombing around in. A 1.2 2020 model. I have my 2008 Volvo XC70 2.4 D5 SE Lux manual for dog, skip and general duties which I bought in 2019. I also bought a LEZ compliant car this year in May, a 2009 Saab 9-3 2.0t Aero Manual Convertible, the most fun you can have for £2500! However, I come from owning a few Porsche's and my best daily driver was a 1971 Volvo 1800ES I owned in the early 2000's, loved that car. And of course, a 2001 BMW R1150GS when needs must. Many other cars over the VW years, Volvo and Seat Cupra. An 89 944 2.7 Lux was another highlight, as was a 1600cc MK1 Golf GTi 4 speed. My user name comes from the 1986 Porsche 911 SuperSport I used to track race (badly!). A few pics....
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There are some fine cars there.

To have had an 1800ES as a daily driver would have been terrific, a lovely car. I was going to say poor man's classic but the prices appear to be high for these now.

The MK1 golf is another excellent choice.

To have also been in possession of a supersport with a whale tail, and a dream car, all of which certainly puts my motley car ownership collection to shame.

Thank you for enlightening us all.
 
Vistalite said:
There are some fine cars there.

To have had an 1800ES as a daily driver would have been terrific, a lovely car. I was going to say poor man's classic but the prices appear to be high for these now.

The MK1 golf is another excellent choice.

To have also been in possession of a supersport with a whale tail, and a dream car, all of which certainly puts my motley car ownership collection to shame.

Thank you for enlightening us all.
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That 1800ES cost me £1500 in 1997.
 
Vistalite said:
There are some fine cars there.

To have had an 1800ES as a daily driver would have been terrific, a lovely car. I was going to say poor man's classic but the prices appear to be high for these now.

The MK1 golf is another excellent choice.

To have also been in possession of a supersport with a whale tail, and a dream car, all of which certainly puts my motley car ownership collection to shame.

Thank you for enlightening us all.
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That Baltic Blue 911 was one of only 16 SuperSport coupe's registered in 1986. This one being Porsche's press car wearing the 'A 911' registration when new, as I had a few magazines in the documents. It had just came out of a barn in the North of Scotland and needed some tlc to say the least. The chap who bought it from me a number of years later still owns it and it's had a full engine, body and Interior refurbishment. However, he will never drive it like I used to due to its value today, which is at least 5x what I sold it for.
 
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