GR86 Honeymoon period over?

[rosejem]

Yes still enjoying mine, as a second car it only gets used occasionally but do enjoy the simplicity of it . I find that it challenges you drive well and if I am clumsy with the clutch then it will be jerky but when you get it right I really enjoy it and can't see me changing for a while.
GR blue good luck with job situation!

 

[AEG86]

I took delivery of my GR in July 2023, I had been working away for 6 months in Morocco (helped with the 15 month wait for delivery) and the car was waiting for me in the dealership 2 weeks after my return.

Coming from a GT86 which I owned for 5 years (because it did everything I needed it to do) it righted the wrongs of that car and 18000 miles later, after trips across Europe, Wales and Scotland it has only shown itself to be a wonderful machine and a evolution of a formula that was so right in the GT.

The car has a depth of character that allows me to improve my driver skill. In a few weeks I will be taking it to Thruxton skid pan so I may learn more of it's on limit behaviour in a safe environment. I use it for all occasions, some of them involve dullness such as London driving which it can do but does not excell in (traffic) but adequate. I feel it is a special car, it gives me pleasure to look at, interact with and own. I have also made a point of getting up early on Sundays and blasting off into the Essex countryside to use the car as it was intended and engineered for no other reason than to enjoy piloting a sports car on empty roads in beautiful countryside. I won't be selling.

 

[skaben]

Still loving mine. Kept it standard first year, added exhaust second year and it drives great!

 

[GS6R4]

I've hardly used mine this year. That's nothing to do with the honeymoon being over though, it's just that life has meant there haven't been many trips where I'd take the GR86 over my "daily" - I intend to keep it for as long as I'm able so I don't want to bump the mileage up by using it for trips which are pretty much a slog up and down a motorway. The lack of use should hopefully be addressed later this month!

 

[chopper602]

I've just been away in our motorhome, across Europe, for two weeks and there were many places when I wished I was in a different vehicle. Of course it was the first vehicle I jumped into on my return (mainly because I'd left it at the storage yard when the motorhome nornally lives!). I took the long way home and there was no way I'd consider anything else (that I could afford) to replace it with

 

[stephen1612]

I still enjoy driving the car but the practical side has meant the car gets very little use now due to the kids.
But I also purchased a Civic Type R (FL5) last year, and it just does everything so well and there's no issues with getting my two young boys in with their car seats etc (only a two seater in the rear). The handling and especially the gearbox is just perfect.

No plans to sell the GR though, but it can be hard to justify the costs. A minor service for the GR is almost double the price of the Civic... which is mad.

 

[Jianlun]

2 years and 50,000km. Only car. Daily it, sharing with my wife. Use it to ferry my 7 year old twins (though they would start to find the rear small in maybe 3 years time)

2 track days, 2 drift sessions and 3 autocross/gymkhana so far. Runs like new. Halo white paint is a biatch to maintain and even though i wash every saturday, it has deep grey stains at where water pools after rain etc.

Bought it as my last ICE RWD car before the inevitable-ness of going EV. And as my build thread shows, i am using the car to get all the mods i ever wanted to do to an ICE car out of my system and loving the journey!

 

[GRistopher]

I still laugh a lot driving this car. The size and handling are perfect for the roads near me. Having spent 8 or 9 years in hot hatches I'm still very much in the RWD sports car honeymoon period, but I don't think it'll fade. I enjoy karting, but don't get to go often enough. Having a car with a lairy rear end to keep me satiated in the mean-time is a welcome replacement.
I'm currently of the mindset that I'd rather modify out this cars imperfections than get rid of it and to be honest, I can see myself sticking a turbo on it long before I decide to sell. And at that point, what else would be even remotely comparable?
I also HATE modern driver aids with a passion. How anyone thinks that a jump-scare and flashing liggts during the times that requires the most intense driver focus and reaction is a good idea will always boggle my mind. I'll go down fighting before I get a "fun" car that beeps at me and tugs on the steering wheel thinking it knows best. This alone would keep me in the 86 but the fact that it's so fun to drive makes it very unlikely I'll be selling soon.

 

[Reeves999999]

If there was something remotely interesting from Japan I’d consider a change. But there isn’t. I’m hoping the MR2 or Celica get built and come here. Until then, still loving mine. Looks nicer than 99% of cars on the road. Now on 5000 miles, 20 months from new.

 

[skaben]

If there was something remotely interesting from Japan I’d consider a change. But there isn’t. I’m hoping the MR2 or Celica get built and come here. Until then, still loving mine. Looks nicer than 99% of cars on the road. Now on 5000 miles, 20 months from new.

I’m hopeful like you are but I’ll bet the next driver focused cars will have the driver assists and more than likely have a hybrid element. All the fun affordable cars seem to be being killed off

 

[Reeves999999]

I’m hopeful like you are but I’ll bet the next driver focused cars will have the driver assists and more than likely have a hybrid element. All the fun affordable cars seem to be being killed off

I know. I had a GR Yaris before the 86 which had nannies turned on each time but you could turn off with one button. My wife has a 2025 C-HR and it has constant warnings about seemingly anything bugging you in the form of lights, sounds and steering wheel vibration. All of these are a dangerous distraction from watching the road. What muppet in the EU thought this was a good idea? Probably a 40 year old virgin cyclist who doesn’t even have a car.

 

[leosayer]

Not at all.

For me, it's still a perfect blend of performance, looks, handling, fun and practicality in a relatively cheap to run and low risk package.

There are plenty of used alternatives that do certain things better but they all come with much higher running costs and potential for big bills.

 

[Bathroom_Security]

I've hardly used mine this year. That's nothing to do with the honeymoon being over though, it's just that life has meant there haven't been many trips where I'd take the GR86 over my "daily" - I intend to keep it for as long as I'm able so I don't want to bump the mileage up by using it for trips which are pretty much a slog up and down a motorway. The lack of use should hopefully be addressed later this month!

Same, 1700 miles last year. Looking like even less this year.

Life well and truly got in the way.

 

[Hachi-roku]

Another low mileage confession here. ~2,400 total covered since collecting mine in April 2023. A combination of opportunity, other commitments and piss poor weather have all conspired against it seeing more use than it has.

Similar to others I ordered mine feeling it was about the best combination of looks, performance, purchase price and running costs of anything that was on the market to buy new at the time. Is it perfect ? No, although the only real concern I have is the questionable flat 4 sat under the bonnet, Subaru engines, and come to think of it boxers in general have always been a fickle power plant. Hopefully frequent and thorough maintenance and doubtless aftermarket solutions to oiling concerns will make it a non issue.

I could see the writing on the wall for these types of cars and I wanted to own something that offered a more real driving experience again while I still had the chance. I toyed with a number of different 90’s to early 2000’s Japanese performance cars to scratch the itch. Spiralling prices of potentially tinworm ridden liabilities put me off. Having seen friends pour vast amounts of time and multiples of the purchase price simply keeping cars of that vintage running was a massive red flag. Add in likely invasive bodywork and the struggle to find someone competent to do the work was the final nail.

My intention was and is still to keep it until it’s either physically impossible for me to get in and out of it or legislation/taxation against ICE vehicles make it untenable to continue owning and driving. I do plan to modify it tastefully along the way but it’ll all be fairly modest changes to improve what is already an extremely fun car to drive. I don’t envisage me fitting a turbo or supercharger as it might not win the traffic light GP or a dual carriageway 3rd gear pull but that’s not really what it’s about. There’s plenty enough performance to string it along a winding road carrying momentum and enjoy the fact it’s far more nimble and modestly proportioned than its lardy peers!

The biggest issue I have with it isn’t the fault of the car. It’s the perpetual volume of traffic no matter where I seem to point it and absolute state of the roads I get to drive it on. At some stage I’ll find the time to get out to sublime ribbons of tarmac in the Swiss and French alps and fully enjoy it without the experience being lessened by the location.