GR86 What did you do with your GR86 today

Booked the GR86 in for 6 months dehumidified and secure parking over this coming Winter. I'll get the service and MOT done at Newbridge (Edinburgh) on the day it comes out, as it'll be SORNd and MOT-less and I don't feel comfortable driving all the way over to Hamilton for the same service (looking in my rear view for blue lights all the way across)... 🚙 🚓🚨
 
Remember to put your winter wheels on while it's in storage.
It's not going to see daylight until the end of March and then it'll depend on how the weather is behaving, I'll be overinflating to 40psi before the cover goes on and maybe get some tyre pads…
 
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Took the gleaming GR86 across to Fraser’s in Falkirk and had a test drive in their bright yellow MG Cyberster demonstrator. I had some preconceptions, but I have to say that a lot of the YouTube influencers’ nit-pickings are exactly that; the AWD car was comfortable, nice to drive and super (holy-f***) quick! I want one. Having seen it in the metal, the ‘English White’ colour (which is more off-white/cream) with the red interior, again not as gawdy in the flesh, might now be my preferred shade over the yellow or red colour choices. Oh my, what to do in 2026 🤔
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Don't do it @Sonic .

Damn things weigh two tons, and are as about as far from the ethos of the GR86 (and earlier MG sports cars) as it's possible to be.

Doors look silly and those arrow rear lights are ridiculous.

Built by a company with a dubious human rights record.

It's a golf club bore's car.
 
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Meanwhile, my car watching me walk toward it on another December morning:
tv-drama.webp
 
Talking of winter prep I am super excited to have ordered my first 'big' mod for the BRZ. I have a number of very northern road trips planned for next year where I am expecting to encounter a good number of gravel roads. Having beached the car a couple times in Spain whilst on tracks I thought I would get ahead of it. I know that a raised BRZ has been very much done by Topher on his channel, however I am going about it in a slightly different way. His car was raised using ADF spacers which don´t provide any extra travel and at 1.5" higher I think the car looks a little odd. I was very excited to discover that Chuhatsu now offers circa 20mm lift springs for the gen2 platform. These had a good reputation on the last gen in snow belt US states.

I am going to pair these with 17 or even 16" wheels ...... current thinking is either Sparco Terra or Braid fullrace a wheels.

The springs are currently on their way over from Japan, will be a while before I install as I am in the UK later this year and would like to get Abbey to complete the work.

This is a new world for me, I usually keep my cars standard mechanically. The slightly better ride promised would be great if it transpires!


Screenshot 2025-08-15 at 21.25.04.webp
 
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Wow, that's some commitment to road tripping! Great to hear the boundaries being pushed and the car being enjoyed to the full. :)(y)
I'll look forward to hearing about the mods and the trip.

Of course it can all be returned to standard with a swap back to the original parts.
 
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Nice! The Sparco Terra they will really suit the look and are pretty tough. Check out Evo Corse wheels too, they do motorsports/rally wheels. I have a set of 17" SanremoCorse to go on my car.
 
It could be a commitment to road tripping or ... a little bit of a desire to live out my Porsche 911 Dakar fantasy! I have caught myself looking up gravel rally tyres and options to fit small wheel arch extensions. Most of all I would love a roof rack with basket... the GT86 had some bond and rivet options to add mounts in the roof rain gullies but I am not sure I am brave enough to let someone do that whilst the car is so new! The springs are though I believe a genuine requirement and a nice first step!

SanremoCorse are my third choice of wheel and I was interested when you ordered yours. Then my neighbours got a set of white Evo Corse for their Suzuki Jimmy and I don't know why but it sort of pushed me to look elsewhere! I'll check pricing when I push the button after another payslip arrives.....
 
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Show car ready!! ✨ Added a couple of the Zoo decals I had too! 🙂 Only down side of attending a show with @Sonic is the pressure you feel to make sure your car’s clean enough knowing he’ll have spent days getting it pristine and added even more Ali Express blue goodies to stand out even more! 😂
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Show car ready!! ✨ Added a couple of the Zoo decals I had too! 🙂 Only down side of attending a show with @Sonic is the pressure you feel to make sure your car’s clean enough knowing he’ll have spent days getting it pristine and added even more Ali Express blue goodies to stand out even more! 😂
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Looking good!
As for the AliExpress goodies, I don’t think I can add any more otherwise the car’s kerb weight will no longer apply to its Certificate of Conformity and it’ll have to go to VOSA for reclassification as a Light Goods Vehicle 🚛
 
Not from today but yesterday evening:

Popped over to my mate's for an evening of dining and drinking around the hostelries of a small, pleasant, provincial town. My mate has an apartment close to the town centre so we all met up and parked our cars there before heading out. This place has secure parking underneath the apartments, and, unusually for these sorts of places, there's always loads of free spaces so a group of six of us all parked our cars up. Being part underground it's very echoey and the noise bounces around a fair bit.

We all head out into the town 1/4 to 1/2 a mile away and settle down with our various refreshments, enjoying the fresh air and visual delights a lively town brings on a weekend evening.

Just as we're getting nice and comfy, one of the group decides he has to go, so will collect his car and make his way to wherever he was going. Cue panic from the group, because this guy has an Audi TT with a stupidly loud exhaust on it which, due to the sheer volume of it and the acoustic characteristics of the aforementioned parking area, is - and I quote - "absolutely guaranteed to set everyone's car alarms off" so we had all better pause our revelries and head back with him.

So there I continued to it, smugly, sipping my alcohol free IPA and finishing off the Gambas al Ajillo whilst they all went huffing and puffing and moaning off for 20 minutes or so.