ORIGINAL RECIPE
ToyotaT hasn’t strayed far from a winning formula with its updated sports car
The new Toyota GR86 is an incredibly rewarding car to experience on a racetrack, even if it is among the slowest performance cars on sale. Feeling the car slide through the fifth-gear left-hander at Phillip Island’s Stoner Corner you must brake hard for the Honda Hairpin before facing a difficult decision.
You can be patient with the throttle or get on the gas early to unstick the rear tyres and slide through the corner sideways.
The latter approach is awfully tempting and hugely engaging, which is exactly what Toyota had in mind for the second generation of its affordable sports car.
Engineers nailed the affordable sports car formula in 2012 with the original Toyota 86 and its Subaru BRZ cousin, cars that swept automotive awards while reviving a flagging segment.
Based on the same platform as the outgoing model, the new “Toyobaru” twins are longer and lower than before with a stiffer body shell and improved centre of gravity.
The 86 looks sharp in the metal, catching the eye with classic proportions and an integrated ducktail spoiler.
The big change is under a long and low bonnet, where the 2.0-litre engine in the old car was criticised for coarse power delivery and modest outputs – 147kw and 205Nm.
Customers cried out for a turbo but Toyota and Subaru opted against forced induction, choosing to send the naturally aspirated motor to the gym and finishing school.
A 20 per cent increase in displacement to 2.4 litres yielded 174kw and 250Nm, the latter produced from 3700rpm – far earlier in the rev range than the old car’s 6400rpm torque peak.
The delivery is smoother than before, too, with a free-revving nature that replaces the stressed harshness of the old motor.
The result is a car that’s easier to live with every day, delivering comparatively effortless in-gear acceleration.
It’s also faster. The claimed 0-100km/h time drops from 7.6 seconds in the old car to 6.3 seconds in the new model. Add half a second to that for the automatic model that might prove more popular than before.
One downside is that the car is no longer Pplate legal in states with a 130kw per tonne restriction for new drivers.
Another is that the car is quite thirsty – manual models claim 9.4L/100km fuel use.
The auto is a little more efficient and it’s the only way to get safety gear such as auto emergency braking, active cruise control and lane-departure alerts that are off-limits to manual buyers.
This more muscular engine makes the automatic a better bet than before, helped by reworked transmission internals and revised shift software that return crisper changes and more intelligent gear selection.
The auto and manual are identically priced – about $48,500 drive-away for GT versions with 17-inch wheels and cloth seats, or $51,000 driveaway for GTS models with leather and 18-inch rims. That’s a fair chunk more than the $29,990 launch price of the 2012 original that missed out on the modern car’s digital dash, reversing camera and smartphone mirroring.
Enthusiasts should opt for the six-speed manual, which delivers a more involving driving experience.
A sweet shift action and close ratios gel perfectly with carefully tuned responses from the steering, throttle and brakes, resulting in an immensely satisfying sports car experience.
Somewhat soft suspension returns a liveable ride on the road and more body roll than expected on track, where the Toyota GR86 clearly telegraphs its intentions in a friendly manner. Skinny Michelin sports tyres offer impressive initial purchase before gently relinquishing their hold of the surface.
Never snappy, the little coupe invites exploration of the car’s impressive balance and tail-happy rear-wheel-drive handling in a way that will please enthusiasts for years to come.
VERDICT
A more powerful engine and sharper looks ramp up the Toyota 86’s appeal but a higher price and lack of safety gear in manual versions disappoints.