TOYOTA 86 & BRZ
SHARING THE LOVE
Cars like the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ don’t come around very often these days. Affordable sports cars aren’t profitable for manufacturers anymore. That’s why no one makes them. In an age of parts-bins, chassis-sharing and manufacturing efficiencies – it takes a lot for the modern car company to sit up and develop a two-seater sports car from the ground up.
That’s why Toyota and Subaru had to join forces; they had to split the bill on these pint-sized corner-carvers, but boy are we glad they did!
The Toyota and Subaru siblings seemed to be one of the most talked-about developments and car launches in recent memory, but in case you hadn’t heard – we’ll give you the quick rundown.
Conceptually: the idea of a classically-inspired dynamic and nimble little coupe was the brainchild of Toyota – which showed off the FT-HS concept in the US back in 2007. The following year, Toyota purchased a 16.5 per cent stake in Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s parent company), with 86 project leader Tetsuya Tada inviting Subaru to be part of the project and to contribute an evolved boxer four-cylinder to power it.
Subaru, is a brand steeped in all-wheeldrive pedigree, initially declined until Subaru engineers were invited to test an early developmental prototype. It must have been convincing, cause now they were in.
Fast-forward a few years, and Toyota had provided the chassis and Subaru had provided their FA20 horizontally opposed flat-four cylinder capable of an agreeable 147kW. Apart from the badges, front bumper and some minute suspension settings – the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZs are exactly the same. All are produced within Subaru’s Fuji Heavy Industries factory, with an agreed production cap on Subaru units produced, in proportion to the numbers of Toyota 86.
Both of the cars launched to great fanfare around the world. Media were wrapt with these sublime-driving compacts – winning Wheels magazine’s car of the year in 2012, with one judge stating: “this is life-affirming stuff ”.
“A tantalisingly small and lightweight rear-driver with not an ounce of extraneous flab, contained within an unashamedly Japanese old-school cab-backward coupe silhouette of classic proportions,” was the verdict.
Indeed, these coupes are, and were always intended to be, focused driving cars. In today’s age of luxury-focused buyers, it will seem spartan: but nothing is superfluous in its purity.
The seating position is low, and the steering is the best of any modern electronic system I’ve laid hands on. Even the roof is scalloped so taller drivers won’t struggle for headroom with a helmet.
The 86 and BRZ were never meant to win races, or set lap records. They were meant to put a smile on your face on a windy road. And they’re almost unparalleled in that regard.
But for all their merits, their future classic status is a murky game of foresight.
They sold well initially, but sales slowed quickly. The Mustang came along and offered more mumbo, and arguably more style. Buyers said the 86 was too slow and, while that’s more of a philosophical debate, the novelty seemed to quickly wear off. These days, it’s almost fashionable to dislike the 86.
Currently, you can find 86s readily available for low to mid-teens. Slightly rarer Subaru BRZs are only slightly dearer too. For transparency: I owned one for almost five years, and sold at what must be near the bottom of the depreciation curve. (Putting the call out now: if anyone is selling a VF SS sportwagon, contact us.).
If you’re hoping for a profitable windfall in the next few years, don’t be looking at one of these. There are other cars out there for equivalent money, which should offer a higher possibility of upside in the short term. But if you love driving, not necessarily going fast – but love driving – you’d be hard-pressed to find a better modern offering.
Toyota’s PR made much fanfare about the spiritual connection to the cult AE86 Corolla, but those certainly weren’t widely
“THEY WERE MEANT TO PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE”
“WILL THESE BECOME A CLASSIC ONE DAY? I’D SAY YES”
perceived as anything special in their day either. The modern day 86’s ‘classic’ trajectory will likely follow the same.
Will these become a classic one day? I’d say yes, but not any time soon. There’s simply too many of them out there right now. By the time the world realises how good and special these cars were – you probably won’t be able to find one!
vagaries of tracking the exact spec and history of 50-year-old cars, particularly when you’re talking of a period where there was a fair bit of ‘wild west’ going on when it came to specs and pricing across states and dealers. You’re right – we sometimes forget how influential some of those Japanese models really were.
More 240Z & Other Stuff
Your report on valuations of Japanese cars raised some issues on timing regarding the Datsun 240Z. It said: “Announced late 1969, and Australia saw its first cars a year later.” I have the production sheet for the Fairlady and Z cars from 1960 to 1977. The first Zs were the HS30 model and in 1969 there were 438 built.
At least one 1969 model hit Australia in 1970.(maybe a few others?) - mine!
I bought a red Datsun 240Z, VIN HS3000091,
Registration NID242 on 29/6/95 from a car yard in Sale, Victoria. That is, vehicle number 91 off the production line in 1969. As I recall, there were a number of differences between the ’69 model and the ’70 model.
The ’69 had:
1. Perspex fairings over the headlights;
2. A front spoiler ‘bib’;
3. Chrome 240Z badges behind the rear side windows over the circular ‘air-vent’;
4. A pair of rearview mirrors mounted on the very front of the front mudguards;
5. A hinged hatch-lid on a small storage area under the back seat. (I’m a bit hazy on the exact location, but it wasn’t in later models as I recall);
6. Possibly the badging on the boot-lid was different.
No doubt there were other variations, but that’s all that springs to mind at this time.
Prior to my ownership, 260Z mag wheels had been fitted.
I had bought the car to have it converted to a replica
Ferrari - a Corsa 250 GTO - but when I found out its early build date, I scrapped that plan and bought a second vehicle for that project. By this time, we had 12 cars in our garage, including BMWs, Ferraris, Mustang, Porsches and an F250 Pickup.
My wife and I competed in Targa Tasmania from the first event in 1992 for 12 years. She, driving a BWW initially and then a Porsche 356C. I drove a Mustang for three years then a ‘65 911 Porsche. The number plates for the event were HIS and HERS which brought a few laughs. Preparing two cars for Targa Tas each year took considerable time and money so the 240Z/Corsa 250 GTO project never got off the ground.
My wife ordered a sell-up of cars after we moved off our rural property and I sold the ‘69 240Z in 2012 to a Brisbane guy who ran a panel shop and was going to restore it. The move from the rural property to our current location meant a new garage
capable of storing five cars, plus the carport. Thank god for Shannon’s ‘stable’ insurance.
As an aside, we, my wife (Kerith) and I, continued Targa Rallying in Tasmania in our Porsches and competed in the inaugural Targa event in Newfoundland in 2002. Kerith has also navigated in Targa Tas and Classic Adelaide for Klaus Bischoff (Director of Porsche Museum in Germany) in classic Porsches brought out for those events from the Museum.
More recent adventures were driving an MGB GT from Beijing to London (2010) and then to finalise driving around the world, in 2013, we drove the same car across Canada to Newfoundland and then back to California via Route 66.
The combined distance 46,000km! Each trip was three months.
A parting shot: we organised the first Classic Car Show in Melbourne at Caulfield Racecourse in the mid-1990s, in conjunction with your magazine as a co-sponsor. It was called the The Unique Car Show. Mobil and Mercedes were co-sponsors.
A bit of rambling history there…
THANKS, PETER. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of a ramble when it comes to cars and we should get in touch to unwrap one or two of those stories.