The last of the fun sport coupes
86 GT SE is minimalistic, raw, straight to the point
Do you remember Scion? It was a short-lived brand under the Toyota umbrella that pretty much acted as a design lab for the otherwise conservative manufacturer.
The “S” badge was the occasion for the Toyota team to break free from convention and come up with some truly unique and quirky designs. Think of the tiny iQ — in which I had somehow managed to cram a friend at the back of — or even the boxy xB and xD, the precursors of the crossover and compact crossover movement, way ahead of their time.
Beyond the notable designs, Scion presented an opportunity for Toyota to collaborate with Subaru. The ultimate goal was to come up with a classic, purebred sport coupe that would offer younger customers a genuinely fun driving experience without having to rely on expensive customization to make it happen.
The two Japanese giants put their heads together, combining Scion’s visionary creativity and Subaru’s famed boxer engine. The resulting vehicle has been one of my favourites on the market since its introduction. At Subaru’s, it was dubbed the BRZ. At Scion’s, the FR-S. When Toyota dissolved Scion in 2016, it absorbed two Scion models into its lineup: the iM that became the Corolla Hatchback and the FR-S renamed 86.
It isn’t a perfect car by any mean, but it’s perfect for me. It’s raw, the cabin is noisy, the suspension is stiff and unforgiving, it red lines easily, and that’s everything I love about it. It’s the purity of the driving experience it provides.
Under the hood, the 86 uses a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder boxer engine rated at 205 horsepower. The version I drove equipped with a six-speed manual transmission which, in my humble opinion, enhances the experience of the car. Should you want to spoil it a little, there is an automatic transmission available, but you get downgraded to 200 hp. The particularity of the 86 is that power is sent to the back wheel rather than the front — a rare layout in the affordable sports car segment. All of Toyota’s competitors are frontwheel drive.
That being said, the car is far from being tail happy thanks to the very efficient traction control system. I did try to lose the rear wheels with some ambitious cornering, but all fours remained right on track. Should you want to indulge in a few skids, the traction control can be turned off by pressing and holding the dedicated button located on the centre console. The track mode reduces the intervention of both the traction and stability controls.
Performance-wise, the car isn’t exactly stellar. The first gear lacks a bit of breath during accelerations and the gears are generally a bit short: as I mentioned, the engine red lines very easily with the red bar set at the 7,400 rpm mark. That being said, you don’t need hundreds of horsepower and ludicrous top speeds to have fun. Just like the Mazda MX-5, the staple of big things come in small packages, the 86 banks on the overall driving experience rather than on power alone to impress.
The version I drove, the 86 GT SE ranks at the top of the line and receives a flight of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) parts, including a dual exhaust that makes you feel like you’re sitting directly on the muffler when you start the engine. You won’t ever have to wonder whether the engine is on in this car — trust me, it will scream it in your face.
As for the inside, there’s good, and there’s bad. I quite like the contrasting red and black colour scheme — a classic way to say “this can go fast.” Considering my preference for a more spirited drive, the bucket seats were efficient at keeping me hugged and tucked when I took full advantage of what the car has to offer. Now, technically, the car also offers sitting at the back — it isn’t officially a two-seater. But trust me, other than serving as a glorified purse holder, that back seat is useless. Access to the back is difficult and while I was driving the 86, my seat was resting on the back seat to have enough space to manoeuvre at the front. On the bright side, nobody will ask you for rides or to be the designated driver since nobody will want to sit at the back of your car.
Additionally, because it focuses on looking and sounding really cool with its 18-inch wheels, red accents, Brembo brakes, and TRD badging, the SE cuts back on a few comforts including heated seats and sideview mirrors — features available on the less expensive but not-as-cool-looking 86 GT.
The dashboard is painful to look at. The layout looks like an afterthought, like a space left blank designers had to figure out what to do with. The touchscreen is pretty much a hole cut out in the board to accommodate a display and the climate controls look cheap and flimsy. In comparison, the interior in the Subaru BRZ is more interesting to look at and the ensemble, more aesthetically pleasing. The controls are well-integrate and part of the design and don’t feel like a last-minute addition.
Another bone I have to pick with Toyota is with the backup camera. For the first two days that I drove the car, I thought this is one sacrifice that had been made to help save on the cost of the equipment — which was fine by me considering how easy the car is to park. That’s until I looked up and realized not only is there a backup camera, but Toyota tried to reinvent the wheel. I know some manufacturers try to innovate, and displaying the backup camera in the rear-view mirror might have seemed like a good idea on paper. In reality, however, I would much rather not have one than have to make out the tiny image displayed 10 inches from my face. I’d rather have heated seats than this system.
One thing that swapping badge from Scion over to Toyota didn’t help the model with is the pricing. Under the Scion insignia, the former FR-S was more affordable than its Subaru twin. The accessories and equipment were cheaper and more basic but offered the full experience at a more affordable price point. The tables have now turned and the BRZ now comes in below the GT 86 — in fact, the Toyota is $10 shy from the $30k mark.
That being said, the little Toyotabaru remains one of my favourite drives out there. It’s meant to be minimalistic and raw and straight to the point. Considering very few cars left on the market base their sales pitch on generating emotion, I’m definitely rooting for this one.