Ranger finds its dark side
TOYOTA has sharpened its 86 sports coupé for 2017 in the classic manner, with revised suspension and a stiffer bodyshell for more agile and precise handling, improved aerodynamics for smoother airflow and sharper looks, and new instrumentation and driving modes for extra driving fun, while leaving the 147kW/205Nm flat-four and rear-wheel drivetrain strictly alone.
It starts with double-wishbone rear suspension also gets lighter springs and a stiffer anti-roll bar for better turn-in. The suspension adjustments also improve ride quality. The bodyshell has been stiffened, and to compensate for the extra weight this adds, the bonnet is now made of aluminium.
Toyota has also added a new Track mode to the existing three drive modes, raising the threshold on both traction control and vehicle stability control to let you get more naughty before it intervenes.
There’s also been a facelift which involves a lower nose, a wider, lower-set grille, a distinctive lower lip on the front bumper, a subtle new nose fin and new bi-LED headlights.
New tail-light clusters, now also with LED indicators, frame a deeper black rear moulding and diffuser section, while a wing-type spoiler with vertical end plates replaces the previous boot-lid spoiler.
Inside, there’s a new, smaller steering wheel, with satellite controls for the audio system and the new 10.7cm multifunction display. In addition to the usual trip data, this can now also display more performance driving-focused details such as a G-force monitor, power and torque curves, a stopwatch and lap times in sequence.
New, all black, interior trim reduces light bounce, while the fabric trim on the standard model has been upgraded for better lateral support, and the High models get a revised trim in mixed leather and alcantara synthetic suede. 86 PRICES: 86 Standard – R449 600 86 High – R494 400 86 High auto – R519 400 These include a three year or 100 000km warranty and a four year or 60 000km service plan.
Our journalist Jesse Adams will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the World’s Longest Vehicle Drift with the new Toyota 86 next month. The low-slung sportscar’s lightweight chassis, rear-wheel drivetrain and relatively efficient two-litre engine are the ideal ingredients to challenge the existing record – which is currently held by German driver Harald Muller who slid sideways (in another 86) for a total distance of 141.126km in 2014.
Stay tuned for more details on the event.
KNOWING very well how South Africans like to accessorise their Ranger bakkies, Ford South Africa has introduced a new limited edition model, based on the 3.2 TDCi Double Cab 4x4 manual and auto models, but adding an assortment of stylistic bits and pieces.
Here the Fx4, as it’s called, takes a black-is-the-new-black approach with unique Panther Black 17-inch alloy wheels, while the grille, fog lamp bezels, exterior mirrors, side steps, roof rails, door/tailgate handles and the rear bumper are, as you’ve guessed by now, all finished in Darth Vader’s favourite colour.
That said, the Fx4 does avoid doing the full Henry Ford salute as it is offered with four body colours: Frozen White, Moondust Silver, Sea Grey and Panther Black.
The edition also gets a tubular ‘sports bar’, fitted bedliner and Fx4 decals on the sides and back of the vehicle.
Nothing changes mechanically, the Fx4 being powered by the familiar 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbodiesel engine. It’s only available in 4x4 form, but buyers do get to choose between six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.
Interior specification is also as per the regular Ranger XLT, which recently gained the Sync3 intotainment system with navigation as a standard feature.
But what does that name mean? According to Ford SA, the ‘F’ part is a nod to the F-Series pick-ups offered in North America. They resisted the temptation to fit one of those Raptor-style grilles though.
The Fx4 is priced at R593 900 in manual form and R608 900 as an auto, and that’s a R20 000 premium over the regular XLT models.