Toyota GT-86

[CJ]

http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/5946/ ... car-review

Not sure I'm totally sold on the looks (especially the rear end) it but its interesting nonetheless - certainly in terms of driving dynamics. Anyone spotted one on Irish roads yet?

[Kace]

Nice - looks like a cross between Hyundai coupe (rear) and merged Celica/RX8 (front)

[StewyD32]

Looks nice except the rear it looks like a chopped bug eyed celica
The side view looks a little like a 350z, I'm sure Shane will say yay or nay on that one.
Nice none the less

[colm_mcm]

Looks a lot better in the metal.

[Bernard]

... or the Subaru



Apparently there are loads of aftermarket options available already.
If you were in the market for a new car they would certainly be worth considering.

[Spetz]

I really like it.
But eventually a turbo model will come out and the market will be flooded with these no longer cool NA models

[goz_83]

I'm tired of the wrap around headlights! A few more months and the bloody things will be all the way back to the front doors. Am I the only one noticing this trend?

[Chris_Heilong]

I think it looks great, but the price point is way off the mark here, at an estimated price of €40,000(you could almost buy 2 brand new civics for that), I think €25000 would be pushing it. It is nice that it will actually have 17” alloy wheels here in Ireland and we wont be shafted as we will be getting the same spec as the UK for once.

[CJ]

In terms of the value proposition, it doesn't add up unless you've got money to burn. Give it a few years and this the 86 will be a good second hand buy, kinda reminds me of how I viewed the RX-8 when they came out first (and its F/R setup reminds me of the RX-8 a lot, actually). On the surface, it looks like 4 cars moulded into one in that it borrows styling accents from the likes of Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai and perhaps lacks a character of its own. That said, I like it so far. I'll reserve judgement until I get a look at one in the flesh.

[colm_mcm]

Can anyone think of what else you'd get new for 40k that'd be as much fun apart from an mx5

[Chris_Heilong]

Can anyone think of what else you'd get new for 40k that'd be as much fun apart from an mx5

Thats not the point,the point is it is over priced, A brand new MX5 will cost only €28,000 rrp, mini cooper S is around €26,000. If this car was priced like this it would be easier to stomach. It should be affordable and cheap which at 40k is neither. The Euro is weak right now but if it was stronger I wonder would it be worth looking at importing from Japan, in Japan the car is only around €20,000.

[colm_mcm]

Celicas and mr2s were always roughly 40k too.

[goz_83]

I wonder would it be worth looking at importing from Japan, in Japan the car is only around €20,000.

No. The nightmare of insuring jap imports would be enough to put me right off that idea.

[Chris_Heilong]

I wonder would it be worth looking at importing from Japan, in Japan the car is only around €20,000.

No. The nightmare of insuring jap imports would be enough to put me right off that idea.

hehe, you right. Nothing is worth that kind of pain.

[optical illusion]

I know someone who has one, and I've sat in it. Interior is nice for a jap car but I just don't feel it. Alloys are dire. Hope to see it out in Mondello soon and will report back if I get out in it.



It's like a hyundai coupe, RX8 and LFA all mixed in together.

Saw another red in Clare today.

[colm_mcm]

How do Toyota feel about the car being in mondello, assuming we're thinking of the same person from Laois driving it?

[CJ]

Thats not the point,the point is it is over priced.

Food for thought - when Mitsubishi (through Ralliart) sold the FTO as an official UK import 12 years ago, it was priced @ £23k - not much less than a base model GT86. For comparison, both the RX-8 R3 and the 370z occupy the same class as the GT86 and start @ £24k and £27k respectively. I'd suggest that the 86 is within an acceptable range given the competition in this class, tack duty and VRT onto any of the cars mentioned and price in Ireland starts to become a real issue.

[Myfeckin FTO]

.......For comparison, both the RX-8 R3 and the 370z occupy the same class as the GT86 and start @ £24k and £27k respectively. I'd suggest that the 86 is within an acceptable range given the competition in this class, tack duty and VRT onto any of the cars mentioned and price in Ireland starts to become a real issue.

Given the choice at UK pricing then I'd be going for the 370Z over the GT86 anyday. Irish pricing means that theres about a 17K difference between the two and the balls back in the GT86's court.

Anyway for the moment its all a bit irrelevant to me - I will be keeping a watchfull eye on the 2nd-hand prices but right now if I had 40K to burn it'd be going towards the absolutely savage value available on the 2nd hand market.

For instance a Porsche Cayman (and keep the extra 20K in your pocket) - http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3670277
Any extra running costs would be offset against much lower depreciation costs.

[Bernard]

if I had 40K to burn it'd be going towards the absolutely savage value available on the 2nd hand market.

No matter the car, (unless I had stupid money available) I'd find it very hard to justify buying new over second hand.
You get so much more bang for your buck.

[optical illusion]

How do Toyota feel about the car being in mondello, assuming we're thinking of the same person from Laois driving it?

Free advertising, so only a good thing. It wasn't on track, just parked.

[Mustang]

Was going to start my own thread.. The starting point for a coupe in Ireland has long been ~€40k, rx8, celica, etc. So nothing new there.
It is supposed to be a drivers car in the spirit of the mx5 - handling and driver involvement being the main selling points - I get it.

However it only has 200bhp. Now in '94 when the DE3A mivec engine was released it had 200 bhp from a 2L so ~18 years later we've progressed precisely nowhere, and taken a step backward if one considers the 240 bhp, 2L that Honda fitted to the s2k.
The blurb is that they won't be going down the turbo route because they want the purity of the n/a set up - again I get it. Although with Subaru famous for turbo charged boxers - it does seem inevitable.
Now power isn't everything but check out the 0-60 times and you'll find that a photocopier salesman in a bog standard 320d will leave you in cloud of diesel particulate

The price, performance overall package just doesn't stack up for me ... Yet. Which is a disappointment as I really wanted to like it

[Mustang]

For instance a Porsche Cayman (and keep the extra 20K in your pocket) - http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3670277
Any extra running costs would be offset against much lower depreciation costs.

Snap. I had been looking at that one recently myself

How do Toyota feel about the car being in mondello, assuming we're thinking of the same person from Laois driving it?

Free advertising, so only a good thing. It wasn't on track, just parked.

Of course it wasn't....

[CJ]

check out the 0-60 times and you'll find that a photocopier salesman in a bog standard 320d will leave you in cloud of diesel particulate

OT but I often see them driven to bits on the motorway each day, why do they try so hard? I drove one for a while and didn't get it, anyway, I digress...

This Brief Autocar review is worth a read. The stats don't inspire me (neither do the MX-5's but the car does) but I'd be interested to get a shot in the cockpit, I reckon it could be a fulfilling drive despite some of the obvious drawbacks. Its been a while since we've seen an interesting coupe come out of Japan, from what I've read the aftermarket scene for this car has taken off big time, the magazines will be chock a block with them in no time. I'd like to see Best Motoring doing a track comparison between the 86 and its closest rivals, it would make for interesting viewing.

Edit: The quote from the review below takes a stab at addressing the power issue, I think it has merit.

It doesn't have buckets of power – its engine is just shy of 200bhp and you'll need to keep it above 4,500rpm to get the best of the engine – but there's more to having fun than mere power.

Don't get me wrong, the GT86 is fast enough, but its development team wanted to create a car for those who are bored with cars that are too powerful, have too much grip, cost too much and don't let the driver have any fun.

[optical illusion]

It wasn't on track. I was there all day. Losing your job is not worth going on track for, plus Mondello won't let you out unless you've paid and signed the paperwork.

It's in Evo magazine this month, against an old M3, DC2 and Clio RS.

[optical illusion]