I drove over a hundred kilometres in one of Toyota’s best selling cars
to drive another car that has the potential to be a future best seller
for the Japanese giant. That’s right, I drove from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in
a Toyota Camry to get a first hand experience of the all new 2012 Toyota 86 on Yas Marina Circuit.
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UAE national drift champion Ahmed Al-Amri going sideways in a manual transmission Toyota 86
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I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t eagerly looking forward to
driving the new Toyota 86. Since the production version was unveiled in
2011, I have been closely following everything that’s going in in the
Toyaburu camp with respect to this jointly developed car. Ever since it
was unveiled as the FT-86 G Sports in Tokyo back in 2009, I was secretly
hoping for a Supra successor, a car that was one of the most accessible
sports cars of its generation and also one of the best when it came to
tuning prospects.
The Supra is a car I’ve always wanted but never had. Production ended
in 2002 and that pretty much wrapped up the sports car business for
Toyota. The last decade has seen Toyota mellow down with no proper rear
wheel drive sports car in its portfolio. The 86 was desperately needed,
it was something Toyota owed to the current crop of teenagers. The 86 is
to my younger brother what the Supra was to me and the Celica to my
father.
What we do know for a fact is that the Toyota 86 is built in a Subaru factory and the boxer engine is a hallmark Subaru product. Toyota has added its D-4S that features separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection, and a high 12.5:1 compression ratio that enhances performance and fuel efficiency. Then there is the ambiguity surrounding the gearbox with Toyota claiming it’s a modified version of the Lexus IS200 gearbox and Subaru claiming it’s a modified version of the Impreza gearbox. All this hints at how good this car is and its potential to become a runaway best seller with either manufacturer wanting most credit for it.
I couldn’t have asked for a better setting for a first drive in the Toyota 86. A racetrack was the best place Toyota could have chosen to launch this car. I looked forward to an entire day of driving a FR (front engine rear wheel drive) car like it was supposed to be driven and I was never going to get an opportunity to do that on public roads.
To be honest, the moment I saw it in flesh, it was love at first sight. It was the kind of love a millionaire would feel when he looked at the latest hyper car that he could just walk over and buy. Toyota has made it very clear that this is a car is built for youngsters and it certainly looks like something every youngster will fall in love with and is very affordable too. It’s low, has that beautifully sculpted body and just the right proportions. There is no ambiguity over who designed this car, it was Toyota and I must admit they have done an impressive job. The 86 measures 4,240mm long, 1,285mm high and 2,570mm wide, which make it the most compact four-seater sports car available today
The Toyota 86 is built on a completely new platform with a Subaru engine mounted as low and as close to the centre as possible. Subaru even bolted on a shallower oil pan to ensure optimum closeness to the ground. MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the rear provide ensure a well balanced handling and Toyota has opted for a softer front and a stiffer rear setup while Subaru has gone for the opposite with a softer rear and a stiffer front. Toyota has made no noise about this car’s straight-line performance because outright speed and mind numbing acceleration was never a priority and it was obvious on the long straight at Yas Marina.
Exiting the long sweeping right-hander onto the main straight, I followed the Toyota Aurion which was the pace car and that left the 86 biting the dust. The guys behind me thought I was slow and no good but to be honest, I had the pedal floored. The 2-litre boxer engine has its limitations and they were glaringly obvious on the track. It produces 200bhp at 7,000rpm and just 204Nm of torque at 6,400-6,600rpm. With peak power and torque being delivered such high up in the rev range, you really need to push the engine for any kind of serious drama. There is lots of noise from the engine and in the back of your mind you know you are in a sports car that has to perform but on the track, the stock setup isn’t all that mind blowing as you would expect.
The low centre of gravity at just 475mm off the ground and impressive grip from the 215/45 R17 tyres ensure that the 86 corners with minimal fuss and goes where you point it but somehow, the engine just doesn’t feel up to it. If I bought this car, I’d find ways to increase horsepower and torque and I’d do it fast.
We had a go on the track with traction control (VSC) in sports mode. What this mode does is lets you lose the tail a bit before applying corrections. With the default mode being super intrusive, those who want to exploit this car should familiarise themselves with the sport mode VSC. Six laps, each progressively faster than the other revealed a lot about this cars handling. The small (365mm) steering wheel is the smallest ever fitted to a Toyota and the whole steering setup feels well weighted and feedback is impressive. It’s not ultra-responsive but it feels reasonably precise and makes the whole car very flickable. Braking is sharp and there was no sign of fading under constant heavy braking. I did manage some sideways action with VSC in sports mode and the sport seats did a good job of holding everyone in place.
The transmission felt a bit lethargic on the track, especially while downshifting. There was this noticeable delay that you need to get over. Shifting via steering mounted paddles was fun but the slow response does bother you a bit. I wonder why Toyaburu didn’t opt for a dual clutch setup. Maybe it was the development cost or maybe it would ruin the setup but faster shifting would have certainly helped this car on the track. Power is distributed to the rear wheels via a mechanical limited slip differential and six-speed manual with a short throw is also available and future drift kings should take note of this.
There isn’t anything lacking in the interior in spite of this car’s ‘affordable’ tag apart from a large centre mounted screen that Toyota says will be added in the future. If you can’t wait then you can certainly go the aftermarket route. However, I think the top of the line variant should have had it along with navigation. The interior layout and build quality is top notch, business as usual at Toyota. The whole black leather with red stitching concept really works well to lend that air of sportiness. Carbon-effect trim, all-black roof lining, aviation-style rocker switches and lightweight, aluminium pedals feel very upmarket. I particularly loved the centre console. It has that charming old school look to it.
Priced from AED 95,000 to AED 125,000 the Toyota 86 is a steal. For most, this will be their first rear wheel drive car and I doubt it will be just the youngsters. Maybe its time I start thinking of those track days…
Specifications
Price as tested: AED 125,000
Price range: AED 95,000 – AED 125,000
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder Boxer
Layout: Front engine, rear wheel drive
Max power: 200bhp @ 7000rpm
Max torque: 204Nm @ 6400-6600rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic / 6-speed manual
Tyre size: 215/45 R17
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