Toyota GT86 review

NO CORNER TOO SCARY?

The 1240Kg GT86 reaches 60mph from zero in a claimed 7.6 seconds for cars with manual transmission and 8.4 seconds for those with automatic boxes. Our car was fitted with the six-speed automatic gearbox, and although we couldn’t test it scientifically, our experience seemed to echo the claimed figures. Our car was certainly quick, but it didn’t have the immediate acceleration that you expect from a car such as this and, while it goes against Toyota’s intentions for the car, it really would benefit from turbo-charging to give it some extra power when overtaking.

One thing’s for sure, the GT86’s handling is magnificent. We were unable to test it on a racetrack and instead drove it on regular roads within legal speed limits, but this is enough to show up the limits and driving characteristics of the cars we drive. With the GT86, we seemed to take every corner as if the car was on rails, which highlighted a timidity and good sense we didn’t know we had rather than the car’s limits. We could feel lateral G-force on some twists and turns, but the GT86 remained composed, as did we in the supportive leather seats. You can switch traction control off, which gave the car’s handling a rather ‘old-school’ feel.

The steering is nicely weighted and responsive, and the ride is comfortable, which means you’ll enjoy being in the GT86 whether you’re driving through country lanes, urban centres or motorways.

One reason for the GT86’s slightly underwhelming acceleration is its automatic transmission. The obvious advice would be to buy the manual version, and we really want to do that, but we can’t because the GT86’s six-speed auto box is a tech-lover’s dream. Not only does it have wheel-mounted paddle switches that let you switch gears manually in addition to the usual Drive and Reverse, you can also pull the stick to the right when in Drive to engage Manual mode, and this is what truly excites and shames us: Manual mode makes driving the GT86 just like driving an arcade machine.

Gear changes are made by moving the stick backwards and forwards, which feels more natural than using the paddles. More importantly, Manual mode also gives you more control over gear changes. Even though you can change gears in regular Auto mode using the paddles, which is handy for overtaking or dropping the gear when exiting a corner, the car soon decides that another gear is best and switches to it. This behaviour is great for motorway driving or moving in congested urban environments, but the extra control afforded by Manual mode is perfect for having fun on local roads.