Sporty 86 puts a smile on your dial
13 Nov 2014
Want a sexy boy-racer that's affordable, a barrel of fun to drive when it grows horns but also has a gentlemanly, fuel-sipping side and a ride comfortable enough to make it a pleasant daily commuter? Well, then the Toyota 86 might just be what you are looking for.
With this slinky two-door it's not so much the figures that count, but the manner in which they are served up.
For starters, the sporty Toyota is a really slick character dressed in all the right street-cred combat gear - a huge aerofoil stuck on its tail, sleek, low body lines, striking alloys wrapped in low-profile rubber, gaping air vents up front and two bazooka-sized chrome exhaust outlets sticking out at the back.
Let there be lights
Slide into the cockpit and the sportiness continues with attractive two-tone bucket seats, drilled metal pedals, a small steering wheel, chubby gear-lever and bright red gauge indicators that light up when you press the ignition button.
This is a Toyota glued and screwed together with one main aim - to deliver affordable driving fun.
Under the hood of our 86 Limited Edition, as on the other two models in the 86 range, the power factory is the same 147kW/205Nm 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated boxer engine that also provides the fun (and growl) in the Subaru BRZ.
Fast enough for a smile
However, in spite of having less punch on paper, the Toyota produces virtually identical 0-100km/h dash time and top speeds for both auto and manual versions.
But with this slinky two-door it's not so much the figures that count, but the manner in which they are served up and this the 86 does with aplomb. Although it isn't a wild hellcat tar-scorcher it is rapid enough to put a smile on your dial every time you feed it some high octane. It scoots out of the stalls at a rapid rate of knots and the six-speed manual shift is short, quick and precise. The suspension is nicely balanced between comfort and sporty and even on uneven patches of tar it never feels too taut or thumpy enough to shake out your fillings.
Lots of fun
The steering is fairly direct and the car behaves in a sophisticated manner even when being driven in hooligan fashion. The 86 clings to the tar and there is not even a hint of body lean, no matter how hard you fling it into a corner. To add to the fun, when you pour on the coals it is happy to go into tail-sliding mode, not with wild abandon, but in easy-to-control fashion.
This is a Toyota glued and screwed together with one main aim - to deliver affordable driving fun without causing credit card melt-down and as such it is difficult to beat, even if you weigh it up against contenders such as the Subaru BRZ, VW Scirocco, MINI coupe, Opel Astra GTC, or the Renault Megance Coupe.
The Toyota 86 models and prices, which include a four-year/60,000km service plan, are:
| 86 Standard | R329,700 |
| 86 High | R370,700 |
| 86 High Auto | R389,500 |
| 86 Limited Edition | R376,100 |
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More by Henrie Geyser: motoring editor
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- Cross-over Kia is a real cheerful Soul - 25 May 2015
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About Henrie Geyser: motoring editor
Henrie Geyser joined the online publishing industry through iafrica.com, where he worked for five years as news editor and editor. He now freelances for a variety of print and online publications, on the subjects of cars, food, and travel, among others; and is a member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists. moc.acirfai@geirneh