The perfect blend between beauty and the beast
The ride is brilliantly smooth, even though the car remains rigid and agile while cornering. This is truly brilliant work from the chassis and suspension engineers of Toyota.
Review by Talha Randeree
Driving a sports car is always fun. Driving a sports car that costs less than half a million Rand, although a rare find, is pure bliss.
The Toyota 86 two-litre rear-wheeled, four cylinder naturally aspirated is a 147kW producing precision-beast. It is a petrol-head’s dream car. The engine is the same as the one used in the Subaru BRZ Boxter.
This car is all about fun!
When Toyota first introduced this car to the South African market, motoring journalists from around the country were invited to attend a special drifting class at an airport.
I can honestly see why they did this. The allure of drifting around a corner calls out to you when placed in the driver seat.
The only problem with this, is the car is simply so agile on the road and through the corners, it is hard to see the point of putting the car into a slide, unless you are willing to pay for possible damages. I wasn’t. But I did put the car through its paces.
I fell in love with this car from the word go.
The exterior is flashy and unique. It reminded me of a smiling child or playful puppy goading you into having some fun.
It is styled to look like a super car, and the looks are not compromised by the power beneath the hood.
The six-speed manual gearbox keeps on going. You accelerate, and there is a gear, you change up, and seconds later you hit the next gear.
There are two issues I had with the car. The 86 badges on each side of the car and on the carpets inside distract from the overall look of the car. Sure, it is meant to distinguish the car, but personally I think it makes the car look a bit too flashy and that is never a good thing with a sports car.
Secondly, the radio that comes with the standard car is disappointing and negatively impacts on the vehicle. In a car as brilliant as this, the top of the range Toyota systems should be standard, but then again, if you have the money to buy this car, a few extra bucks into the pile will not be any skin off your back.
This car is a pleasure to drive. The ride is brilliantly smooth, even though the car remains rigid and agile while cornering. This is truly brilliant work from the chassis and suspension engineers of Toyota.
Sure, making someone sit in the back would be reminiscent of medieval torture techniques, but who cares? When you smoothly exit a corner and leave cars behind in a cloud of dust, the pleasure you will feel will be unmarred, no matter the half-hearted protests from the passenger seats.
