The new Toyota 86 - The Fun is back in a big way!
The Toyota 86 is quite the car. It has gained an almost cult like status before even being released, and one could quite honestly say it is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated "mainstream" car launches in the last decade.
The 86 is a game changer. It is a pure "drivers car" that combines the very best of technology with an affordability quite unmatched by anything else so exciting.
At a starting price of $41986 for the off the shelf 86, it is cheaper than a lot of family sedans, sporty hatches or entry level SUV's, but plays well outside of it's class according to a lot of motoring journalists and car enthusiatists.
This section of the news pages are devoted to the 86.
Join us as we eagerly await it's arrival, and then enjoy the car like it was always designed to be driven......
CAR's Magazine's Toyota 86 Track Test
South African race driver Deon Joubert shakes down a Toyota 86 at Killarney before discussing the finer points of the newcomer with South African auto magazine "CAR's" Juliet McGuire and a very grumpy Ian McLaren.
If you like to see an expert drift an 86 with glee, check out this video, with superb in-car commentary and trackside footage too!
This is what this whole car is about - fun, it is funny how many times the test driver uses the term. And check out his smile!
The end result for the review......
Bowater's 86 TRD Project. Safety First. New feet.
With our new Toyota 86 demo car safely tucked away in the showroom and looking all shiny and new, we thought we would make our own unofficial TRD version by adding a whole lot of official TRD (Toyota Racing Development) parts to our 86.
We have done this for a couple of reasons. Firstly because this car is so cool it just deserves to have the best we can give it. Secondly it allows us to showcase what our mechanics and the entire Bowater Toyota Parts and Service department can do for you and your car. Not only can we source some amazing parts and after market accessories, but we can fit them for you properly as well, saving you the headache as we have done it all before!
Stage 1: Brake Upgrades.
We thought this was the obvious place to start. We are not race drivers, but we do love to drive. Safety first. Lets get some monster brakes on this beast to slow us down in a hurry if need be in the event we overcook something.
The TRD Brake Kit is very impressive, and at $12,750 it is a very worthwhile upgrade when you see the differences in the photo below.
The vented brake dsic of the TRD set is massive compared to the standard 86 supplied brakes.
86 Launch - Race Legend Neal Bates on the 86
Australian Rally Legend Neal Bates tells us what he thinks about the Toyota 86 as he puts it through its paces on launch day at Hampton Downs Raceway.
Did you catch the bit where he says the Toyota 86 is so good he had to buy one for himself!
Crossing the European continent in the GT86
Continental Drift!
Nino Karotta crosses Europe in a Toyota GT86 to put it up against his now "vintage" AE86 on a racetrack to see how they compare.
This is the ultimate road trip.
Unlike most of the video reviews of the 86 we've seen so far, this one delves well beyond the fact sheet to give us a glimpse of what the car is actually like to operate. Karotta takes the GT 86 from the twisting mountains of France across Germany via the Autobahn and into Austria for a date with his own AE86.
With a stellar soundtrack, beautiful videography and insightful commentary, the video is what all reviews should strive to be. How does the newcomer stack up against its ancestor? We won't spoil it for you.
Check out the clip below. You'll be glad you took the time.
