Road Test: Toyota 86 2.0 High 6MT

Few cars have received such buildup, hype and promotion in 2012 as the Toyota 86. Scott Hayes isn’t a fan of marketing hype, but he is a fan of the Toyota 86.

From cut lines, shoulder lines, character lines, roof lines, belt lines and swage lines to production lines, car design is a fine line and the Japanese haven’t always excelled. World famous designers such as Peter Schreyer, Sir Alec Issigonis, Ian Callum, Malcolm Sayer, Sergio Pininfarina and Giorgetto Giugiaro, all have one thing in common. They are all Westerners and hail predominantly from the British Isles or Continental Europe.

While Western car design focuses on drawing together proportions, lines, surfaces, and details, the Japanese do the same, only from an entirely different perspective. With terms like ‘mizuhiki’, ‘engawa’ and ‘wabi-sabi’, the Japanese are inspired by anything from the art of tying knots, to the space between things and even things which are incomplete or transient. It’s all rather abstract and the results can often reflect that; at least in the early days of the Japanese car industry it did.

In Toyota’s case, and specifically with their sports cars, the company managed to find global appeal with the design of its 2000GT in 1967, which borrowed influence from the iconic Jaguar E-Type. The same can be said of the new Toyota 86, in the way that it has been welcomed with open arms throughout the world and has drawn on Toyota’s past design successes, such as the 2000GT and Supra; themselves examples of Anglo-Japanese styling.

Fang-like lines in front, together with a wide lower grille and sharp HID headlamps with LEDs, give the 86 an assertive look, while the side profile cements the sleek, sports coupe image. Appreciable Japanese detailing is present in the aerodynamics, such as the dented contour on the ‘pagoda’ roof, stabilising fins of the taillights, while a smooth underbelly and pronounced rear diffuser smooth airflow beneath the vehicle.

In ‘High’ specification the Toyota 86 affords the driver and passenger luxuries such as heated seats, dual-zone climate control, an analogue and digital speedometer, as well as combination cloth and leather seats. Toyota say seating is for four, but access to the rear is a squeeze and proved useful only for carting bulkier personal items, like jackets, laptop bags, etc. This isn’t a car for practicalities though and there are more important issues at hand, like the driving position.

It’s well laid out, the seat and steering wheel offer enough adjustment, and the gear level and handbrake are just a flick of the wrist away from one another. The pedals are dead ahead and well weighted in their various duties, but I had one criticism of the accelerator, which for my preference should extend closer towards the driver so that there is less of a stretch between it and the brake when heel-toeing. All-round visibility is also very good, considering the low seating position, and the bulges over the front wheel arches add to the sports car experience, adding to the low slung feeling while also subconsciously helping to place the car on the road.

That task is the responsibility of the fantastic chassis, which has been fine tuned to deliver a very specific driving experience. The rear-wheel drive layout lends itself to hooliganism and there’s little skill in dropping or dipping the clutch and getting a wriggle on as you add a little spice to your daily driving routine. It’s when you start stitching corners together, however, that you start to appreciate the effort that’s gone into the development of the 86.

First of all, it’s balanced. The 86 has a weight distribution of 53:47 front to rear. The Subaru flat-four engine was chosen for its low centre of gravity and in the same vain, the driver’s seat is the lowest of any Toyota production car. Then there is the suspension. Independent all-round, with spring and damper rates that provide a taught ride, but not a jarring one, especially in terms of high-speed damping which remains progressive. Finally, 17-inch wheels with Michelin Primacy 215/45 profile tyres have been chosen for their ‘adequate’ levels of grip for duty beneath the 86. Their hard compound and rigid tread pattern means durability and all-weather appeal, but also less heat and less grip for spirited driving.

Toyota engineers have managed to direct these components – the chassis, suspension and tyres – into a sublime amalgam for accessible driving fun. With the traction control set to off, the limited-slip differential is free to help 86 fire out of corners with an angle of opposite-lock directly proportional to your steering and throttle input. Said another way, it’s predictable in the way it delivers its power to the road. This is a key element in the success of the 86 as a sports car, because it allows the driver a sense of control and the ability to extract more enjoyment as he/she becomes more confident.

In the same way that the car behaves in a specific rear-wheel drive manner when climbing on the throttle, it has also been admirably tuned to provide a stable front-end, whether under braking or carrying higher corner entry speeds. Once again, this inspires confidence. Knowing that you can rely on the front-end grip to always point the car where you want to go, allows you to concentrate on the rear wheels and the ability to feel and direct their response with both throttle and steering actions. This is purist driving fun and is the essence of communication between car and driver.

The final piece of the puzzle is the engine. Many have said they’d like more power, but with 147 kW and 205 Nm of torque, the 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder aligns suitably with the 86’s goals. The only provisory is that the engine needs to spin to 7 000 r/min for maximum power and 6 400 r/min for maximum torque. This means that the 86 is best enjoyed with the rev needle pointing skywards, but thankfully the boxer engine is smooth in this respect and imparts a sense of robustness.

The same can be said for the 6-speed manual gearbox which needs to be worked to keep the car on the boil. Around town the shift requires purposeful direction and can feel a little awkward in its action at times, but once speeds increase, it’s well matched to a more aggressive driving style. Although it sounds absurd for a sports car that is intended to deliver a visceral experience, for everyday driving, the 6-speed automatic has its place.

Otherwise, the engine and manual transmission feel built to last, as does the whole car in fact, which means your levels of mechanical sympathy can be toned down, safe in the knowledge that you are piloting the lovechild of two of the world’s most reliable brands.

The Toyota 86 is an excellent example of the sports car ethos and captures the thrill of driving as such. It’s not for everyone though. As a daily drive it could have a slicker interior, more fluid gear shift action, a touch more cargo space and a better finished boot. As an entry-level, seat-of-your pants, smile-on-your-face sports car, however, there’s nothing to touch it for the money (just yet).

What we like…

• Chassis balance.
• Suspension tuning for rear-wheel drive fun at relatively mundane speeds.
• Sense of reliability from engine, gearbox and interior materials.

What we would like…

• Softer touch and slightly more premium interior trim.
• A space saver spare wheel that fits below the floor of the boot.
• More insulation in the boot, as we heard one too many rattles.
• To try the automatic.

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