less wheel, more tyre.

chiefgrooveguru – Member
Can I have a 5-door hatchback wife-approval-friendly version please?

I’m also waiting for that version and for it to appear on the low tax, ecomotive/blue-motion diesel company car list. It wasn’t on there last time I checked, though…

I really applaud Toyota and Subaru for making this car, and going against the modern tradition which is to make cars heavier, with more outright grip but numb and dull as a result. The GT86 is a breath of fresh air and anyone saying it should have more power is totally and utterly missing the point.

The most fun I’ve ever had in a car was my old 205 Gti 1.6. Only 115hp (and wrong wheel drive according to those that have closed minds) but so connected, so alive. The GT86 would seem to be of similar ilk. Lightweight, adjustable, communicative and take it to the countryside and you’ll be having far more fun than people in cars costing three times the amount, and with three times as much power.

As for that chap suggesting that his Golf R32 was the last word in fun and performance, has he read any of the reviews of the R32 in the motoring press? It would seem not.

As is the case with the R32 (and many other modern cars) many people seem to confuse outright grip and speed with ‘handling’. Whereas handling is much more subtle than that. It’s about adjustability, feedback from the chassis and steering, and that feeling of flow that you get when pressing on. In that respect, Renaultsports range of products would run rings round any Golf in terms of sheer fun factor and handling finesse. In fact (despite being wrong wheel drive) they would run rings handling wise round most of the current crop of rear wheel drive cars, BMW included.

Well done Toyota for making this car. Lets hope other manufacturers are brave enough to follow their lead and ditch outrageous performance figures and Nurburg ring times in search of something that is actually lightweight, nimble and fun to drive all of the time.

Going for a test drive in one next weekend. Can’t wait and will report back.

So much blasphemy on this thread. Please stick to RWD comparisions and stop bringing in inferior “handling” ideas such as combining the steering with the driven axles. There are some good 4wd cars out the with rear bias but they are still spoiled 😆

I also applaud Toyota and Subaru for this and hope it brings further affordable fun cars to the market instead of the utter boredom out there.

I think this version would be good, no spoiler and black steel wheels:

It probably wouldn’t sell well in the UK, though.

A guy I worked with had a very modern car, but made like one of those 1920’s soap dishes with pram wheels. He reckoned that was immense fun. (When he said tyres were tricky to get someone quick as a flash suggested mothercare! 😆 )

I think such cars can use old-style motorbike tyres.