A pistonheads email had me looking and pondering one of these. I’m not particularly a car person these days, prefer my motorcycle and the car is normally a perfunctory transport tool but I’m quite taken with the premise of the car and it doesn’t even seem that expensive in the current market. Practicalities are a wee bit stretched mind you as I’d occasionally have to occasionally have the kids in the back seats.

Anyone else considering one? Any owners of the old one? Does this solve some of the issues with the original? Seem to recall some people on here with one.

Surely with your extended vocabulary an Austin Healey would be better?

Kids in the back are fine, kids in the boot is frowned upon alas.

Is Subaru still involved with them? If so, check the specs and prices as the Subaru version might be a better buy…

I’ve always like the idea of the GT86 and the GR86 is supposedly better in a couple of ways.

I also have to applaud Toyota for it, I love the way it causes the absolute worst kind of Car freaks to completely lose their minds because it’s ‘performance stats’ are modest and not another 600bhp all wheel drive monster that makes you top dog in the PH forum or Golf Club Bar.

I’ve always wanted one, but they’re just not practical enough for me.

I believe they come off the same production line, subaru engine, with toyota vvt system to boost power.
I’d prefer the subaru cos it’s rarer though.

The Subaru version won’t be sold in the UK this time.

The Subaru version isn’t coming to the UK, we’re not getting quite a few new performance cars, the Nissan 400Z or the Corolla GR

Opening PCP deals look okay if you aren’t doing too many miles.

£299 a month/700 miles a month over 40 months. I’d assume that’s base price before options, dealer add ons etc.

The thread under the article on Pistonheads will give you more details and opinions

I’m out of touch, I didn’t realise we were discussing a new version, sorry.

I like them – they look like my kind of car, front engine, rear wheel drive, no turbo. They seem to have addressed all the criticisms of the old car, so it should be great.

Could see me getting one at some point – but I said that about the GT86 and never got round to it.

I’ve got a MX5nd atm and find it a bit impractical on occasions so will test the GR86 but can’t see it being as great to drive as the Mazda, topless shenanigans an obvious bonus.

A mate bought a GT86 a couple of years ago. It’s a car I’d been lusting after myself for quite a while tbh and he really enjoyed driving it but traded it in for a Golf R estate as that was more practical for MTBing.

This new one should be a hoot too.

I like that, not a crazy price either (when a sodding ford focus is £25k…).

£299 a month/700 miles a month over 40 months. I’d assume that’s base price before options, dealer add ons etc.

The way I’ve read it, there basically aren’t any options. You get what you get.

If I had the money I’d be all over this. 4 seater mx5 (with a roof, but hey). They look great, decent amount of power, focus on handling.
Gt86s/BRzs are holding their value very well. No 90s JDM plummeting values, which is a shame for paupers like me.
Cheaper than the GR Corolla, which we’re not getting anyway.

Only option is automatic and some of the colours are extra, black is standard everything else attracts a premium.

I’ve literally just got in from a test drive in a GT86. It’s got half the power of my current car (a supercharged Lotus Evora).

I absolutely loved it. The Evora will be going this summer regardless, but a GT86 will replace it.

• Small enough to razz down country lanes comfortably.
• Slidey enough to have fun at fairly low speeds
• Fast enough (I thought I’d find it too slow, but in reality you’re still breaking the speed limit easily, and get a few more seconds to enjoy it compared to my slightly silly Lotus at the moment)
• Fold the rear seats down and a bike will go in the back
• Boxer engine sounds good too

GR86 will no doubt be even better. A lot of car for the money. I always buy 2nd hand cars but can see myself wanting a GR86 in the future.

The only thing I didn’t like in the GT was the pedal feel. As in, there isn’t much of it. I thought the clutch was broken it was so light!

GR86 is available for just under £30k manual and a bit more for the auto. At the moment I think the colours are the only thing you can pay to change.

I fancy one but my last new car sat on the drive for a year doing nothing. I’d rather have a Yaris but I can’t stretch to the inflated “beat the waiting list” prices.

I’d never normally consider a new car but all the stuff I really like (80’s and 90’s turbo nutter stuff) is completely unobtainable.

Another issue is that interesting cars don’t depreciate anymore. I’d love a newish Focus ST but they’re well over 30k which is just a pee take. Everything is upside down.

I’d never normally consider a new car but all the stuff I really like (80’s and 90’s turbo nutter stuff) is completely unobtainable.

I’m the same, modern cars by and large don’t really float my boat, haven’t really cared what I’ve been driving since I sold my Capri! This however is very appealing in an almost like a Capri way though I’d imagine it might handle a bit better.

I actually started out in a Capri! A 1.6 Laser that cost £600 and it was worth every penny but not a penny more. I also achieved ‘peak Capri’ with a 24v Cosworth version and uprated everything. Almost swapped it for an Escort Cosworth but it was the most disappointing car I’d ever driven.

This is before everything went berserk. It used to be fun just trying a bit of whatever you fancied for a few grand and then passing it on.

Balls to it, I might just YOLO it and order a GR86. It’ll probably be my last fossil burner anyway.

My peak Capri was my 280. Sold it for an absolute pittance and really don’t like thinking about it too much tbh.

Helped a mate buy a GT86 last year. He gets his two kids in easily enough, one in front passenger seat moved forward a bit, one behind them. As a 2+2 with taller people it doesn’t really work. In my normal driving position there no foot room behind.

Rear seats fold but saloon style boot so you’re posting a bike in through a small opening.

At £30k I think that’s cheaper than some of the tin top mx5 models.

I think the day after they start arriving they’ll be on ebay for 40k so if you really want one you’ll have to actually get in the queue.

almost like a Capri way though I’d imagine it might handle a bit better.

A bit, he says! 🤣

At least it doesn’t require the bag of cement in the boot as an optional extra!

I love that they’re just sort of defiantly doing a thing that the entire rest of the car industry (except I suppose Mazda) has decided is stupid, and succeeding at it, and now it seems doing it again and doing it better.

OTOH I can never quite stop thinking “how good would that be with the exact 280bhp twinscroll boxer out of my 15 year old legacy in it”. I get the “less power is more” argument, I’m just not really convinced it’s true. Arguably the fatter torque of the twinscroll might make it less involving… After all nothing makes top end feel good better than a big contrast.

I run an old gt86, gr86 is effectively a facelift with a bigger engine, so practicalities are the same.

Back seats are good but legroom is an issue if the front seat occupant is tall. I’m 6’2 my wife is 6′ and we can get our kids (5 and 3) in too but it’s a bit of a squish. As a 1+2 (kids behind each other) there’s plenty of space. It’d probably be easier with kids who didn’t need a booster as their feet can go under the seat in front.

Large, long low slack trail bike can go in with just the front wheel off but it’s a bit of a faff, easier with both wheels or a pedal off. 8′ surfboard goes in fine.

Lovely to drive, slides around, fast enough for me. I used to have an mx5 and after that a 944s2, I think it’s the best of all of them. I won’t be buying a gr86 but only because I don’t have the £23k to upgrade. A 10 year warranty makes it a great shout.

The gt86 has a bit of a dead spot in its torque between 3 and 5k rpm, so it feels a bit lifeless in semi-spirited driving. Mooching around or ragging it’s fine, it just means it’s 2nd gear for getting out of b road corners instead of 3rd. Fortunately the gearbox is a peach. The gr86 has a smaller deadspot but also 20% more torque throughout so I imagine it feels more responsive. Superchargers are available if you want

@5slab if you took pedals off, do you think 2 bikes in the back is doable?

Just been having a quick look, quite frankly I can’t get excited about it.

Slightly more performance, other than that not much different. Probably makes a good sports car better, but doesn’t make it a great sports car.

I’d stick with a MX5 or if it has a roof a GR Yaris

Just been having a quick look, quite frankly I can’t get excited about it.

I feel the same – it looks quite dated and not a very visually exciting design. It also looks like the designers took a bit of MX5, some TT, a dose of RX-8, mixed in some F-Type then diluted the resulting design with a splash of Mondeo.

It also looks like the designers took a bit of

and Lexus. it looks to me like a scaled down RC. i preferred the look of the GT86 it was less of a “gateway to better things” and more of it own machine.

Yeah, I definitely preferred the 86. TBH I can’t quite put my finger on why, it’s just a more cohesive looking thing. (I was completely convinced it was the rear end shape, but after giving it a proper long hard stare, it’s not that- it’s just something about the whole car makes me feel like the rear end looks really different!)

But then what do I know, I have an NC MX5 and nobody likes how they look.

and Lexus.

True – but I guess that’s because the Toyota designers could nip next door to the Lexus design team’s office and nab a few sketches 🙂

But then what do I know, I have an NC MX5 and nobody likes how they look.

i do!

but I guess that’s because the Toyota designers could nip next door to the Lexus design team’s office and nab a few sketches

that’s my objection. though i believe the vents in the side of the GR are actual vents

Well it looks like the decision was taken out of my hands anyway, would appear that the 2022 allocation has been sold in around an hour and a half. There was a couple of things that should have been deal breakers, not least fitting the kids in the back occasionally and also my aversion to PCP.

Back to motorcycles it is then.

As for the other cars mentioned above, all interesting but none would have had me reaching for my wallet.

Anyone know why this is sold in UK, yet the GR Corolla isn’t?

Like the looks of the GR86 but too impractical for mtb duties so a GR Corolla would have been a perfect jack-of-all trades as the GR Yaris is too small but guess what, not coming to UK…aarrggghhh!

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Never mind, just wait a couple of years and pick one up for two thirds of the RRP.

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