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.
