Ever since the Toyota 86 arrived on the automotive horizon, hyperbole and praise have flown thick and fast. And believe it or not, the aggrandising is entirely warranted in this instance; the 86 is a tyre-smoking, slidey panacea for the masses drowning in econo-box dreariness. We’re huge fans of this little Toyota, which unsurprisingly grabbed a record-breaking three accolades at our 2012 Car of the Year awards.
That said, hooning a car for a week is one thing, but living with it on an everyday basis is quite another. So it is with much anticipation that we welcome the Toyota 86 to our long-term garage.
Getting back in the familiar cabin reaffirms why it’s one of the best driver’s cars on the market today. From the seating position, the sparkly rear-wheel-drive chassis to the feelsome steering, the 86 is designed for committed drivers.
It’s not fast, though. The Subaru boxer engine develops 200bhp and despatches the 100kph run in an unspectacular 7.7 seconds. To put that into context the similarly priced Ford Focus ST will decimate the 86 in a straight line. Also, our tester’s six-speed manual gearbox has seen better days — something that’s expected in a car that’s been on the press fleet for nearly three months.
Speaking of transmission, the 86 is geared short, so your left-leg gets plenty of work out even on a reasonably open bit of road. Thankfully, the clutch is light, and the biting point is just right to make cog-swapping stress-free even in traffic.
Overall, it’s the car’s superb balance that impresses most. The 86’s ability to tackle corners in style, hanging its tail out every given chance, is incontrovertible. How it copes with the runs to the corner shop is what we want to know now. More next week.
