Toyota 86. Don’t believe the hype. It’s that good. Dubai

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The internet hype has been working at overtime for so many months, it almost seems that Toyota 86 is due a mid-life refresh already. Expectations for this new, exciting, driver-focused Toyota are very high. And at long last, it’s here. The regional PR team has granted crankandpiston a very generous amount of time with the car that the auto world is calling a game-changer.

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The team first drove Toyota’s 86 on a racetrack in Abu Dhabi (You know the one, Yas Marina, the famous F1 circuit with a hotel in the middle of it). But my colleagues that attended indicated that although the event was great, a lack of seat time meant actual driving impressions were inconclusive. But now the keys are with us, and the mountains of the UAE await for us to generate a clearer picture. These are roads that will give us freedom, a full selection of (manual) gears to play with and some of the best roads known to man. It’s just a shame the mercury is rising as summer digs in. Oh well, we can’t have it our own way all the time. Let’s rock!

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What follows below is an account of an intense emotional rollercoaster ride. Expectations for the Toyota 86 had been set so high that some form of let down was almost inevitable. The way that everything transpired surprised me a little though.

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The initial face-to-face meeting is an interesting one. The Toyota 86 is tiny, properly dinky compared to the humdrum machines parked beside it at the crankandpiston car park and after a cup of teas worth of string I settle to the belief that it’s very tight and nicely proportioned car.

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The interior is a pleasant place to be, with some of the most comfortable and supportive seats we’ve experienced in a while. I love some of the simple touches, such as how the headrests are designed with a helmet-wearing driver in mind. This car really is built for you, the driver.

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We can’t honestly tell you the quality is on a par with the likes of Volkswagen or Audi (the usual benchmark), but it’s nicely bolted together, with soft touch plastics and leather in all the primary touch areas. Ergonomically it’s utterly superb, with the steering wheel, gear stick and pedals all in just the right place to let you get on with the actual driving.

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Time to hit the road and see what it’s all about then.

Categories: Road

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  2. Steve Smuts

    What about those people that want a manual full option 86? Isn’t it true that only the base model comes with an MT?

    • Phil McGovern

      Unsure at the moment Steve, however if there is very little demand for the full option manual, we can understand the dealer not bringing them in for stock. We are sure you could go and place an order for one though.

    • Phil McGovern

      We will upload the press shots into a separate gallery. Nothing from our side as it wasn’t really an event that favoured us taking pics.

      Hopefully, if we pull off our next article on the car, you’ll see plenty of Yas activity.

  4. YAS2000

    We need to see pictures of the Toyota GT 86 on the Formula 1 Track @ YAS Marina Circuit going side ways . i Just love seeing drifting on that beautiful F1 race track on YAS Island.

  5. Tom

    Have to agree with the post and Michael’s comments. The 86 is a nice little ‘learner’ car to get people into the real wheel drive mindset. Biggest issue for me is the over styling – those rear lights look cheap, the exhausts are tiny, and the fog light and rear diffuser are horrid. Clean up the back end and overall it would be very nice.

  6. Michael

    Its a fun little car….. it’s a bit of a “my first car was a Toyota 86, and it was great fun” kind of thing. I’d have loved one when I was 18 or 19, as it makes for a great entry level “sporty” car. Closing thoughts; modify for looks and not performance!