Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

Thanks for all the photos and info God_speed. What is the quality of the interior like? I was in a new Prius about 2 years ago and it looked really dodgy to me. As that is coming from a VL owner/devotee that is quite a strong criticism :)

The parcel shelf brake light might be a Toyota Australia addition, I'll have a look the next time I see a JDM one, might be a while though as they aren't too common although I did see a orange/bronze one yesterday.

You're right, it depends on what you're used to. There are certain things which make it seem cheap, like some of the switchgear, and the door cards and faux carbon dash are quite hard plastic. But the bits that you actually touch frequently are fine; the wheel is leather (as well as the gearknob and handbrake lever) and there's a nice pad around where your left knee braces against the dash; that was a nice surprise as I leaned into a corner and I suddenly noticed it. You make a good point on the ADM aspect of the rear centre stop light - you'd think they could do a better job than that!

And Aussie buyers should be thanking us and our focus group participants... one of the original interior plans was for the steering wheel, handbrake lever and gearknob to be covered in red leather - which unsurprisingly got a panning from 95% of people we spoke to. The black leather with red stitching we ended up with is nice.

  • Replies 355
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Been following this since they released the concept and being a previous ae86 owner I think it's awesome! Who cares about 1/4 mile times, this car was made to drive around the mountains. Mum is taking one for a test drive tomorrow after a bit of convincing from me and my brothers, next we will start working on the supercharger, any ideas on how to sell it?

went and had a close up look at a gts at our local toyota dealer. looks alot nicer in the flesh than on paper. ALOT smaller than i thought it would be. i was quite shocked. im not sure if it was just this dealer, or australia wide, but the waiting list for a gt86 manual (the base model) is f**kIN AGES!!

went and had a close up look at a gts at our local toyota dealer. looks alot nicer in the flesh than on paper. ALOT smaller than i thought it would be. i was quite shocked. im not sure if it was just this dealer, or australia wide, but the waiting list for a gt86 manual (the base model) is f**kIN AGES!!

Basically Australia wide; but the waiting list for the GTs (base grade) is shorter than for the GTSs. There are even fewer BRZs allocated for Oz so they're in even shorter supply.

Seen one today being punted around eastern creek GP circuit.

I'll post up its time when NATSOFT updates.

It was 100% stock.

That will be interesting Mark. An Autocar article I read on the weekend put the 86 a second or so behind a Mk VI GTi around a dry circuit, they said its torque deficit was the main reason for it being slower. It's supposed to be pretty well balanced on the track.

I had a silver one in our yard the other day, took it for a spin it is a lot smaller than it appears on paper as people have been stating. It's got guts but it's by no means what i'd call a fast car..

86's are on back order til January 2013, BRZ was COMPLETELY sold out in 3 HOURS on the market online and they're on back order until Jan-Feb 2013 too. Toyota is going to sell a shit load of these cars.

Thanks for all the photos and info God_speed. What is the quality of the interior like? I was in a new Prius about 2 years ago and it looked really dodgy to me. As that is coming from a VL owner/devotee that is quite a strong criticism :)

The parcel shelf brake light might be a Toyota Australia addition, I'll have a look the next time I see a JDM one, might be a while though as they aren't too common although I did see a orange/bronze one yesterday.

Checked a JDM 86 today and it looks like they have the same parcel shelf brake light.

Edited by *LOACH*
  • 4 months later...

Looks like the 86 just scooped the Drive COTY award for 2012 (base GT version was tested and just pipped Subie's more highly specced, but higher-priced BRZ).

Seeing quite a few of them on the road now too! The orange colour looks the goods I think.

I test drove one with a good mate a few weeks ago. I think it was the GT model. I'd buy one as a daily if I had the money. Yes they're a bit down on power but in real world terms they're as quick as hot hatches, which is plenty fast for a daily driver. And they use little fuel, have small (read: cheap) tyres, Toyota quality, and excellent handling. The reality is a car like the 86 can be driven hard and with a lot of fun on the road while staying within speed limits. Compare that to the average Skyline, where you floor the throttle for three seconds only to find you're in lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key territory.

  • 3 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • I got back to Japan in January and was keen to get back on track as quickly as possible. Europe is god-awful for track accessibility (by comparison), so I picked up a first-gen GT86 in December just to have something I could jump into right away. The Skyline came over in a container this time and landed in early January. It was a bit battered after Europe, though—I refused to do anything beyond essential upkeep while it was over there. The clutch master cylinder gave out, and so did the power steering. I didn’t even bother changing the oil; it was the same stuff that went in just before I left Japan the first time. Naughty. Power steering parts would’ve cost double with shipping and taxes, so knowing I’d be heading back to Japan, I just postponed it and powered through the arm workout. It took a solid three months to get the car back on the road. Registration was a nightmare this time around. There were a bunch of BS fees to navigate, and sourcing parts was a headache. I needed stock seats for shaken, mistakenly blew 34k JPY on some ENR34 seats—which, of course, didn’t fit—then ended up having the car’s technical sheet amended to register it as a two-seater with the Brides. Then there’s the GT86. Amazing car. Does everything I want it to do. Parts are cheap, easy to find, and I don’t care what anyone says—it’s super rewarding to drive. I’ve done a few basic mods: diff ratio, coilovers, discs, pads, seat, etc. It already had a new exhaust manifold and the 180kph limiter removed, so I assume it’s running some kind of map. I’ve just been thrashing it at the track non-stop—mostly Fuji Speedway now, since I need something with higher speed after all that autobahn time. The wheels on the R34 always pissed me off—too big, and it was a nightmare getting tires to fit properly under the arches. So I threw in the towel and bought something that fits better. Looks way cleaner too (at least to me)—less hotboy, less attention-seeking. Still an R34, though. Now for future plans. There are a few things still outstanding with the car. First up, the rear subframe needs an overhaul—that’s priority one. Next, I need to figure out an engine rebuild plan. No timeline yet, but I want to keep it economical—not cutting corners, just not throwing tens of thousands at a mechanic I can barely communicate with. And finally, paint. Plus a bit of tidying up here and there.  
    • Nope, needed to clearance under the bar a little with a heat gun, a 1/2" extension as the "clearancer", and big hammer, I was aware of this from the onset, they fit a 2.0 with this intake no problems, but, the 2.5 is around 15mm taller than a 2.0, so "clearancing" was required  It "just" touched when test fitting, now, I have about 10mm of clearance  You cannot see where it was done, and so far, there's no contact when giving it the beans Happy days
    • It's been a while since I've updated this thread. The last year (and some) has been very hectic. In the second-half of 2024 I took the R34 on a trip through Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland - it was f*cking great. I got a little annoyed with the attention the car was getting around Europe and really didn't drive it that much. I could barely work on the car since I was living in an inner-city apartment (with underground parking). During the trip, the car lost power steering in France - split hose - and I ended up driving around 4,000kms with no power steering.  There were a few Nurburgring trips here and there, but in total the R34 amassed just shy of 7,000kms on European roads. Long story short, I broke up with the reason I was transferred to Europe for and requested to be moved back to Japan. The E90, loved it. It was a sunk cost of around EUR 10,000 and I sold it to a friend for EUR 1,500 just to get rid of it quickly. Trust me, moving countries f*cking sucks and I could not be bothered to be as methodical as I was the first time around.
    • I assume clearances were all a-okay?
    • Shock tower brace is in +5Kw....LOL  
×
×
  • Create New...