Toyota GR86
REPORT 3
£29,995/£30,960 as tested/£295 pcm
WHY IT’S HERE
Drifting’s great, but is Toyota’s RWD hero also a great daily?
DRIVER
Ollie Kew
I’VE HEARD (FROM MY ELDERS) THAT ONE OF THE SIGNALS YOU’RE Offcially Getting Old reveals itself when it’s been chucking it down overnight. You wake up in the morning, draw back the curtains, and instead of grumbling “FFS, it’s raining. That’ll ruin my exciting devil-may-care plans today”, you exclaim “Oooh, it’s raining. That’ll be good for the garden.”
If you’re not reading this in Britain, then I’m not sure how I can express to you how often it rains here. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Christmas Day or the August bank holiday. It’s. Always. Raining. Most of the truisms about Britain aren’t true: we don’t all go to Buckingham Palace for afternoon tea and some of us aren’t equipped with horrendous troll teeth and scurvy from birth. But we are always damp. And stood perma-scowling at the clouds.
However, I’m pleased to report there is a lifehack to remain young at heart and pleased – no, delighted – if it’s tipping it down. You could daily drive a Toyota GR86.
I’m fairly confident that of the 70-odd million people currently pretty upset with the washout summer being drizzled over the British Isles, I’m the most pleased about it. Cricket fans are cross and holidaymakers are fuming. But I’m beside myself with glee. Wake up in the morning, draw back the curtains, and giggle, “Yay, it’s raining. The little Toyota will feel like it’s got seven hundred brake horsepower.”
When it’s wet, the uncannily friendly balance of the GR86 is on a plate to enjoy. Empty roundabouts and quiet T-junctions become playgrounds. The speeds are always low, the jeopardy minimal, and it is an absolute riot in the wet. A nigh-on perfect gateway into the world of rear-wheel drive. And this gets to the heart of what’s so clever about the GR versus the old GT86.
With that car, Toyota sought to deliberately limit its grip by fitting Prius eco tyres which helped the miserable torque output unstick the back end. Ingenious. But the wooden tyres also hobbled the front end, spoiling braking and turn-in. Standard fit for UK bound GR86s are Michelin’s Pilot Sport 4S tyres. It’s Max Verstappen distilled into rubber form. Incredibly consistent, a genius in the rain, and never seems to get worn out. Very lovely.
But constant downpours have exposed
