Vid: Toyota 86 Track Launch

No car in recent memory has been as highly anticipated as the Toyota 86. It marks the long-awaited return of an affordable, rear-wheel-drive sports car. Everything you have heard about this car is true; it is the performance bargain we have all been waiting for.

Toyota launched the 86 like a true superstar with a full day of motorsport in the nation’s capital. Our evening before that was spent in the underground carpark of our hotel getting familiar with the fresh new Toyota.

Toyota Australia linked in with the Bates family, and invited Beau Yates along as a special guest host. The 86 draws on a legacy of Toyota sports cars like the Supra, MR2 and Celica GT-Four, but most notably it is the spiritual successor to the original AE86. Beau’s Sprinter above has dominated the Tectaloy International Drift Challenge for the last two years in a row.

Our launch program started with a drive from our hotel in the city through the Canberra hills to the Sutton Road Driver Training Centre; a multi-purpose facility made available to us for the whole day.

In attendance was a crew of journos from all over Australia. We were given access to 15 of the new 86s for testing across five different motorsport types.

Despite the number of years since Toyota have released a true sports car, they have a catalogue of spectacular machines that have excelled in race situations. The ex-WRC Corolla above is just one example.

One of the rarest and most important pieces of Toyota history is the 2000GT. This particular one was brought over from South Australia for us to take a look at. To say it was ahead of its time would be a massive understatement. This car is an engineering marvel, and Toyota has drawn on several styling cues from the 2000GT for the 86.

Before strapping ourselves behind the wheel, Toyota dropped the bombshell that the new 86 will be available from just $29,990. Toyota has delivered on their promise of a truly affordable and fun car.

Under the hood is a boxer motor developed in tandem with Subaru. The whole car has been a joint effort between the two companies. It’s a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine that makes 147kW and 205Nm of torque. The biggest feature is the FR layout making it a viable option for people who want to use this car as a platform for all kinds of motorsport.

For the price, the 86 is an extremely well specified car. It features all the standard features you would expect and the interior is a remarkably comfortable place to be.

Needless to say I was anxious to give the car a go and our first stop was the gravel flat track. Our test 86 was still on regular road tyres, so grip wasn’t easy to find, but the balance of the chassis was amazing.

Rick Bates was running the flat track stage and had his twin brother’s Celica standing by for us to admire.

Next stop was the Sutton Road circuit; a road track developed for training highway patrol police officers in car control.

Neal Bates had his own TRD 86 at the circuit for demonstration. The course runs over a series of elevation changes, off camber sections and generally challenging corners. I gave the 86 a good crack through the course and loved the car’s ability to hold in the corners and pull up well.

Chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada, was at the event to give us detailed information about the 86’s development. His passion came through with every word and his engineering skill is unquestionable. The 86 chassis is a masterpiece.

From the road circuit we moved to the motorkhana stage. Neal Bates’ son Harry is a motorkhana champ, so he ran us through what we needed to do. First gear was the name of the game, combined with good handbrake technique and maintaining a slide.

For an unmodified car, the 86 really is fun; so easy to drive aggressively and really responsive to every input. The factory torsen LSD hooks up well and getting sideways is effortless.

Beau Yates hosted the wet pan drifting and explained the technique for good control of the 86. Toyota supplied automatic models for the wet pan so keeping it in first was the only option, coupled with liberal use of the handbrake.

After splashing about for a while it was off to the final stage; the hillclimb track. This tight and challenging circuit was perfect for the 86. Blind corners and narrow tarmac kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s certainly not a hugely powerful car, but the harmony of everything keeps a smile on your face. Nothing about the car is mismatched.

You couldn’t go far without being reminded about Toyota’s ability to make an outstanding car. In years to come the 86 will still be a revered platform once people have developed them a specific purpose in mind.

Five awards were given out on the day, one for each stage. Beau Yates chose me as ‘Bates’ Best’ for the wet pan drifting – a real honour! I had a video camera with me for the whole day so below is a video of each stage including Rick Bates and Neal Bates doing their thing on the gravel flat track and road circuit respectively. Check it out!