RE-WORKED

The Subaru developed 86 has been upgraded again by Toyota, its second fettling since it debuted in 2011. What have they done this time, you’re wondering? For the MY15 variant, Toyota has increased suspension rigidity and retuned the shockers to hone the handling further. We didn’t think anything was awry in this department, but you get the upgrade anyway. Toyota has shored-up the mounting points for the suspension rigidity here gives the suspenders a more stable foundation to work from and the mounting hardware has also been beefed up. The dampers have been revised to deliver a more consistent performance.

So how does it all go then? Without a back-to-back test it’s hard to tell as, like we said, we didn’t believe there was anything wrong with the way it handled in the first place. The GT86 we sampled has a sportscar-firm ride, particularly where speed bumps are concerned, and the steering is still as sharp as ever; the level of feedback when nearing the limit is a real highlight. We’d imagine those who buy a new 86 with track days in mind will really appreciate the upgrades, while those who buy one for the look would have liked to see some more beneficial upgrades, like a new infotainment unit with sat nav and a reversing camera as rearward vision is poor in the little 86.

And for those who commute in the manual version, a hill hold function would be nice. There are a few updates to the interior, none of any substance however. Both models receive a carbon fibre insert for the instrument panel, while GT86 buyers can choose to go red inside with coloured accents for the centre panel on the seats, parking brake lever, door handle grips, steering wheel and something called a ‘steering knob’. We guess the press release meant gear lever knob. In a way you can steer the 86 in more ways than simply using the tiller, like clutch kicking to try and break traction in the wet. For the train spotters other new bits include a ‘shark fin’ antenna, while the instruments in the 86 are upgraded to those used in the GT. If you were wondering what the initial upgrade involved, it was the fitment of a limited slip diff for MY13.

The GT86, at $47,486 is a fun drive but then so is the more useable $35k Ford Fiesta ST, which has more everyday torque too thanks to its turbocharger. The 86 however has no real competition in the marketplace, being a rear-drive sportster under $50k, at least not until the new Mazda MX-5 dots down here.