So far we have listened, read and seen all sort of stuff, but I firmly believe that there is nothing better than to experience first-hand a car (or whatever) in order to give our personal judgment on the basis of personal experiences. This is what I say when friends, relatives or random car guys ask me questions about a car rather than another and that’s what I particularly think about those most quoted models, which can gratify some and disappoint others. The Toyota GT86 (or Subaru BRZ) is one of these and its performance car’s recipe with a front boxer engine and rear-wheel drive has made the delight of driving enthusiasts, also thanks to a pretty affordable price tag.
Never as in this case, an hour of testing is extremely simplistic, but I also took the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of the 200hp Toyobaru trying to figure out if it is able to please me or not – in this case a few minutes would be enough, I’ve got 60 of ‘em, I’m gonna exploit them at the very best. We start with the fact that it is imperative to opt for the manual ‘box (6-speed) with that short and precise lever. Having established this, the 200hp delivered by its 2.0cc boxer unit are not many, and if the weight stops at 1240kg, the maximum torque does that at 205Nm, so believe me when I say that power is not enough. But you will love the weight balance, its sport-coupe look suitable for any occasion, the precision with which you can enter in corners at speed and play with the tail (as long as you push harder than usual). I would like a more rigid setting and possibly a few more horses (maybe a turbo too), at which point it would be a perfect driving companion. I do not mean it disappointed me, because I am one of the few who prefer fun and involvement rather than lap times on track or performance charts, but having to downshift every time I needed some “boost” more, annoyed a bit. The path taken is the right one, next time we’ll have a checkmate.
Words by Christian Parodi