I have had my Toyota GT86 for about three years now. Over the years prior, I have been on a mission to down-size the cars I drive. I have gone from a monster of a Ford Falcon to an all-wheel twin-turbo half boy-racer, half sophisticated family-man Subaru Liberty to a mundanely below average Ford Focus to a brilliantly cheerful Jack Russell Terrier…my 86.

When it was first announced, I am guessing 2011-12ish, my impression of it was that it looked a little like a cheap hot wheels car; the ones that kids would get if the choice was between getting that or nothing. My Focus, which was meant to be a gap filler for a few months, became my run around for nearly 3 years. I loved the concept of the 86; way to show those stupidly expensive European rear wheelers, “baby I don’t need dollar bills to have fun tonight.” But I wasn’t ready…and I needed some dollar bills; not a lot but some, and a bit more convincing.

In the end, Top Gear sold me the 86. After watching Jeremy Clarkson effortlessly sliding the car around in what he called “sideways at very non-threatening speeds” and being an absolute child with it, it was like Inception. An idea took hold and I knew I needed one; YES, I NEEDED! And after a deal was cut with the wife that I would sell my beloved Honda CBR250RR (sitting idly in the garage, lazing away), I signed with blood and salary-saving-tax-money and I have loved it ever since. Keep reading if you want to know why.

The Looks

Admittedly, what used to be my least favourite-ish part of the car, but the looks grow on you. This thing is like a child. As much as all parents will never admit to even thinking their kid may look somewhat on the average side, they still love that kid (usually). Most critics of the 86 will comment on first glance but that’s not what we are about here on this blog are we? This is about how it makes us feel over time.

What surprised me most are the curves and edges that you don’t immediately see the first time round. You really have to live with it to understand. Unless you have hawk-like observation skills, you will find out as time passes that the 86 has a nice wide rear end. You will also notice that, the front looks a bit like a hamster but change your viewing angle slightly and you will start to see some striking jet fighter like edges (ok maybe not quite but still sharp!). Eventually, you will also see that because the engine is mounted low, the headlights come up slightly on either side in a cutely menacing kind of Porsche-like manner.

I didn’t go for the “look-at-me” spoiler, which I think takes away from the curves at the rear end. And I know a lot of people are going to say then it doesn’t look the part of a boy-racer, I just don’t need that kind of drama in my life. I am quite happy being wingless.

The Go

Ok, so the go is not so go-y; compared to my ECU flashed twin-turbo face ripping serial killer Liberty. But it’s not bad. It can pull away rather nicely when it needs to. Sure, sometimes I lose to grandmas driving Honda Jazzes but a Jazz isn’t as fly in the bends.

With the traction control on, this thing is as sure-footed as a well-rested mountain goat. Trust me, I tried; with a good set of Pirelli Dragon tyres, this thing just does not want to let go. And with the factory strut braces, it has almost no body roll; I honestly did not expect this kind of handling from a sub $45K car.

Let the traction control go and it’s a different machine altogether. I am not into the whole hooning scene, so my sideways anecdotes are a little less appealing but ear-to-ear-smile-making nonetheless. It is that easy to slide for someone with some practice and control. I will not get into detail but my heroics were less than impressive. I slid my big Falcon by “accident” a couple-ish times but it had nowhere near the poise or prowess as a drift machine like the 86; all it really needs though is a little bit more power! Give me a few more kilowatts to the rear-wheel and I would never get out of it, EVER!

Around town, the 86 is relatively calm. Although, it is a bit like one of those little dogs that bark all the time; happy barks, almost like it’s seen a butterfly for the first time and wants to chase it. I find that it’s most happy between 3 and 5,000 RPM. It really wants to stay there; anything below that and I feel it’s eagerly looking at me, gently pulling at the leash, to give it a bit more.

Outside of town, it’s more like a sled slash guide dog. It’s almost at home on the open road; settled when you are just cruising and nimble and responsive when you need to overtake.

Twists and turns don’t bother it at all. Because of no turbo, there is no lag and belting up and down mountains is almost easy. But you have to be alert, bends are what it lives for; show it one and  you can feel the eagerness multiplying, wagging its tail as it goes through them.

This is when you know that the 86 is a true driver’s car. Everything around you disappears. The not-so-impressive stereo, the slightly awkward cup holders, and dare I say, the person sitting next you (in my case, mostly this is my wife), none of that matters; it’s just you, this Malamute and the road ahead.

The Inside

Now for the less drivery stuff. Since I spend a lot of time in my car (being a consultant), the inside needs to be decent. In danger of sounding like a fanboy, I do love the inside, bar the stereo and speakers. The lines flow well and even for someone as short as me, everything is in reaching distance. The centre cluster of knobs and switches are somewhat retro and different; it’s Toyota’s way of saying, “hey, we want you to have something that is a little special.”

It’s not what you would call premium but it’s no wash-bucket either. The seats are comfy and hugging. Quite a lot more supportive than my wife’s Alfa (I will get to talking about the Alfa soon-ish). The materials feel decently expensive and made with care rather than the cheap materials of old we are used to in most Toyotas. And everywhere you look (and you have to look carefully), the 86 takes you on an Easter-egg hunt of “T” symbols.

Mine is the GTS version so I have a few extras, including the push-button start, dual-zone climate control, a stereo with Bluetooth and touchscreen, and heated seats; totally worth the extra 7 grand. Not that I want to be a snob but these do make a difference. They are what keeps you in the car on those days where speed and sideways is not what you are looking for; for me, this is most days.

The car is really for two people. As much as I keep telling my wife that I will put a baby seat in there when we have a kid, even I know the logistics of that will baffle the best of NASA engineers; not to mention the contortion abilities I will need to achieve the feat of putting the child in there.

The only complaint I have really is that darned stereo. In this day and age a touchscreen should be refined. I feel like I have to use my nails to change tracks. Mine is from 2013 so I don’t have the fancy distracting buttons on the steering wheel. The sound emanating from the speakers is a total let-down too. The highs are uninspiring and the low kick-drum notes feel like a cat is knocking on your door. I tried fixing the equaliser settings with no luck.

The Fizz

So what makes this car so special? This is hard to explain. The speed? The handling? The low-slung ride? Well the closest I can put my finger on is this. It’s the combination of all that and how mechanical it feels. Every carefully executed shift, every dab of the accelerator, and every turn of the wheel makes you look forward to the next thing you do.

The Verdict

Well, after all that I have written, it’s no secret that I am in love with the 86. I would love a bit more power and a much much much much MUCH better stereo but if you are able to overlook those, you are in for a treat. Sometimes the taut suspension and the fully solid-non-rolly ride can be slightly hard on the weak backs like mine but, like anybody who has an over-enthusiastic little pooch, I would never give it away.