This thread will be used to document all things related to my GR86.
Note that this will be a slow-process and will focus more on the car in its factory form than an overall "build thread". My goal is to showcase the out-right performance capabilities of the car, in it's simplest form, through driving. Whether on the racing circuit or twisting through the beautiful Blue-Ridge Mountains this car will be put to the test. The goal, for modifications later on, is to use genuine TRD/GR performance parts only (suspension, exhaust, air filter, exterior/interior bits). Wheels, tires, brake pads, etc will be determined by the particular use at the time.
Let's begin!
I wasn't in the position to order a new GR86, or to be on any waitlist, when the announcement first came out, and I really only started searching Cars.com last week. I inquired to every single dealership I could, within 250 miles, until one actually reached back out to me saying they had a Limited MT in their inventory. Well, one thing lead to another and here it is - a 2022 Steel Grey Manual Transmission GR86 with 40 miles. Where those 40 miles came from, I am not sure, but they better have been easy-going miles.
Here are my first impressions. Keep in mind that I am 90% track driver and 10% street driver. With that said, also keep in mind that these are my personal opinions and are not meant to sway you in any direction.
Bottom line: The GR86 is amazing.
Coming from a 2015 FRS and 2017 GT86, the GR86 has so much torque. I was blown away at how much usable power this car has relative to its predecessors. No longer do I find myself winding out the RPM's to enjoy the acceleration from corner to corner as the mid-range response has improved tremendously with the 2.4L. This was a pleasant surprise on the street and I found myself really enjoying carving around 35-40MPH turns through the mountains. Returning from the Dealer, it was 2 hours of winding roads through the snow capped Blue Ridge Mountains, and what an Initial-Drive it was.
Steering/Suspension/Seating:
The first thing that matters - the steering wheel. It is completely different from previous models. Smaller, or so it feels, and much more in-tuned to the driver. Typically I'll change the steering wheels, on cars that I track, but this thing isn't going anywhere. Easy to reach controls to toggle through the digital-clusters' track oriented features (lap timers, G meter, tire pressure or vital monitors) is a very nice touch. You can also do radio things, if you want.
Steering feel is sharp, and the car maneuvers quite well. Of course, any factory car is going to have some understeer, for safety, but this car feels really balanced out of the box. Very excited to see how the GR86 does with a non-factory alignment. The weight transfers, and settles, very nicely, and carving through the mountains was an absolute riot. Albeit, getting stuck behind cars going below the speed limit is immensely frustrating, so I suppose that's one down fall to driving this car - it craves carrying momentum around twists and turns.
The drivers seat is firm, and the bolsters hold you nicely, but I was surprised to not see any lumbar support, unless I missed it. Very basic seating, but I suppose that's what you get when you want to keep the weight down, and I fully support that choice. Function over form, but the suede adds a superior touch to seats of previous models. The firmness is likely because it is not broken in yet, but there's a strong chance a full bucket seat will find its way into this car, so I'm not too worried about it.
Engine:
Did I mention torque? Jeez, this car scoots! Having daily driven, drifted, tracked and rallycross'd the previous generations, this is a whole new animal of a car. The torque is immensely satisfying, and as previous said, the midrange corner exit pull is so spectacular. I am thoroughly excited to use that free NASA track-day, that is included with the purchase, although the hardest part will be choosing what track to use it at. Given that I only clocked 180 miles, I have been following the Japanese Gazoo Racing break-in guidelines. Easy-going for 500 miles, then drive it how you want - AKA, we'll roll over 500 miles as we are pulling out of Pit Lane at the race-track. I will report back once I break over the 4,000RPM limit I've been holding myself to.
Tires:
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (PS4's) are what come on the car standard. These are a 300TW (the lower the number, the softer the rubber compound, and in theory, the more grip they have), and are a "Max Performance Summer" tire, as stated by TireRack. It was 27 degrees, on the drive home, so although the pressures came up to target (remember the handy tire pressure monitor on the dash we mentioned?), I wasn't going to push too hard as there was still ice on some parts of the road. I'll use these until they wear, then swap them out for a slightly wider R-Compound, as I'll be hunting lap times with this car in it's "stock" form. The base model comes with some less aggressive tire that I didn't bother to look into.
Gauges/Monitors:
Now, this is one of my favorite features of this car. Although I run an AIM Solo Data Acquisition unit, when on track, to record data and review my laps, the GR86 has some really neat track-based features. The lap-timer is awesome as it has the ability to record a series of laps and log your fastest lap of the session (you can reset by holding the select button down). The G-Meter is the modern day "Initial-D water cup" - letting you know, via a graph, how many G's you're pulling in any direction - laterally and via acceleration/braking. I had a fairly easy ride home, but this was an interesting feature to watch, and I'll dive into its capabilities more later on. There are a handful of other parameters that can be read, but I will report back with those later as there was only so much I was able to play with on the short highway portion of my trip home.
Stereo:
For those that are curious, the Stereo blows the doors off of previous models. 8-speakers provide a very high quality sound and the touch screen works surprisingly well. I was unable to see if engine vitals, or gauges, were a feature for the touchscreen, as it would not allow me to access some features while driving, but I'll be very disappointed if not. That is too big of a screen, and the car is too track-oriented, not to utilize it for track purposes. I don't listen to music much, as I prefer engine noise, but it's a great system overall.
Appearance:
Pulling into the driveway, and parking next to the Silver GT86 really emphasizes the differences of the earlier models. The body lines of the GR86 are years, literally, ahead of the 2017 GT86. Similar colors, or the same, but vastly different. Although, I believe the rear end of the earlier models have a slightly more aggressive appearance, you can't beat the ducktail of the Limited GR86 - it is just too attractive.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the GR86, and it is for sure a head-turner on the roads. To me, it has a look that screams, "I cost more than I actually do" and I can't wait to get it to the track and really put it to the test. In the coming week, I will post some high quality photos, videos, and showcase the track-oriented dash features.
For right now, the car will receive nothing other than a brake-fluid flush, and fresh 93 octane gas, before seeing the track. My preferred brake fluid is Motul RBF660 or Castrol React SRF.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy following along.
