Happy Birthday 86!

In a time when we’re told that enjoying your vehicle is tantamount to a hate crime, the very notion of discussing a vehicle designed specifically for driver enjoyment might be considered taboo.

Now, we’re not saying we should all go drifting around an industrial park at night, race one-another from the traffic lights or turn the footy ground car park into a doughnut patch. And we’re not saying we condone speeding or the breaking of our road rules. After all, they serve an important purpose.

What we are saying is that we, as motorists, as car lovers, should relish the opportunity to go for a Sunday drive and love every moment you spend behind the wheel. The chance to feel at one with the car, to enjoy cornering, or, God forbid, maybe even hang the tail out if it’s safe to do so.

Sure, I hear you say, that’s all well and good if you’ve got $100K to spend on a high-end sportscar. And in case you do hear yourself saying just that, I’d like to ask just what rock it is you’ve been living underneath and if you need a hand to crawl out from under it.

There’s a car out there that delivers on the promise of a fun drive – and might even encourage the most banal driver to join a car club and learn to really drive a car – and enjoy your purchase outside of the stop-start rat run drudgery. It’s called the Toyota 86, it looks the biz and delivers on what it promises. Best of all, it costs less than $30K!

What makes the 86 such a revelation is that it isn’t obsessed with being the fastest or the most technologically advanced. It’s not hung up on image or badge cred. It’s a pure, honest little package. Something resembling the MX-5 of yore, before it got too big for its boots and started charging punters a fortune for the privilege (seriously, the MX-5 now starts from $47,280!).

Now it’s not the type of car that will suit everyone. But if you’re in anyway interested in becoming a better driver, and really enjoying your time at the wheel, the 86 is a great place to start.

I’ve been lucky enough to pilot the 86 on a few occasions now. I’ve driven it in Japan on the very track used to help fine-tune the car’s involving dynamics, pitted it against its spiritual predecessor (the AE86) here at Broadford and, more recently, had the chance to relive that good time grassroots fun at celebration to mark the 86’s first birthday.

The event offered the chance to drive the 86 on a motorkhana course, a road circuit and around a skidpan. Each of the exercises proved how nimble and responsive the 86 really can be, and what proved most astonishing, is just how quickly you feel at one with the car.

We sampled the manual 86 in both base (GT) and top (GTS) specification, though an automatic is offered should you be so inclined. It’s impressive just how quick to respond the 86’s primary controls are, and as a manual, it’s a really good car in which to learn the fundamentals. Steering, pedal box, gearshift, all feel like they’re made-to-measure, and all react with almost intuitive effect.

The 86’s front engine/rear-wheel drive layout favours drifting and given the chassis’ near-perfect balance, it’s remarkable just how precisely you can control a power-slide. Darting through the flags of the motorkhana circuit the 86 proved dextrous and playful, and even on a dry asphalt surface, is happy to slide its rear-end when provoked with a dash of throttle.

But for most drivers, it’s the road circuit that proves the 86 can be enjoyed without any heroics. Leave the stability control on, or step up to Sport mode, and the 86 shines on the track. It obeys every input it is given with a finesse some cars three-times its price can’t match. The chassis is alive, communicative and surprisingly forgiving.

That’s the good thing about not having too much horsepower – you’re unlikely to ever end up in any real trouble. Though there’s a part of us that secretly wonders what possibilities the 86 might hold were it turbo or supercharged.

Attending the celebrations was the Toyota 86’s chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada, who told motoring.com.au that a high-performance version of the cult coupe was unlikely. Instead, Tada-san said a sports hybrid model was preferable given the manufacturer’s current inclinations.

“If I used a hybrid system in a sports car it would have to be a different type of system,” explained Tada-san.

“The current [hybrid] system is a really good system from a fuel economy point of view, but many sports car users are not interested in a purely economical point of view.

“If we were to use a hybrid system in 86 we’d be looking at something closer to the racing hybrid, like the FT-HS concept.”

Either way, we’re certain that the power on offer is adequate for an enjoyable drive, and we’re not alone in our rationale. Toyota Australia has sold more than 6000 examples – or around eight per cent of all 86’s built – since it went on sale a year ago. The figure ranks Australia as the third-highest market for 86 sales behind Japan and the USA, with interest showing no signs of slowing.

And it’s not hard to see why. The 86 offers a brilliantly balanced chassis with sublimely responsive controls and the rakish good looks that set it apart in a market packed to the rafters with boxy hatchbacks. With a little more bark from the tailpipe, and a decent set of tyres, the 86 could just be the ideal sportscar for beginner and enthusiast alike.