I’ve written many blog posts before, but when it comes to reviewing domestic cars, I honestly don’t want to write anything negative because domestic car fans tend to get overly defensive.

However, that would defeat the purpose of an independent personal blog, so I’ve decided to write candidly this time as well.

Toyota GR86

This time, I had the chance to test drive the new Toyota GR86 (RZ・6AT).

Just before this, I had driven the Toyota GR Supra and was impressed by its high level of refinement. My Porsche-owning friend also praised it highly, so I started this test drive with high expectations for the 86.

First, stepping inside, the interior smell is quite different from the Supra, which was made in a European factory. It has that distinctive domestic car scent, similar to my own Swift at home. It’s a mix of the seat upholstery and volatile adhesives — basically that typical new car smell.

The seats are neither particularly good nor bad; the shape is nice, but the cushion firmness is uniform and feels a bit monotonous. Perhaps the seats are designed with the assumption that owners will replace them with aftermarket options like Recaro.

When I started the engine, the idling was very quiet, and the idle vibrations were minimal. I shifted the AT lever into D and began driving.

Starting off in the parking lot, it felt like a perfectly normal car. The engine and exhaust sounds were a bit louder than average, but the driving was easy and didn’t feel harsh at all.

Exiting the parking lot and accelerating, the engine power felt strong for 235ps, and there was no dissatisfaction in normal driving. The AT felt like it had slightly more drivetrain loss compared to the latest transmissions, but the upshifts in D mode were smooth.

Ride Comfort and Handling

As I increased speed, I noticed something: the damper’s vibration damping was very poor. Not just a little poor.

It was bad.

Not to the level of an old street racer’s modified car, but there was a low-quality lingering oscillation. Even in situations where modern sports cars would settle immediately, the vertical bounce continued two or three times.

This particular car was completely stock with no specially stiffened suspension, yet every time the suspension received a somewhat strong input, a faint vertical oscillation lingered. Also, there was quite a bit of rattling noise inside the cabin, which might be a specific issue with this unit. It made me feel a bit nauseous, and I never got used to this suspension’s ride comfort.

If you’re thinking of using this as a date car, you might want to reconsider.

That said, this is a sports car. Putting ride comfort aside for a moment, I tested the handling.

The steering is light with little rigidity, making it hard to feel the road surface and grip. When turning into a corner, the car follows a nice arc through the first half. The problem comes later. As you approach the apex of the corner, you find yourself making slight steering corrections.

It’s like the arc of the corner becomes distorted midway.

In other words, you need to make subtle steering adjustments halfway through the corner. Of course, this might be understandable at very high speeds, but it’s disappointing to experience this even when driving at a moderately brisk pace on regular winding roads.

When accelerating out of the corner, whether due to the limited-slip differential (Torsen L.S.D.) or a lack of rear rigidity, there’s a slight hesitation. Specifically, as you try to accelerate, there’s a brief moment where traction seems to slip, making it difficult to smoothly exit the corner.

It might be reasonably quick, but from the perspective of “does it feel good to drive?” personally, I wouldn’t say it’s fun.

Regarding driving feel, the body’s overall rigidity is very high and solid, but the suspension lacks a sense of stiffness and somehow feels unreliable. It gives the impression that the suspension arms use very thin, weak parts.

It’s really a shame.

I wonder if this car is designed with the assumption that users will customize it. If so, that would explain the deliberate tuning.

Engine and AT

The engine is a 2.4L naturally aspirated flat-four, producing 235ps and 250Nm of torque. The power delivery was better than expected, and I never felt it was slow or underpowered. The way power and torque build with engine speed is very satisfying and definitely passes muster.

However, if you plan to drive this car for sporty driving, I’d advise against the 6AT. For a modern sports AT, the shifts are far too slow, especially the downshifts.

In manual mode, when downshifting from 3rd to 2nd, there’s about a two-beat delay after pulling the paddle before the shift happens. It’s no exaggeration to say the delay is so long that you get impatient and just give up on the shift altogether.

Moreover, the blipping on downshifts is just a lukewarm “brrr” sound with no excitement or sportiness. Although it’s unfair to compare given the price difference, compared to European sports ATs, this feels 10, or even 20 years behind.

This time I drove the AT, but if it were an MT, my impression would be quite different. The engine’s feel and power delivery are good, so I’d definitely like to experience it with a manual.

Also, regarding engine sound, at low speeds it sounds like a normal passenger car, but once the revs rise, it produces a sporty and quite nice sound. This was one of the enjoyable points while driving.

What Did My Porsche-Owning Friend Think?

I’ve been brutally honest so far, but as I mentioned at the start, my Porsche-owning friend was full of praise for this car.

He said, “This car is the reincarnation of the BMW 318is (E36).” That makes sense. I’ve owned a 318is myself, so I understand what he means. “Especially because the basic performance like body rigidity is high, if you customize it, it should become a really fun and fast car. This car has that potential.” he said.

When I shared my honest impressions with him, he said, “I get that, but with that car, you have to actively shape the car’s posture at every corner while driving. Otherwise, you won’t appreciate its strengths.”

That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered.

I was evaluating it purely as a finished product from a top manufacturer, focusing on whether anyone could drive it fast, comfortably, and enjoyably. So I judged it based on how high-performance the car was and how faithfully it responded to the driver’s intentions, assuming it would be driven by ordinary people who aren’t expert drivers.

It’s also true that I hadn’t thought about its potential after customization.

Also, although the price range is different, this car is often compared in the media to the Porsche Cayman, so I unconsciously compared it to the Cayman, judging it on driving feel, sound, stability, and rigidity.

The GR86 is a car that’s not easy to evaluate with a simple approach, but in a word, it might be described as a “rough diamond that shines when polished.” While it has shortcomings if left as-is, it has the potential to become an irreplaceable beloved car by customizing it with various aftermarket parts to your liking. The 86 is a car whose true charm emerges through polishing.