Tofu shop rebirth: 2012 Toyota GT86

I've waited with bated breath for the GT86 for year and years. This was the homage car to all the great Toyota FR cars of the past: the 2000GT and the now cult classic AE86. The initial concept to development phase was worrying because Toyota was thriving on a reputation for building mostly dull cars. So dull that if you could distill a modern Corolla and put it into a syringe, you could put a charging mad rhinoceros to sleep. But they proved it wrong with the GT86 and for the last four-plus years, it has been wining accolades for being fun, cheap, reliable.
The design dictate was to make a car with enough power, plenty of lightness and regular tyres. It was meant to elicit entertainment in the way a Miata was designed. It also looks stunning from every single angle. Those classic proportions are what sports cars should be. Toyota had a long heritage with the Celica, Supra, Trueno 86, Soarer and even the mid engined MR2.  All those cars had that long sloping hood and short behind that kids love to draw in their class notebooks while the teacher mumbles about Pythagoras' pizza.

Up close
When a friend called up and said he had the key to a MANUAL transmission GT86, I dropped everything for the day. The GT86 initially wasn't considered a hot import. Some outright dismissed it because like America, they thought bhp is everything. But then we had a few 86's trickle into the country after the last budget revision dropped the prices. The car suddenly became delicious like a cheesecake behind a baker's window.
The car is visually low. But you can actually wave your arm about underneath. Speed bumps aren't really a problem since this car pretty much rolls over them in stock form. A politician with a small brain can be safely run over without damage to politician or car. And yet it looks like it is hugging the road.

Inside
The moment I stepped inside, I felt at home. A potbelly might get in the way because you have to bend in and sit inside. It makes other car seat feel as if you are sitting on a child's high stool while inside a bus. There's a lot of dark, black and more dark leather, plastic and cloth in there. I hate the cream in new cars. I don't want to fuss about a fingerprint showing up on the upholstery. I want the darkness. It's like a slightly plastic Batcave in here which may not be a particularly good thing but you won't notice.

Powertrain
The engineers opted for the Subaru boxer design because of it's compact size and the opposing cylinder configuration allowed a lower placement of the engine in the bay. That meant the car has a lower centre of gravity and the hood can be rakishly low. Toyota went through five prototype gearboxes till they got to the perfect 6-speed unit that's prominent in this car. And that's the big gem. The 6-speed automatic is quick but the manual is a joy to row through. The moment I shifted into first I knew what all that fuss was really about. It's an on-off switch with a seductively short throw from neutral to first. You don't so much as push it into gear as flick your wrist gently. And that clutch is deliciously soft without being over bearing although the gearshifts were occasionally a little notchy.  Puny legs will survive very well. You don't need to join a gym for extra leg days. If you want the automatic, we advise trying to find a manual and going for a ride. The auto is about a second slower and shifts extremely quick but the manual is just as easy to drive. And if your primary concern is leg cramps, then you should in all reality go buy an Allion and sit in the back. And sleep.
Tip: The 86 moniker isn't just a reference to the AE86 Trueno from back in the day. Both the bore and the stroke of the 200-ish bhp 2.0-litre engine is 86mm each. It shows the manufacturers themselves were in love with this car.



Ride
The suspension setup is firm yet it manages to soak up all the bumps and speed breakers without breaking the human spine. I asked Navana why they won't bring several hundred of these and give me one for free. Apparently one of the reasons being Toyota Japan doesn't think this is suited to our roads. Really? We drove over that pointlessly high speed breaker in Rifles Square and didn't have to ask passengers to step out or even take it at a severe angle. Nope.

Handling
The steering is so not a typically modern Toyota because it is distinctly alive. You know at all times exactly what is going on. When you point, the precision is that of a robotic surgeon. The only way you can really screw things up here is if you have your eyes closed. Or you think you are Takumi from the Initial D anime.

The complaint
Many internet forum enthusiasts and PlayStation fan has raised a complaint about this car: not enough bhp. That's like saying Gal Gadot doesn't have enough assets. Sometimes, enough is perfect. It is no GTR, it was never intended to be one. The GT86 is not a speed freak although it will get up to speed remarkably quick. But the velocities that high bhp cars can attain are short lived. It is all about how this car gets where it is going.
There I am pootling about in standard traffic wondering why the rickshaws are so close and then suddenly I find gaps, press the magic pedal the car warbles in that typical boxer growl. Off we go. 100kmph comes in under 8 seconds. That is not blistering fast but the car always feels fast without potentially killing you from a bhp overdose.

Verdict
This car is about the driving experience the same way a Miata was and is. It merges the trifecta of being light, having terrific handling and a decent dose of power to weight ratio. It has low speed handling that will entertain because low speed is where you will be most of the time. In the Initial D anime, the AE86 celebrated those specific three attributes and the modern incarnation is a perfect reflection of that.
This particular car comes with the TRD bodykit and RSR lowering springs and costs 49 lakhs.  Base prices start a little over 40, You can add all sorts of wings and spoilers but the naked hump looks amazing on its own right. My only gripe is with those plain-Jane rims. They look duller than boiled noodles.
Should you have one? Yes, before the prices go up again.

This particular car comes with the TRD bodykit and RSR lowering springs and costs 49 lakh Taka. Prices for GT86 right now start just a little over 40 lakhs. We got this car from JZ Automobiles Ltd.