MOTOR

by DYLAN CAMPBELL

Toyota 86 GTS automatic

When expectations are low, it’s often easier to impress

A little low rent for

some, the 86’s cabin

is a happy place for

enthusiasts – even in

the auto version

fast. neW. driven.

i

f the thought of an automatic Toyota

86 excites you like a Home & Away

marathon, or having electrodes stun

your family jewels, you are not alone.

We felt the same, and then we drove one.

We’re not sure if this is a compliment,

but it was nowhere near as terrible as

we expected. In fact, it was better than

tolerable. It was kind of good.

Moving away from traffic lights, the

tiny torque converter makes for a smooth

getaway without the jerky pick-up we’re

having to tolerate from twin-clutches.

Knock the auto lever into manual mode

and you’ll find a bit of Toyota Camry

in that it’s push for up, pull for down

(but hey, good enough for a 911 Turbo).

Steering wheel-mounted paddles, only

on GTS, mean the Camry comparisons

gladly end there.

Pluck a paddle and while it’s nowhere

near as crisp and fast as a twin-

clutch, you’ll find a surprisingly swift

upchange. It’ll even hold the gear you’re

in, bip-bip-bipping on the limiter all day

if you so wish.

Get into the firm brake pedal, which,

refreshingly, still requires a bit of

hammy to pull up the 1298kg auto 86

(23kg heavier than the manual) and,

while fans of exhaust theatrics will find

the auto 86 severely underwhelming, the

transmission matches revs quickly and

cleanly as you reach for lower cogs.

As some routine rainy weather hit

Melbourne, the MOTOR office even

fought over our GTS test car which,

with a limited slip diff so tight it felt

shimmed, and no distracting clutch and

gears, was horrendously easy to wriggle

around on the throttle in the wet.

Sadly, however, the addition of a

slushbox slows the already-lethargic

147kW 86 even further.

Don’t race your mates in the manual

version, because to 100km/h, they’ll

smoke you – at 7.6 seconds the manual is

six-tenths quicker than the auto.

Fortunately, while many enthusiasts

will find the 86 wanting for more power,

others will discover plenty of handling

depth to keep them distracted.

All the other things that make the 86

great are still there, too: tight and well-

weighted steering, beautiful suspension

that leans aggressively into its tyres. All

making for one seriously fun little car.

All the 86 pitfalls are there, too:

slightly budget interior, a loud but boring

engine note and a firm ride at times.

So while we’re not going to start

recommending the auto 86 over the

manual, particularly given it’s $2800

extra on both GT and GTS, if you’ve just

had your left arm amputated, the auto 86

is all right. M

ToyoTa 86 GTS auTo

Engine 1998cc flat-4, DOHC, 16v

Power 147kW @ 7000rpm

Torque 205Nm @ 6400rpm

Weight 1298kg

0-100km/h 8.2sec (claimed)

Price: $39,290

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