GTP Cool Wall: Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S

  • Thread starter Thread starter BKGlover
  • 65 comments
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86/BRZ/FR-S

  • Total voters
    106
  • Poll closed .
I voted cool. A fun, RWD car at a reasonably affordable price shows that you don't need a metric-tonne of horsepower to have fun. As a hot hatch enthusiast, I'd be tempted towards a GT-86, especially with the TRD handling kit available in the UK.
 
A great idea, remarkable that such a conservative company as Toyota would make something as 'now' unconventional as it is. But, as others have said, it was so overhyped and so long reaching the market - then just not living up what it seemed to promise. Should be uncool but is too bold an idea.
 
It's a pretty nice little car, but it lacks the charm and is a bit too expensive to rank as sub-zero, much as I love it. Cool.
 
I was going to give it just cool, but I moved it to sub zero, for them releasing the car the way it is and not giving in to making it the same as every other sporty car available, full of electronic junk and fat tyres so bad drivers can pretend they are good. It's the only modern car I would consider buying.
 
In pictures I think it looks a little ordinary, even a bit ugly from certain angles, especially the rear with it's skinny tires and cheap looking tailights & detailing. However, when you see one on the road in a good dark velvety color, they are glorious. It looks far more expensive than it actually is. It drives me nuts that the engine isn't better, because I would have already bought one by now if it was.

Toyota/Subaru, if you are listening, please give us an 8,000rpm redline, 15-20 more hp n/a, a more sonorous engine note, and a weight reduction package good for 50-100kg savings. That isn't a huge amount to ask for. I don't mind that the interior materials aren't superb because the design is refreshingly dialed-back and purposeful looking. It's a really good car, but so close to a great car. I'm not a badge snob, so the scion plate doesn't bother me. Though, their logo is pretty ugly.

Cool for sure.
 
Sub-Zero.

It's a good enough car for Subaru to have made an exception to their all AWD lineup.
 
Cool. Light, affordable RWD car that hits the market spot that had been abandoned since 2002..
 
Firmly sits in uncool.

The three badge thing kills it. Try explaining that to somebody, after 10 minutes of basically saying They're all the same but they rebadged it because marketing always ends with the car looking stupid.

It also suffers from the MX-5 problem of looking like a sports car for wimps with those skinny tires.
 
Zenith
It also suffers from the MX-5 problem of looking like a sports car for wimps with those skinny tires.
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The tyre thing has never bothered me that much with the 86, but then I'm one of those people who double-takes every time I see something like a Camry with 225-section tyres on. The modest performance cars I grew up wanting - a Peugeot 205 GTI, off the top of my head, or a Clio Williams - had 185-section tyres. As does a Mk1 MX-5 on its original wheels. An S1 Lotus Elise has 185s at the front and only 205s at the rear.

Obviously the 86 is a larger car (even if it's small by modern standards) but due to the stuff I'm used to, the tyres just don't look too skinny to me.
 
eight6er
full of electronic junk
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Comes standard with traction control and stability control. (admittedly defeatable)
 
niky
Comes standard with traction control and stability control. (admittedly defeatable)
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I thought they are fitted to every car because of regulations now.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
In pictures I think it looks a little ordinary, even a bit ugly from certain angles, especially the rear with it's skinny tires and cheap looking tailights & detailing. However, when you see one on the road in a good dark velvety color, they are glorious. It looks far more expensive than it actually is.
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This is how I feel as well, I never liked it until I saw one in real life.:drool:

I voted cool, only barely because it has Scion badges in the U.S. As for the reason I dislike Scion? They keep trying to push an image that their cars don't have.
 
Justin
They keep trying to push an image that their cars don't have.
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To be fair, they did have that youthful image with the first-gen xB, and from there the range quickly became irrelevant. If they just sold the old xB brand new they'd probably still sell loads of the things.

Cars like the FRS are probably helping their image a little too.

Can't help feeling the iQ would do better out in the U.S. with a stick though. It's a tiny car and supposed to be good fun as a manual (like a modern-day classic Mini), but by making it CVT-only in the States it just ends up without a real market.
 
Never was a car more firmly planted in "cool", nice affordable RWD car bringing sports cars kinda back to basics. The three marques thing is a little odd though, but it does make me want to spot the Subaru here, which I'm yet to see as it's apparently outnumbered by the Toyota 10-1 :)
 
I recently had some seat time in a black BRZ that a mate bought, and I've driven a GTS86. Both had a very nice "cockpitty" feel to them and all the controls fell incredibly easy to hand. I had a bit of a laugh at the "media interface" though as it's just an Eclipse head unit I can buy at the local audio specialist for half the price of what the satnav costs to fit to either of them.

As for differences, they're few and far between. The front suspension changes to the BRZ are almost completely indiscernible; it is a little less tail-happy than the 86 which to me makes it the marginally better vehicle; while the BRZ still loves to get the tail out it feels a little better balanced than the 86 does. The Subaru shades the 86 though in terms of value for money, well here at least; while the GTS86 has a couple of standard bits that are options in the BRZ like the satnav and the leather heated seats, if you add on those bits the BRZ comes out cheaper in the long run because it gets 3 years free servicing while the 86 does not.

Talking with the salespeople at the dealership though, they seemed far more interested in the new WRX RS40 limited edition they're getting in a couple weeks time. As did I, to be quite frank.
 
It should be sub-zero. But every bugger seems to see it as the second coming. It's not that good. Also yes the three badge thing is a detriment. Even I know Scion as bad and they aren't even sold here. Plus Subaru is one of the badges.

Just about cool on the basis of the Toyota purely. Though I for one never saw how the looks were at all nothing to shout about - I certainly see them as plenty good enough.
 
Over-hypered, fawned over by Japanese-culture fanyboys, and screams boy-racer. Uncool.

It's a good car though, I wish it had a little more power though and not eco-tires, but tires are an easy fix.
 
I think it's a decent looking little sports car that doesn't scream and shout. There's quite a few around here, but I haven't seen much of the JDM mad tyte drifter yo crowd around here yet, so until then, it's still cool in my book.
 
homeforsummer
To be fair, they did have that youthful image with the first-gen xB, and from there the range quickly became irrelevant. .
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What about the Tc or what ever the Coupe is called? That sold quite well to young people around here so I assumed that was everywhere too. Did the FR-S replace the Tc?
 
Badasp5.0
What about the Tc or what ever the Coupe is called? That sold quite well to young people around here so I assumed that was everywhere too. Did the FR-S replace the Tc?
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No, the tC is still being built. The FR-S did become the fastest stock scion in place of the tC though. & yes, they are popular with young people. I actually have a scion xB.
 
I voted cool. Just a bit short of sub-zero as a stock model...but some of the tuned ones would easily get sub-zero in my book.

They're fun cars to drive, and they look sexy. In fact, I'm considering getting one next spring...gonna be hard to separate from the Volvo I have now.
 
This is one I really had to think about

On one hand, I thought Meh because that was my reaction when weeing it's picture in this thread. On the other hand, I remembered going with my dad to his work to pick up something last weekend and gawking like teenage girls do to Niall when I saw a red one of these babies, so Cool it is.
 
I voted cool. One of my favourite cars on the market today and one I'm considering buying used after graduation while I'm still young and devoid of children.

Mostly I agree with HFS though. It's cool because of what it represents and how it bucks the trend of more power means more weight which means even more power is needed which makes the car even heavier. Also, it looks nice enough (particularly in orange) that it is different enough that the average joe will see it as a sports car but it's not outlandish or tacky enough that you look like a knob.
 
I can nudge it up to solid cool, mostly because of it's background, being a modern AE86 and indirectly a MK V Supra at the same time. But the fact they're just about mass producing it, under 3 different brands, takes away what could have been a great help towards a SZ.
 
Out of curiosity, when this goes on the Cool Wall, what should it be labled? Obviously "Sciaru BRZFRS" won't work.
 
Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S
 
Maybe Toyota 86 (et al.) or Subaru BRZ (et al.). The way I understand it, it's Subaru's car, but it was Toyota's idea, so you can take your pick I guess.
 
It's more kind of half bear, half manpig.
 
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