Car of the week – May 14th – Toyota 86 TRD

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  • The Toyota 86 TRD is clearly aimed at young drivers looking for value, performance and street creed.

    The extraordinary number of Toyotas on UAE roads is testimony to the fact that the Japanese marque not only has a dominant share of the market in this country but is also the world’s best-selling car company.

    From the brilliant Yaris to the Corolla, the world’s most popular car, and the iconic Land Cruiser, the company has most sectors covered, except perhaps for the sports car section where they have been sadly lacking since the demise of the Supra. 

    – #Quiz360: WIN brunch for two in Abu Dhabi 

    – Car of the week – May 7th – Peugeot 308 Active Turbo

    Thankfully, they are addressing that situation with the introduction of the Toyota 86 and the sensational looking FT1 which promises to be a real game changer.

    That car has not yet been launched but while we wait with anticipation for its arrival on these shores, the 86 puts Toyota firmly back on track where raw racing fun is concerned. 

    This fabulous coupe strips driving right back to the basics with the person behind the wheel getting a fully engaging experience, with no emphasis on technological aids. There are driver assists to make sure you don’t make a complete fool of yourself, but essentially it’s down to you and how much fun you feel like having. The 86 is also built so it can be personalised with body kit and engine modifications and if you want it to take on the appearance of a racing car then the TRD version will be right up your street.

    TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development. It is essentially a cosmetic sport package with aerodynamic body add-ons, decals, nice black wheels and interior tweaks. It is available across a whole range of Toyota cars but, in my humble opinion, the 86 is really the only one which really carries it off. 

    The inaugural TRD 86 Cup racing series at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi recently finished after a succesful season and this car looks like it has been driven straight off the grid onto the main highway. 

    It not only looks like a racing car but once you get in it also feels like one. The body modifications on the 86 TRD make it look extremely tasty and what was already a good looking piece of kit takes on an even more head-turning appearance.

    Ok, it’s hard not to get noticed when you are driving around with bright red decals on the bonnet, and personally I could do without them, but the car really does look cool with its front spoiler, rear diffuser, rear bumper spoiler, side skirts, and dual chrome exhaust tips.

    Inside, the sporty theme continues with racing bucket seats, nice carbon trim, leather steering wheel and gear lever and lots of red heavy stitching. The great thing about the interior is that it is all about simplicity with a refreshing lack of buttons on the steering wheel, a simple but nicely designed instrument cluster and a large touchscreen for the infotainment system.

    The only grumble I would have is that it is not the easiest thing in the world to get out of the bucket seats.

    To drive, the 86 is joyous. As mentioned, there are driver assists to keep you on the road such as vehicle stability control, limited slip differential, and ABS but that takes nothing away from the rawness of this car. 

    In Sport mode it responds brilliantly and you can turn off the stability control if you are feeling brave and want to up the fun, or fear factor.

    Push the bright red ignition button and the 2-litre engine doesn’t exactly explode into life but makes a sort of muted growl. 

    Even at high revs the engine note is slightly disappointing, but this is a minor complaint. With 197bhp and torque of 205nm it is potent enough and delivers its power via a six-speed automatic to the rear wheels. There are paddle-shifts on the steering wheels if you want more direct control. 

    This car was built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts and that comes through with the spirited way it handles at speed.

    It doesn’t take much to get the tyres screaming around corners and this car is lively enough to spit you off the road if you push it beyond your capabilities, but generally it is well balanced and driven sensibly the 86 TRD will put a huge smile on your face. 

    The more you drive it, the more confident you become and the funometer simply goes off the dial.

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