pbomb Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Interesting vid: http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default ... ryId=26178 GT86 does look very good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350 Russ Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Slates the 370 though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 well he does make an excellent point about the zed being an 8 tenths car... but the difference is a GT86 is a lightweight, high revving sports car, whereas the 370z is a lazy, torquey GT car - its not a car for driving the socks off, its about effortless cruising and the ability to overtake without changing down two gears like you'd have to in the GT86. And im sorry, but the GT86 he tested is not worth £28k - that interior just looks too cheap and nasty, and as he says its short two cylinders... that cayman looks like a great buy though... if i was choosing a sports car for £28k, it would be 3 year old cayman with 30k on the clocks, easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parajack Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I took a BRZ out for a test drive which is basically the same as the GT86, I had to overtake a tractor whilst out on the test, it took forever to get past!!! Not a car that fills you with confidence when you need power instantly! When I got home I looked up the 0-62 time...7.6 seconds...that's not a sports car worth £28K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 id take the cayman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Great video, i really do like his reviews, seems to actually know about cars and how to drive them. I guess its all personal taste. Ive seen reviews that were totally unimpressed with the gt86 and some that love it. I think if you bought it for speed you'd be disapointed but for fun around the corners it would be great. Trouble is that interior is not great and 28k is a lot of money. I like the look of the front but the back just doesnt do it for me. I agree a used porsche would be the drivers car but honesty in surrey where i live they are two a penny. One stretch of duel carriageway i saw 5 caymans / boxsters in 2 miles. thats one of the reasons i dont like them, they are too common. One could say so good they are just too popular. You dont see many 370z, in fact only ever on zed meets. Its nice to be different and i love its looks. I understand what he says about the zed. I dont find it as raw and instinctive as my old 350, there is more technology gettingin the way so its a little less fun. It is heavy but its alovely drive and has huge effortless power when you need it. You just cant throw it around. Well you can try . I think if you add a good exhaust the zed becomes a much more exciting car as the stock noise is very disapointing. But now i love driving it. Agreed if i wanted the best car for the money my choice would be a cayman but i like to be different and the gt86 wouldnt have enough power for me, so im glad i went for the zed, but then hey im biased Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I have to agree with will here and on another of his statements ie "getting in and sitting in the seat just doesn't feel instinctive" - for my size and bodyshape (5'4" - and in my late 40's spreading just a little too much ), I've found nothing to better it ..... it's fits me perfectly (admittedly I gotta move the seat forward a tad in comparison to Will ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 5'4 - you sure you havent added a couple of inches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I love Chris Harris and his videos, but even I disagreed with the outcome of this one. He's right about the 370Z though, but I don't think that's such a bad thing. There's very, very few times you can go 10/10ths anywhere these days, the argument that you shouldn't do so on the roads notwithstanding. That's pretty much what the car was designed for, and it does it very well. Interesting on his comments about the seat position being off, I was quite impressed with how much better than the 350 it was when I sat in Colin's. The 370 is too heavy, but we all know that and the 350 was the same. We know the 370 sounds anaemic when pushed on as stock, that's why we all slap new exhausts on them. Putting it next to the 86 shows just how good looking the 370 is too, so no shame there. Given that the Cayman S was on the PSS9 suspension, I'm even more surprised that Harris chose the 86. That is a seriously good set of dampers and springs there, much better than the PASM setup Porsche offer on the car, so his comments are of the highest praise. I still think you'd be mad to take the 86 over a used Cayman at the RRP of the Toyota. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 5'4 - you sure you havent added a couple of inches ha bloody ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Hmmmmmm...... again I find the so-called comparisons wanting He was using a base 370 on 18" wheels, no synchro rev or aftermarket exhaust and that is a quite different car to the 370 that the majority of UK owners, and certainly forum members that he was banging on about pleasing, have. Whereas the Cayman was an S version with uprated suspension and a decent aftermarket exhaust. So the 8/10 remark was bound to be the case when compared against the Porsche - which don't get me wrong is probably the best all rounder in the spec of those 3. Having sat in and had a good look around the GT86 at the Goodwood FofS, I was quite impressed but or course it was specced up for the show. The rear seats are a waste of time IMO (as with the most of 2 + 2's) and to be honest I was in two minds about the overall look - as I was with the 370 when it came out - but that was until I saw it in the flesh and got to drive one at Silverstone and on surrounding roads in 2009 - I was sold. It rather sounds like the GT86 engine is similar to a S2000 - very, very good when you rev it and playful too but for every day pleasure - will it give the grins I get with the 370 - I'm not so sure. That is where the torque of the 370 comes into its own, you can 'play' without giving the full beans and having got some tyres on (Sesstana's) that give me both that option and at the same time great grip in wet conditions and better feed back through the wheel. With a decent exhaust note and having the uprev done to improve the power delivery, even at 1500kgs it is a very enjoyable ride and without knocking the 350, it has been a very worthwhile step up for me. Would I buy a GT86 - not on the present showing (with the model tested) as I can't see it getting near to the buzz the 370 gives me. And watching him drive the EVO - he wasn't even trying - ask our local resident expert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Why does the BRZ/86 retail for £16,700 in the states? That's a massive disparity and wholly unfair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Yeah the cayman wins no probs, but at 77 thou its been hammered so a bit of dosh would be required when things go bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 So buy one that's only done 30K for £30K. It's a fairer comparison that way too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 He was using a base 370 on 18" wheels, no synchro rev or aftermarket exhaust and that is a quite different car to the 370 that the majority of UK owners, and certainly forum members that he was banging on about pleasing, have. Whereas the Cayman was an S version with uprated suspension and a decent aftermarket exhaust. So the 8/10 remark was bound to be the case when compared against the Porsche - which don't get me wrong is probably the best all rounder in the spec of those 3. but if you add all those extras on the zed it doesn;t make it as accurate comparison price wise to the gt86 as that lot would put the zed over the 30k mark. and the porsche they used was half that at 15k. i'd save the 15k over the zed and go 2nd hand cayman S with all the trimmings. you could put 5k in the bank for repair work and still save 10k on the zed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 He was using a base 370 on 18" wheels, no synchro rev or aftermarket exhaust and that is a quite different car to the 370 that the majority of UK owners, and certainly forum members that he was banging on about pleasing, have. Whereas the Cayman was an S version with uprated suspension and a decent aftermarket exhaust. So the 8/10 remark was bound to be the case when compared against the Porsche - which don't get me wrong is probably the best all rounder in the spec of those 3. but if you add all those extras on the zed it doesn;t make it as accurate comparison price wise to the gt86 as that lot would put the zed over the 30k mark. and the porsche they used was half that at 15k. i'd save the 15k over the zed and go 2nd hand cayman S with all the trimmings. you could put 5k in the bank for repair work and still save 10k on the zed. Cayman S's are 15k now? I'd still a boxster personally roofdown driving is great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangzoom Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Comparing a 2nd hand car to new cars is not all that helpful. Every one knows the Cayman is going to be best out of the three, but its a £40K+ car. If your going to compare 2nd hand cars why not chuck in a £15K E60 M5, a £25K E90 M3, or even a £35K GTR, all three would make a Cayman look like a 1.0 Micra (in a straight line anyways). The Toyota looks like great fun but is just far too expensive for what it is, for £27K you can easily get a whole host of hothatches which offer more performance but much more practicality (Megane 250, Golf GTI/R, Astra VXR). I know we all love good drivers cars but been a good drivers car doesn't get you sales...Lotus produce some of the best handling cars around but are about to go bust. TVR produced some of the most exciting drivers cars ever but have gone bust. I love Chris Harriss's videos but recently I think his lost touch with what "normal" people want in a car, been a good drive is important but so are other things such as comfort/looks/price/economy. I sold my DC2 Integra R for a 350Z not because the Z is a better drivers car, but because I wanted to be able to hear my radio whilst driving at more than 40mph, and have toys like aircon Interesting in the latest issue of EVO the Toyota only for 4 stars and the 370Z got 4.5 stars which i think is a much better reflection of how the cars compare in the real world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Comparing a 2nd hand car to new cars is not all that helpful. Every one knows the Cayman is going to be best out of the three, but its a £40K+ car. If your going to compare 2nd hand cars why not chuck in a £15K E60 M5, a £25K E90 M3, or even a £35K GTR, all three would make a Cayman look like a 1.0 Micra (in a straight line anyways). The whole point of the comparison is that the three cars chosen are what people are comparing the GT86 to on many a forum. Every time we, as car nuts, go shopping for a new car we always have the choice between a used bargain or something brand new, so it's a perfectly fair comparison. Your examples miss the point as they're an incredibly capable executive saloon, an all-round 4-seater superstar, and a bonkers 4WD mentalist. None of them are 2-seater sports coupes, and believe me when I say the two seats in the back of the 86 are purely to tick a box, much like they are on the Evora. You would never get a person in them if someone is in the seat ahead. Not sure how the R35 compares in those terms though, but the turbocharged engine and 4WD trickery push it out of the direct rival option IMHO. All three cars in this video are perfectly usable every day, what I believe Chris was aiming at is which one is the most fun to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 indeed a lot of those cars arent in the same league, but i can think of one glaring omission from the lineup - a BMW Z4. can quite easily get a fully specced Z4 with a 3 litre engine for £28k, probably one thats really only just rolled off the showroom. Admittedly its still going to be expensive to service, but given the choice between a GT86 and a Z4 with a lovely folding hardtop, you'd have to be a lunatic to pick the toyota, surely? With engine and that spec, it should be £22k basic rising to £24k for top spec. After all, its pretty much no frills motoring and has a measly 2litre NA engine.... should have been priced to compete with an MX5, which is £23k with the same 2litre engine driving the rear wheels through a 6 speed manual box. I like the idea, but at that price i dont think (and secretly hope) they wont sell many Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannyBoy Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 indeed a lot of those cars arent in the same league, but i can think of one glaring omission from the lineup - a BMW Z4. can quite easily get a fully specced Z4 with a 3 litre engine for £28k, probably one thats really only just rolled off the showroom. Admittedly its still going to be expensive to service, but given the choice between a GT86 and a Z4 with a lovely folding hardtop, you'd have to be a lunatic to pick the toyota, surely? With engine and that spec, it should be £22k basic rising to £24k for top spec. After all, its pretty much no frills motoring and has a measly 2litre NA engine.... should have been priced to compete with an MX5, which is £23k with the same 2litre engine driving the rear wheels through a 6 speed manual box. I like the idea, but at that price i dont think (and secretly hope) they wont sell many Very good point about the Z4, I hadn't even thought of that and you'd still have warranty left over with a beemer that new. Couldn't agree more about the price too; not only can you get something considerably better for the same money (new 370z, used cayman, barely used Z4) you can get a conceptually similar 'no frills good fun' car (MX-5) for a shocking amount less. I kinda want the GT86/BRZ to fail so that I can maintain some sort of faith in people's ability to spot a ****-take when they see one. Unfortunately I have a feeling that people are going to assume that the GT86/BRZ must be worth £28k because that's what it costs. DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Z4 isn't even close when it comes to handling. Might as well put a TT in there if we're just playing the numbers game and ignoring what makes a decent handling car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac@TarmacSportz Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I've been following the FT86's eventual birth for years. I has hoping it was going to be the new Toyota Supra How wrong, it's more like a squashed Civic Type R with Lexus lights WTF Might grab my attention if they bring out a 3L twin turbo though !! Fat chance. It's all about the numbers game, they will sell more as it is. They could have made it special but sadly in this day an age it wouldn't make as much business sense. There's some great aftermarket parts coming out for them over the pond, been getting loads of updates for exhaust and styling parts so expect a lot of modding when they nose dive in price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottyZ Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 £28K for a GT86 or £22K for this: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... code=ucnnp including sat nav and less than 5000 miles! Wouldn't take me long to decide on that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I watched the video yesterday, comparing a standard car to a modified car to me, is always a big no no. I agree with whats been said already, the Z maybe a 8 tenths car, but its useable as that and day to day you cannot drive a car at 10 tenths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 That looks fair savage does that. I think I might see if I can blag a drive next week, see whether driving fun can overcome lack of powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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