Tag: gt86

Video: Autocar pits McLaren MP4-12C against turbo Toyota GT86

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Scion, Subaru, Toyota, UK, Racing, Comparisons, McLaren

Autocar pits a Toyota GT86 Turbo against a McLaren MP4-12C on track.

The Toyota GT86, in all of its forms, is one of the best-handling cars money can buy, a trait that can put a smile on the faces of all but the most jaded car enthusiasts. But if good handling isn’t what they’re looking for, then what is? Our first guess would have to be more power, something the 200-horsepower Toyota would benefit from. Autocar tries out that theory by driving two turbocharged GT86s on track, then pitting the more powerful one against the 616-hp McLaren MP4-12C in a track battle.

The first GT86 turbo Autocar‘s Steve Sutcliffe drives makes around 255 rear-wheel horsepower and a bucket-load more torque than the stock car. That’s plenty of power to either have a lot of fun or get into a lot of trouble. But the GT86 that Sutcliffe tails in the McLaren is race-prepped, stripped to the bone and wears slicks to harness a heavy-hitting 335 hp at the wheel. Weighing in at under 2,500 pounds, the Toyota can’t overcome the MP4-12C’s power-to-weight ratio of 5.3 pounds per horsepower, but it comes pretty close.

Enjoy a lot of chasing and drifting fun in the video below!

Continue reading Autocar pits McLaren MP4-12C against turbo Toyota GT86

Autocar pits McLaren MP4-12C against turbo Toyota GT86 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Aug 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Toyota brings TRD Griffon GT86 to Goodwood [w/video]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Toyota, UK

In the midst of the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, there’s a particularly special Toyota running up the hill. This special entry is a GT86 (the cousin to our Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ) that’s been poked, prodded, and tweaked by the minds at Toyota Racing Development. The result of TRD’s fettling is a nearly race-ready car.

Starting with the body, the hood, doors, trunk lid, and wings are all made of carbon fiber. The lightweight treatment doesn’t end there, though. The bumpers, fenders, and diffuser all feature carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, while the windows are now made of polycarbonate plastic.

Under the hood sits the same 2.0-liter boxer engine found in the standard GT86, but its six-speed manual gearbox features a shorter final drive ratio for improved acceleration. The coilover suspension has been firmed up, and a TRD mechanical limited-slip differential replaces the Torsen unit. The TRD Griffon rides on TWS 18-inch wheels and Yokohama Advan tires. To bring proceedings to a stop, TRD has fitted its own mono-block caliper kit, complete with more robust racing pads.

Finally, the cabin features a TRD seat, shift knob, ignition button, auxiliary gauges, and a Momo steering wheel. A Takata harness keeps the driver in place.

To see what all that looks like on the move, Toyota has produced a rather stylish video.

Continue reading Toyota brings TRD Griffon GT86 to Goodwood [w/video]

Toyota brings TRD Griffon GT86 to Goodwood [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ford Fiesta ST in startling track battle against Toyota GT86

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Scion, Subaru, Toyota

Ford Fiesta ST versus Toyota GT86 by Evo - video screencap

On the surface, there’s very little that the Ford Fiesta ST and Toyota GT86 (or the Scion FR-S that is sold in the US, or the largely similar Subaru BRZ) share in common. One is a hatchback with power coming from a turbocharged engine routed to the front wheels. The other is a coupe with power coming from a naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine routed to the rear wheels.

Thing is, both of them are reasonably priced performance cars aimed at a similar segment of the automotive marketplace, so a comparison isn’t out of the question. It is with all of this in mind that we direct you to the video below, in which the blokes from Evo pit the two manic little machines against one another on a race track. The result? Well, it can be summed up this way: Fast versus fun.

See how the track battle goes down in the video below.

Continue reading Ford Fiesta ST in startling track battle against Toyota GT86

Ford Fiesta ST in startling track battle against Toyota GT86 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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