Touge time: Toyota 86 first drive up genting highlands - with on board video

Tom

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Exactly how much Toyota's new 86 love the hill roads (touge)? The only way to find out?, in this case the FR-base 86, is to put it through its paces. A midnight run to be precise, wee-hours in the morning to be spiritually connected to the cult that made the original 86. But we're not delivering tofu this time, I'd prefer to keep the 86 in grip mode with VSC Sport on.

Hill Climb: Toyota 86 on Genting Highlands - First Drive - YouTube

Although circuit driving allows one to squeeze the absolute limits of a car, we just can't wait to put the car through real-world scenarios, where mere-mortals do 99% of their driving. So where else better than our favorite touge route, also a favourite for many. Genting Highlands offers a good combination of great high-speed curves and a good blend of tight and twisty corners. A hill being a hill, it's got various degrees of inclination where one can sample a car’s torque, power and balance and a good return downhill descend where the chassis more or less over rule engine performance.



To start it off, the drive to the foothills to Genting Highlands involve continuous, windy high-speed highway, now recently made better with overhead LED lamp posts, significantly increasing the joy of night driving towards the Genting start point. The journey starts with the 86’s transit through the Karak highway, where it manages to showcase overall driving prowess, pretty much covering the entire journey much like a bigger GT car where it stays completely planted and composed when negotiating Karak's high speed bends, made even more apparent when approaching the off-camber sections.



There is also a sense of constant physical communication with the 86. Like a Lego-figure sitting on 4-studs of a Lego block, in this case me on the snug sports seat, where i am seemingly welded to the chassis, taking in all the glorious feedback. A sensation only available in the Hall of Fame of driver's cars. It's just one hell of an inspiring drive when you feel like you're one with the car and on a transit highway like the Karak, It very quickly warms up both the car and driver -before the actual touge.



Being in this part of the world, we encounter roads that are less than perfect, where the highways are smothered with various types of blemishes. Even so, the 86’s well-tuned suspension cleverly soak all imperfections, dips and bumps. Efficiently filtering out unnecessary distractions. Absolutely no jarring, spine-crushing drama in here.



The HID projector headlights throw a far yet wide and consistent beam, substantially increasing the eyes’ visual reach. LED positioning strips integrated in the headlights garnishes the front, plus It helps with indicating to the unassuming fast-lane road hoggers that something special is approaching from the rear.

Upon arriving to the foothills of Genting Highlands, one starts to anticipate how satisfying the 86 could be, having sampled the preview of what it is like on regular roads and the corners of Karak at speed. As we head uphill, you are immediately greeted with a change of scenario, where the roads are now narrower, steeper and dark. It is an immediate signal of caution to most, or to driving enthusiasts, an invitation to the wild side.



Just like your first Kobe beef steak, you'd want to take in a good bite size to chew, then melt it all over your taste buds before finally allowing the heavenly remains to travel down your throat. Similarly, this is not Man VS Food and I'm not here to set a lap record. What i need is a slow release dose of what the 86 feel like.



Let’s talk about the Toyota 86′s trick auto transmission, Yes, an Automatic. But why? Well the great guys at UMW Toyota Malaysia wanted the best for us, so the top-of-the-range 86 was commissioned for the review(s). Plus, it'll make for a more relevant test since most people prefer to live with automatics since the 90's anyway. This baby costs RM6000 on top of the Manual 86, and now that we so love the paddle shifting auto, I can only imagine how much more satisfying the Manual could be, so, If I ever had any qualms about the 86, they'd all be gone with a stick shift. I promise.



Back to the 86's Automatic, No, it is not like the one in your neighbour’s SUV. This auto almost behaves like a dual-clutch sequential shifting box without the dual-clutch. Firstly, in full-manual mode, the 86 is as responsive as any manual car with the gear engaged. There is no rubber band torque slippage, there is no shifting lag, just swift and silky transitioning through the gears and not a hint of jerk gear after gear. Every flick of the paddle shifters send a direct microsecond command to the transmission with no lag whatsoever. Up or Down.



As we approach a corner, braking as late as possible followed by a flick or 2 of the left paddle and you are immediately greeted with perfectly rev-matched, heel-and-toe-esque downshift(s). And as you attack the impending hairpin, you begin to appreciate how neutral the car is, coupled with how easy to judge the 86’s physique, highlighted by the bulges at the front either side just above the wheels, like a pair of cross-hairs.



Just before exiting any corner, it tempts you to floor it out, it just telepathically tells you to, especially with the VSC Sport turned on, the steering is crisp and the power delivery is amplified. But should an adventurous inexperienced driver vigorously mess with the throttle in a corner and when the tail tries to step out, which in the 86 with the TC on, it does. This same, smart Traction Control also immediately kicks in, resisting the car from initiating an involuntarily slide; perfect for a novice.



While the 200 conservative ponies can hardly get anyone into serious trouble, it allows good drivers to access all of it anywhere. Rather than to scare yourself in a wild monster, while not knowing exactly how well or fast you are doing, the 86 encourages one to preserve generated momentum with its unique handling capabilities. In a way, the 86 is highly efficient in not wasting crucial inertia. Yes it may not smoke its tires or break one's neck sprinting up the hills, but anyone could appreciate the creamy smooth power delivery as the flat-4 sings its way to 7000rpm. It is also beneficial to keep the revs right up there at all times where the engine is most alive.



Although the flat-4 mostly enjoy singing high up the revs, there is also a hint of sportiness down below in the rev band. Toyota has somehow tuned the air induction of the 86 to emit a throaty howl as the engine moves up the revs right before it changes to a high-pitched scream. That throaty howl is also very apparent when downshifting as the cold air intake air box vigorously gulps for air.

Please take your time to enjoy that 8-minute on-board video we prepared. If you've never done any on-board videos, do keep in mind that it always look slower than what it actually is in reality.



All in all, anyone can be and/or learn to be pretty fast up or down the hills upon driving the 86 for the first couple of minutes. And again, as we have made it very clear, anyone can exploit the 200 relaxed horses coupled with a beautiful chassis in a silky smooth gearbox without being Keiichi Tsuchiya or someone closer to home, Tengku Djan.

Touge Pros:

  • brilliant, surreal handling abilities
  • Perfect, almost bespoke suspension
  • Not intimidating, in fact highly confidence inspiring

Touge Cons:

  • Auto gear ratios could be improved for better use of rev range
  • Conservative mid range power
  • Auto 'box doesn't allow downshifting anywhere beyond 4500rpm

Toyota 86 Specifications and Prices

  • Zerotohundred: 8.2s (AT), 7.6s (MT)
  • Top Speed: 225 km / h
  • Engine: 1998 cc D-4S flat-four boxer engine (FA20)
  • Power: 197 bhp / 7000 rpm
  • Redline: 7400 rpm
  • Torque 205 nm / 6600 rpm
  • Weight: 1,230 kg
  • Fuel: 5.91L/100km Automatic / 6.5L/100km Manual
  • Fuel Tank: 50 L
  • Wheels: 17"
  • Tyres: 215/45R17 all round
  • Price: RM243,000 Manual / RM249,000 Auto
  • Official Link: http://www.toyota.com.my/toyota-86/



Toyota 86 in Malaysia Related Posts:

 

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thank you all,

temujin, yeah, and we have more on the 86 in the pipeline, please stay tuned :)
 
If u have 8 minutes to waste, watch this new 86 go up genting, slooooooooowly............

personally, i couldn't be bothered, it's SO DARN BORING
 
Auto is too.. relaxed.. and it somehow disconnects man and machine in comparison to a manual. man does not have full control over machine..and in a machine like 86 it somehow defeats the purpose (of the 86). Surely, I agree that electronically controlled gearboxes like the dual clutches is damn advanced, 8ms shifts.. versus 250ms with the best race manual box and best driver.. but I think it takes the driving out of driving. sure, using an auto, you won't mis-shift, and you can keep your hands on the steering, and focus on pedal control and less concentration in manually shifting gears. but I think its because there's a chance of mis-shifting in a manual, it taxes the driver more, that the driver has more control over things -- and thus more things the driver would screw up or fail to control.

automatics....what's the point with an 86? Bunta would have said.. can't downshift at 4.5k rpm? dafuk? Or in his native tongue, NANI? The father of the 86 said himself, its about driving feel, made with passion, and was not about lap times. automatics takes the clutch away, less driving feel yo.

but what do I know, I sail boats. :smokin:
 
8minutes uphill is very fast seyh

8 min from the bottom to the top is fast, 8 min from the mid to the top is SLOOOOW

8 min for a 200k car from the bottom to the top is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, no matter how u put it. My LE can do it and it only cost me 12k. My E30 can do it less than 6 min. If you have worked there before and u drive up almost every week then u know i'm not wrong.
 
8 min from the bottom to the top is fast, 8 min from the mid to the top is SLOOOOW

8 min for a 200k car from the bottom to the top is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, no matter how u put it. My LE can do it and it only cost me 12k. My E30 can do it less than 6 min. If you have worked there before and u drive up almost every week then u know i'm not wrong.

Father of 86, Tesuya Tada says, this car is not about lap times. Its about driving FEEL. You know? That's what you paying for.
 
Father of 86, Tesuya Tada says, this car is not about lap times. Its about driving FEEL. You know? That's what you paying for.

maybe in japan where cars are cheap, we can all accept this statement but here the cars are expensive and u r paying a premium price that under performs, it is totally unacceptable

talking about feelings, u won't get a GOOD FEEL when u r overtaken by a kancil turbo when u r sitting in the new 86.

driving feel is totally subjective, some ppl can accept a slow car with great handling dynamics, some ppl can't. I personally must have both driving dynamics and speed in one package, one cannot survive without the other. it is totally pointless to have a slow car with great handling, it's like masturbation, u only "feel" it yourself.
 
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talking about feelings, u won't get a GOOD FEEL when u r overtaken by a kancil turbo when u r sitting in the new 86.

Nah... The car wont be that bad because the chassis/cornering limit is way so much higher than kancil...

It is an entry level car which can allow u to drive on its limit, indirectly train the driving skill as well.

But hell yeah... overprice... :bawling:
 
y auto i wonder? :confused:

It's because UMW Toyota wanted us to try out their top-of-the-range 86 before sampling the manual. I should be able to get a feel just 1 day prior to the TIMETOATTACK R2 on the 22nd of this month.

I had follow a 86 when I'm going down hill from genting on one Friday night.
Genting downhill with Toyota 86 - YouTube

that would be someone else I think

If u have 8 minutes to waste, watch this new 86 go up genting, slooooooooowly............

personally, i couldn't be bothered, it's SO DARN BORING

8 min from the bottom to the top is fast, 8 min from the mid to the top is SLOOOOW

8 min for a 200k car from the bottom to the top is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, no matter how u put it. My LE can do it and it only cost me 12k. My E30 can do it less than 6 min. If you have worked there before and u drive up almost every week then u know i'm not wrong.

Can we all not be so quick to judge?

The video was trimmed down and it just so happened it stopped dead on at 8 mins, as trimmed via Youtube Enhancements. Fine it's sort of a timing data but It is never meant to be a statistic for comparison.

Where are the official start / finish points? Okay i guess for GTJ-GH it's typically the last hump at the guardpost. Now where's the Finish? Is there one at all? Coffee Bean? Old Town Coffee? The Peak? I'd rather be safer and use the entry for the last right turn before the Police force hostel (i think). That would mean somewhere in the range of 7:18-7:20. Still not exciting for you I'm sure.

Like I said, This is a FIRST drive and it's not a qualifying lap of any sort. But if one should feel like comparing, then please cut the video, the car and me some slack. Maybe you'd rather a boring video like that not be posted. But look, it's for everyone else. Some people like to take it smooth, some prefer intense action and tyre screeching drama. I'm the first one especially when testing someone else's (UMW's) car. It's easy to tell from the video that the driver (me) hadn't take every single opportunity to maximize the 86 on the straights, in traffic on every single corner. In a perfect scenario, I think the new 86 in manual should do easy mid 6mins.

I generally do about 6:30 in a 2002 MINI Cooper S when i drive up for coffee and cool breeze. This is keeping in mind respect is shown and space is given to other road users around. A stock FD2R should manage low 6 mins. I've been in a 600+ hp 997 GT2 and that did 5:50 at 4am with almost zero-traffic.

Like everyone else, I'd sure like to see footages of you in your E30 doing less than 6 mins. It'll be a highly commendable effort for sure.
 
Like everyone else, I'd sure like to see footages of you in your E30 doing less than 6 mins. It'll be a highly commendable effort for sure.

And the gloves are off! I'd like to see too.

C'mon people its obvious if you look at the video, the lines and the driving is somewhat relaxed. It's not setting a laptime or anything, just taking a feel of the car, getting acquainted with it.

At UMW Toyota's asking price, for a time attack/lap time machine, the Renault Megane RS would fare much better. Clearly, the 86 is not competing with other cars. Some people just don't understand. They seem to think that the worth of a car is in the lap times. Gee.
 

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