Very few cars of late have created as much of a buzz amongst car enthusiasts as the Toyota GT86. The joint venture between Subaru and Toyota has produced a car that has all of its efforts pointed in the direction of driving pleasure. GT86’s don’t cost the Earth, are Toyota bullet proof and as previously mention, a riot to drive. TRD, or Toyota Racing Development as they are known in full, has got their hands on these fantastic sports cars producing a limited run of just 250 for the UK with a few added toys over the standard car. We have the keys to one of them…
Ok, the obvious question first. What is the difference between the standard car and this TRD model? The answer is not too much actually. Firstly there is that much more aggressive bodykit which fills out he profile of the car nicely and gives the machine a butch appearance. Next up are the wider Yokohama tyres in tandem with a set of shiny new alloy wheels. However, the most mechanical change you will find is the addition of a quad exhaust system. Now the 86 is a great car as standard and so not medaling with a successful formula is wise, that said the car could do with an extra 20 or 30BHP, something the TRD does not bring to the table. 197BHP, 0-62MPH in 7.6 seconds are unchanged from the standard car.
Approaching the TRD you get to admire that new slightly swollen body. It really does make it look like a serious bit of kit and does a very good job of separating it from the base car. The profile is sleek but this cars character is written all over it. It just screams rear wheel drive fun! Long bonnet, snug cockpit and a sort rear overhang are all things that get us petrol heads a bit excited.
Getting into the car and being hugged by those heavily bolstered seats puts you in the prime position to survey all of the things Toyota are getting right with this car. The dashboard is focused with the rev counted being placed centrally. Its console isn’t cluttered and just houses the necessities. Rear seating may be a bit of a squeeze but rest assured that there is space in the car to store four spare track tyres.
Hitting the starter button brings the GT86 TRD to life with those new exhausts giving the car a slightly deeper tone. Bumbling around town the GT86 is comfortable with a much more compliant ride than many competitors. The slightly larger alloys don’t thud into potholes and the steering is well weighted. Visibility is good allowing this car to be considered as a genuine daily driver. Picking up the pace, the GT86 shines bright with excellent handling and the most delicious gear changes. It just seems to leap from bend to bend like a deer, completely effortless in its function. The steering at speed is direct and full of feeling allowing accurate and rewarding corning capabilities. The new rubber is noticeable when directly comparing this car to the standard. Where the base model was quite loose around the hips, the TRD has more grip allowing for higher cornering speeds. A cheeky drift is still very possible, but you can feel that this car is a bit more about lap time and not getting an ASBO. Does that take some of the fun away from the GT86? Yes and no. Whilst going sideways in this car is intoxicating and clearly a very big selling point, the TRD has a bit more focus, that in my opinion, makes hitting an apex a bit more thrilling. Putting your foot to the floor reveals brisk acceleration but, as mentioned earlier, the 2.0 litre boxer could do with just a tad more power. Throttle response is sharper as the new exhaust system aids the engine to breath better.
The Toyota GT86 TRD is a brilliant car and a real wake up call to all those manufacturers who gave up on the affordable sports car. Every time I get behind the wheel of this car I leave it with a big dirty grin on my face. The TRD does demand a premium of £6,500 (making it £31,495) over the standard car and for that you get all of the previously mentioned extras and an exclusive spot in this one of 250 club. Is it worth the extra money? In short, no. The TRD is a fantastic machine but the price does leave me and many others thinking what would we do with a standard GT86 and a spare £6,500.
Oh how I have waited like an impatient child for today! I love sports cars, there is just such freedom in their design, in their function and the way they make you feel when it is time to play. The Toyota GT86 has been coveted by the worlds press and won many awards from magazines. However, its popularity is the very reason it has taken me so long to get the opportunity to drive it. Enough drivel about my anticipation, let’s get down to the bit you really care about… The car.
You know when someone watches a big blockbuster film before you do and they say how “amazing” it is, but then when you get round to watching it the hype leads the film to be a slight disappointment? Well, the Toyota GT86 is nothing like that. This car not only met my high expectations but exceeded them. This well priced 2+2 is equipped with a flat four boxer engine that sends 197BHP to the rear wheels. This recipe sounds good already doesn’t it? Factor in that this good looking machine can be yours for under £25,000 and you know you are onto a winner.
Inside the cabin is snug and the driving position is absolutely spot on for a sports car. The seats are supportive and the minimalistic architecture of the interior leaves no distraction for the driver. This car is all about the way it moves and my goodness it can dance! The steering is razer sharp in its response to inputs and has fantastic levels of feedback. Its gearbox provides a satisfying swap of cogs every time and just begs that you use it to drop down a gear. Revving to 7,400RMP the GT86 thrived on the Alpine test track at Millbrook revealing a rather cheeky character when you really start to push. It’s hips wiggle with a twitch of the throttle upon the exit of a corner and when the rear does come out to play it is just so manageable.
As you can probably tell, the Toyota GT86 scores very highly in my books and does a heroic job of bringing the fun back to our roads that are clogged with crossovers. We hope to snag the keys long enough for a full review soon.
Nobody likes being second best. No matter what our mothers told us when we were younger, “you almost won” is no consolation for missing out on your time at the top. VW may dominate the motor industry by owning giants such as Audi, Lamborghini, and Bugatti, but in the small hatchback sector the Polo has always played second fiddle to Ford’s Fiesta. “No more” say the Germans as they go all out with this new generation Polo.
Looks pretty sharp doesn’t it? Our test cars metallic black paint does well to emphasise the much more aggressive design characteristics. The well defined shape garnished with bold lines gives this Polo a look of importance that was absent from previous generations. As the vast majority of car purchases are made mainly on how the machine looks, this one should do well as it ditches its once bland appearance. The pleasant architecture is carried over to the interior bringing with it some nicely sculpted surfaces as well as well defined areas of the center console. Every button and knob not only looks and feels premium but they all bring a sense of purpose to the cockpit. Too many cars today have meaningless symbols scattered like lost scrabble tiles all over the place, but here everything has been logically placed and perfected. That is really what the Polo must take as its most competitive element. Whilst the Fiesta and rivals are cheaper and have other merits, this German hatchback could pass as a small saloon thanks to its high levels of refinement. Seating is supportive with some rather functional headrests. I mention these specifically as driving the Polo is so effortless that you will find yourself leaning back much more often. In the rear section headroom is generous but the space for passengers legs was distinctly average. Boot space is again average for the class but does include a false floor to store fragile or precious items underneath.
In motion the 1.4 litre motor pulls well delivering good levels of performance around town. Coming out of junctions it may be a little slow to respond, thanks to not having the most responsive throttle peddle, but to the casual driver it isn’t anything major. The steering is also well balanced for the urban environment and provides a rather neat little turning circle. At idle the engine is near silent and often provoked comments such as “is it turned on” from many of my friends. The gearbox deserves particular admiration as it is so silky smooth that you can literally swap a cog with your little finger. Pair that with its light clutch and you find yourself with a fantastic car for commuting. The whole driving element of this machine is extremely polished and with good levels of grip it never leaves you feeling that the car is anything less than capable. On motorways this refinement is bliss as journeys of a few hours are effortlessly completed and soothed from a passengers perspective thanks to a sound system of high quality.
However, as with everything, you can unearth a few undesirables with the Polo when you get nitpicking. The steering wheel isn’t the most comfortable object to hold in your hands for lengthy periods of time. Its hard plastic surface feels a little abrasive for my liking and that is a shame as everything else is of such a high standard. As I said the steering is well balanced for the urban environment, but at motorway speeds it can feel a little vague. I guess this is the trade off that Volkswagen made in order for the little car more suited to an urban environment. My only other gripe with car is with its onboard computer continuously telling me what gear I should be in. One of the joys of owning a manual car is being able to make a decision as to what gear you want by yourself. The system isn’t intrusive but the arrow on the dashboard telling me to change up in order to save fuel became a pet hate. But really these aren’t deal breaking issues and the Polo can still stand tall and proclaim itself as one of the best all round hatchbacks on sale today.
Our model as tested cost £13,600 which isn’t all that much more expensive than a similarly specified Ford Fiesta, the gap certainly is much more narrow that what it has been in the past. So does the Polo surpass the master of this class? It really is very close but where Fiesta loses out on interior fit and finish, it does make up for in its enthusiasm on country roads. The VW Polo is a very fine car and does such a good job of being a dependable machine that you would be pleased to own.
The Vauxhall Astra has long since been the bread and butter of British car sales. Never quite as defined as the class leading Focus, but a reliable source of practicality and value. Though those are a great pair of traits to be associated with, they do very little to please those of us who want a little more from a car than its simple A to B function. The latest Astra is a real step up in quality, however, as something to tickle on the odd country road it does very little. Enter the Vauxhall Astra GTC and from the get go the statement it is making is very different from its sibling. If you think that this car is just an Astra minus a couple of doors you would be wrong. Very wrong.
From a visual perspective not a single body panel is carried over from the hatchback, and whilst the five-door was never ugly, it just doesn’t touch this. What we have here is the first Vauxhall in decades capable of turning heads. It is both lower and wider than the standard model. Those sculpted hunches and bold rear lines give the car a rather domineering silhouette. It isn’t overly aggressive, but its appearance sets it apart, and when you have competitors such as the VW Scirocco to consider that is no bad thing.
Inside you are greeted with what has become Vauxhall’s standard interior since the launch of the Insignia. Gone are those nasty flat facias of the previous Astra, and in their place sits a rather modern center console. Everything is well laid out, and by that I mean buttons are in logical locations, though the main cluster does feel a little crowded. Our test car being the Sport model lacked the half leather interior and the far superior steering wheel found on the SRi, that said all the fundamentals of the cabin were above par. The seats are supportive but not intrusive, rear passenger room is surprisingly generous with good levels of head and leg space, and overall it is garnished with many practical features such as numerous large storage spaces. The boot may have an olympic hurdle of a lip that the average shopper must overcome in order to place items in the back, but that aside the amount of space is greater than what you would find in many of this cars competitors.
Under the bonnet of this specific machine is a 1.4 litre turbocharged engine that produces 140BHP. Turbocharging is becoming all the rage again since it provides more power whilst helping to meet the new European emissions standards. The only real problem comes in the form of turbo-lag caused by the delay in pressure build up within the turbo. It can and has been a real killjoy of many otherwise brilliant cars. So what hand has fate issued to the GTC? I am pleased to report pocket aces! The engine loves to rev and the turbos delay is almost unnoticeable. Get the GTC out of first gear and it really surges along completing the 0-62MPH run in a respectable 9 seconds. The general noise of the engine is hidden at low speeds, but get above 4,000RPM and it makes for quite pleasant listening. Push on further through the rev band and you might just hear the whistle of the turbo under the bonnet. I would describe the general demeanor of the motor as polite. It is refined when pottering around town but becomes adequately sonorous once you put your lead boots on. Stop/Start tech is also included to reduce emissions but Vauxhall also gives you the option to turn the system off if you so wish.
The GTC is at its best when the going gets twisty and the suspension begins to show its development hours. You can really fling it into corners and be completely confident in how the car will react. The high levels of grip and direct steering makes for an enjoyable combination. The gearbox is a real credit to this car as with short sharp movements you can crack through the gears much like you would expect from a proper sports car. I only really had two issues with the Astra whilst driving it. Firstly for a car that is more driver focused I wish the steering was a little more communicative. True drivers want to feel the tarmac beneath the tyres and I couldn’t help but feel that the GTC has been softened to please a wider market. Secondly the A-pillars around town are a little bit on the chunky side and tend to obscure visibility at junctions. These are by no means major faults, but they are the sort of thing that prevents this car from being the class leader.
The 1.4i 16v VVT Turbo with 140BHP starts at £19,625 which is very well priced in comparison to the Megane and Scirocco. Personally we would opt for the SRi model with some smarter alloys and a more comfortable steering wheel Considering it is only an extra £1,000 it would be worth while.
Overall this car has been very enjoyable and a refreshing burst of excitement from the Vauxhall badge. We eagerly anticipate the VXR model…
Todays world is packed with clever little gadgets and gizmos. iPod’s transform your music library into a small on-the-go box, mobile phones turn miles of cables into a go-anywhere device, even tape measures today are packed with lasers and the like. It appears the trend is to make everything smaller but more functional, but how to do that in the motor industry? The last car to spark such a revolution was the original Mini Cooper but with todays health and safety flim-flam engineers cant be as creative as they would like to be.
Toyota say they have gotten smart with their iQ (excuse the pun). This is the smallest car on sale today measuring just 3 meters in length and despite this it still seats four. From the outside the little iQ looks as fashionable as the latest offering of training shoes and in white I think even the fabled Steve Jobs would approve. Its simplicity in design makes for a clean and well finished exterior. But what about inside? Surely its size is to its detriment?
Incredibly the answer to that question is no! Ok, so you probably shouldn’t expect business class levels of space and comfort but for a car of this size its a bit of a TARDIS. Upfront the clear layout of the dashboard, centre console and compact wheel all amplify the good levels of room. The iQ lacks a conventional glovebox in favor of giving the front passenger a couple of inches more in terms of legroom. In the back there is room for two medium sized adults thanks to an intuitive layout that takes full advantage of every millimeter of space the cabin has to offer. It isn’t claustrophobic and the view out of the car is rather good thanks to the proximity of the front windscreen. I wouldn’t like to spend more than an hour in the back, but as a city run-about that eventuality is unlikely. The only real downfall of the interior is that with the two rear seats upright the only cargo you will be fitting in the boot are envelopes. Not good news for those hoping to get the weekly shop with the kids in the back.
Our test car was the base 1.0 litre model with a few toys such as keyless go. On the move the little engine was perky getting out of junctions with the revvy motor. However once you get to about 35MPH it rather begins to run out of puff. Though designed for the city we decided to take the iQ on a trip down the dual carriageway well out of its comfort zone. This showed as it will get to 70MPH (eventually) but not do allot more once it gets there. Heading back into a busy town the iQ comes into its own with a turning circle that has to be seen to be believed! Parking, as you can imagine, is a piece of cake in such a small car and with parking sensors you will surprise yourself as to the size of spaces that you can get into.
In terms of practicality, efficiency and engineering the iQ is well worth its £9,995 starting price. Is it a modern-day incarnation of the original Mini? No, and I shall tell you why. Though the iQ is extremely functional and very good at being an urban mover, it just lacks character. Your dishwasher, for example, is very good at washing dishes but you don’t form any sort of attachment to it. Its the same with the iQ, it just lacks personality that a little car such as this should have. Its not a deal breaker if you literally use a car to get from a to b and care not for the experience, but to someone who enjoys driving some of its larger competitors do offer a better time behind the wheel.
So overall the iQ is very well built and extremely safe thanks to its 9 airbags. Bounding around town it offers everything you could want but much in the same way you don’t thank your iPod for playing music, you won’t appreciate the iQ for anything more than its function.
The 1980’s was a golden era for the car. Many of today’s icons such as the Audi Quattro turned their first wheel back then, in a time before health and safety. It was also a good time for everyday cars for the masses as the UK had assembly plants popping up all over the country providing cheap utilitarian transport. 1982 saw the arrival of one of England’s biggest selling cars, the Corsa. This basic yet functional motorcar came in many variants such a van and even a convertible. The car is still going strong today with sales ever increasing for this popular urban hatch.
Our test model was the five-door 1.4 litre SXI that on the road comes to a tidy sum of £13,910. For your hard earned pounds you get the previously mentioned 1.4 EcoTec engine with 16 valves and a five speed manual. The trim level wasn’t the highest, but I must warn you, the more options you tick on that list the faster the price increases. A top specification model can set you back £17,000 and let’s face it, at that point it’s no longer the reasonably priced super-mini its forefather was.
The five door variant is spacious but by no means an Olympic swimming pool of infinite space. I’m not the tallest of men but I did find legroom in the rear to be suitable for short journeys but on longer motorway ventures it soon became uncomfortable. The seats however provided good back support in both the front and back making the Corsa a good urban run-around. The car being designed for the family meant it was very functional with its steering wheel mounted buttons for the radio and flick-of-a-switch collapsible rear seats. Though these features are nothing new to any car, they certainly made life with the little Vauxhall easier.
On the road the engine provided enough grunt to cleanly pull out of junctions and slipways despite its rather weedy capacity for raw power. I suspect much of this is down to its size; however the car was rather fuel efficient and could go a good distance between fill-ups thanks to its large fuel tank. In spite of all this, the Corsa does have some fundamental flaws that arguably could cause you to reconsider your purchase. First up is road noise, when commuting through town at low speeds the car is rather tranquil, but let it lose on a motorway and the road noise is about as welcome as a fart in an astronauts space suit. The droning of the engine combined with the air gushing around the wheel arches is most annoying. Also this car is unbelievably bland! It gives a whole new meaning to the colour grey with its mono-tone plastics and basic dials. Practical yes, but it’s not a car to set your sole on fire. Finally the cars biggest issue is its price. Our near top of the range model was well equipped for a trip to the shops, but if you were to buy the basic costing a much more reasonable £10,000 it comes with nothing. And for that £10,000 think of all the cars competitors that you could buy with better standard equipment. The Mazda 2 or the Fiat 500 are both fantastic to drive, look modern and are better equipped for the same price. Buying the Vauxhall over these would be like living in Essex when you’re given the opportunity to live in Monte Carlo.
Overall the Corsa is a good car for the school run and the weekly shop, but it’s not good enough to see off its competitors…
