Toyota 86 T86RS 2017 review | quick track test video
- Price From $50,000
- Seats2
- Fuel cons.18L/100km (combined)
What we like
- Proper little race car
- Easy to look after
- Cheap to run
What we don't
- Can't be driven on the road
- Needs more torque
- Can be tough to get in and out of
If you want to make a small pile of money, take a big pile and start racing cars. You'd be surprised how quickly dollars disappear into mist! Despite that, there are people whose sole ambition is to make it onto the big stage of motor racing – and it's not always about the money.
One-make racing has come and gone over the years in Australia, with brands like Nissan,Ford,Alfa Romeo,MG,Lotus and even Triumph hosting nationally run racing series with a fleet of ostensibly identical cars.
The latest brand to take on the daunting task of servicing a squadron of race car drivers is Toyota, which spent two years planning its 86 Racing series before its debut in 2016.
Now in its second year, the series sets out to provide a pathway for passionate racers to step up to greater things – all while not spending drug-runner money to do it.
Verdict
The 86 Racing series isn't cheap motorsport per se, but it does provide incredible bang for the buck. It puts aspiring champs in front of big crowds at big events, the availability of mentors like Mark Skaife, Glenn Seton, Mark Larkham and other motorsport luminaries throughout the year is fantastic for young drivers, the running costs (once the purchase of the car is factored out) are minimal, and the category plays out in front of the biggest teams in the sport.
If a career in motorsport is front of mind, and the pockets aren't bottomless, aspiring racers can't do much better than the 86 Racing series.
Have you got the motor racing bug? Tell us where you'd start in the comments below.
Specifications
- PriceFrom $50,000
- Fuel consumption18L/100km (combined) Tank 50L
- Seats2
- Service Intervalfive times per season
- Engine2.0 4-cyl 89RON petrol, 167kW/225Nm
- Transmission6-spd manual, heavy duty clutch, lightened flywheel
- Turning circle10.8m diameter
- Dimensions4240mm (L), 1775mm (W), 1285mm (H)
Toyota 86 T86RS 2017 review | quick track test video
What we like
- Proper little race car
- Easy to look after
- Cheap to run
What we don't
- Can't be driven on the road
- Needs more torque
- Can be tough to get in and out of
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