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Toyota 86 priced right for SA?
One of the most exciting cars of the year for the normal person, the Toyota 86, is just about to launch so Toyota SA has revealed pricing.
http://drivemagazine.co.za
Arrival imminent!
The new Toyota 86, spiritual successor to the legendary Hachi Roku, is just weeks from being sold on SA soil now. And Toyota SA has revealed the pricing for this eagerly-anticipated model, and appears to be positioning the small sports coupe relatively aggressively.
The best one, the "standard" manual-gearboxed version, will retail at just R298 500, only just sneaking in below the R300K mark but still - with High spec versions in both manual (R329 400) and automatic forms (R346 500) to follow in the latter half of the year.
Why will this cheapest option be the best, in our opinion? It's quite simple...
The legendary 86 is most famous for one thing - drifting. It was a light weight, narrow-tyred rear-driven platform with a small but healthy naturally aspirated engine in the nose, a recipe ideal for the sideways crazed, and it got picked up by this fraternity and turned into a Unicorn of the sport, representing just how easily accessible competitive drift machines were.
This 2012 version, in standard form, adds a whole heap of prettiness to this equation but otherwise remains true to the established setup. At least in standard form. The manual gearbox is a must of course, the standard car will also ride on more modest rubber than the 17-inchers the High spec will be hampered by, and it'll be lighter than the more expensive model to boot even if just by the few kgs that things like Smart Start keyless-go systems and fully automatic climate control will add.
So, wait for the High spec if you aren't actually interested in the core appeal of this car - truly driver-focussed motoring pleasure. Or better yet, buy a Corolla instead. Those in the know will already be sated by this brilliant little sports coupe in cheaper, standard trim and likely already have been employing the naturally-aspirated 2-litre 147kW engine to melt a full set of rear rubber into SA roads.
And for Toyota to deliver that once more, after an all-too-lengthy absence from the enthusiast space, is just epically exciting. Now we know the price, we know the specs, and anyone with even a vague interest in sporty driving knows the looks by heart.
July 9 can't come soon enough for us.
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