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2017 Toyota 86 Drivers' Notes | Fun, even with an automatic

The Toyota 86 is a car that enthusiasts begged Toyota to build for decades. It's small, lightweight and rear-wheel drive. Thanks to a partnership with Subaru that resulted in the BRZ, this stylish coupe hit the streets in 2012. In the U.S., the car was originally known as the Scion FR-S but was rebadged as a Toyota after Scion was axed last year. Along with a new name, the 86 received updated styling both inside and out as well as a revised suspension and a slight bump in power, at least for the manual models. This Hot Lava-colored car doesn't feature Toyota's slick six-speed manual. Instead it rocks a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. While some enthusiasts may look down at that, automatics make up more than half of 86 sales. Still, the bones are there, and some people don't think the automatic is all that bad. Either way, we can't encourage enough people to buy these cars, as we want Toyota and Subaru to keep building them. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: When I first slid behind the wheel of the 86, I was surprised to see the gear selector and paddles. It's one of those cars that you don't think of as having anything but a manual transmission. Also, in an interior where all the controls and displays are underwhelming, a set of paddle shifters stands out as one of the few tactile objects in the cabin. I ended up using the paddles quite a bit, and found that I actually enjoyed using them, so much so that I'd actually consider opting for the automatic transmission were I to buy an 86. Despite shifts that aren't as razor sharp as they could be, the car's high-revving engine means that it still feels great to use. Riding an engine like this up to its redline, filling the cabin with noise, is the sort of thing that'll give you goosebumps. Being able to keep both hands on the wheel while shifting is a good thing for engagement in this car, based on my time with it. Plus, when I got stuck in traffic, I didn't have to wear out my left leg. The other brilliant thing about the Toyota 86 is its sense of balance. I loved the way it communicated its load distribution when cornering, whether on or off the throttle or brake. The fact that the nose of this car snaps right to where you want it when you start dialing in steering angle is satisfying. And its low stance and good view out the windshield make it really easy to place on the road.

The last new Scion is this tC Release Series 10.0

"We're not dead yet!" That's the message Scion will send next week at the New York Auto Show when it takes the stage with its very last brand-new car, the tC Release Series 10.0. For its final act, the tC gets an aero kit by JDM designer Ken Miura, consisting of a front lip spoiler, new rocker panels, a lower rear spoiler, and a little wing on the deck. Blacked-out Scion badges and gloss black alloy wheels contrast against this tC's unique Barcelona Red paint. It's not all for show, either. The Release Series 10.0 includes TRD lowering springs and TRD-tuned dual exhaust. Inside, black and red pours onto the new seat inserts, and there's similarly-toned contrast stitching on the shift boot, parking brake cover, and steering wheel. Only 1,200 examples will be built, available with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The manual car will go for $23,985, and with the six-speed auto, add $1,150. It's all very fitting – Scion was introduced to the US at the New York show in 2002, and over the past 14 years, the tC was the brand's most popular car (and one of its longest-running). To commemorate the occasion, Scion will also show some of its most popular showcars, including the original 2002 BBx concept, 2009 iQ concept, and 2011 FR-S concept – the "Friggin' Really Sweet" car, if you recall. Scroll down for the official "Scion-ara" (yep) announcement. Related Video: Scion-ara Celebration at New York International Auto Show Includes JDM-inspired tC Coupe and Classic Concepts TORRANCE, Calif. (March 16, 2016) – Scion is not going away quietly. With a final Kei Miura-inspired tC Release Series 10.0, a display of some of its most impressive project cars, and cool swag, the Scion by Toyota booth is sure to be a flurry of activity at the New York International Auto Show, March 25 – April 3, 2016. It's only fitting that Scion closes its auto show history at New York since that's where it all began. Fourteen years ago Scion debuted its first concept vehicles and announced the new youth division for Toyota that would be a laboratory for experimentation and introduce new products and processes. That commitment to innovation carries through to the debut of Scion's final Release Series vehicle for the tC sports coupe, Scion's most popular car.

Incrementally better than ever | 2017 Toyota 86 First Drive

We'd love to tell you that the incremental upgrades bestowed upon Toyota's rear-wheel-drive coupe as it made its transition from Scion FR-S to Toyota 86 have transformed it into a perfect sportscar. If only a few more horsepower, shorter rear-end gearing, and tiny aero updates were enough to quell all the complaints that enthusiasts have leveled at the machine since the platform first hit the road in 2012, this review would have been so much more satisfying to write. Sadly, that's not the case. Don't get us wrong. The 86 is still extremely fun to toss around a twisty road. The chassis is impressively balanced, the steering is direct, and the shifter is sweet. Sorry to impart upon you this well-worn trope, but the old adage that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow is, in this case, completely accurate. The 2017 Toyota 86 is nothing if not entertaining. But it's not completely new. It hasn't been transformed. It is, in the end, the same as it ever was. It will take about three minutes of your time to watch the videos below, in which we cover pretty much everything that's new for the 2017 Toyota 86. Toyota 86s equipped with manual transmissions get a five-pony boost to 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Automatic models soldier forth with a carryover 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 200 hp and 151 lb-ft. Apparently, more than half of Scion FR-S buyers chose the automatic. That's unfortunate, as it drains a good deal of the fun out of the 86 experience. Choose the manual and you'll be rewarded with an easy clutch and a rewarding short-throw shifter. And, as we said, five more ponies, courtesy of intake and exhaust tweaks and the polishing of some internal engine components. The only upside to the automatic is improved fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. Manual 86s are EPA-rated at 21/28. Along with the small bump in power, the 2017 86 gets a 4.3:1 rear-end gear ratio in lieu of the old 4.1:1 unit. That ought to translate into a small improvement in acceleration that really only matters on paper. In the real world, on actual roads, the difference is negligible. To eke the most out of the 86, you have to constantly work the shifter and keep the engine north of 5,000 rpm. It's still not particularly quick, but it's definitely fun. There's plenty of noise inside the 86, from the wind, the road, and the engine.