The Toyota 86 is something genuinely rare: a new sports car that exists because someone decided fun was worth prioritising over spreadsheets.
Also sold as the Subaru BRZ and the Scion FR-S in other markets, the 86 was developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru specifically to deliver driving engagement at an accessible price. Australia gets it in two grades: the base model and the GT tested here.
The 2.0-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder makes 147kW and 205Nm. The numbers are modest but the delivery is honest. The engine revs freely and the gearbox on the manual variant is one of the better units in the segment.
What sets the 86 apart is its balance. The weight distribution is near 50/50, the rear-wheel drive layout allows for adjustable cornering on the right road and the steering provides actual feedback. These are qualities that have disappeared from most modern cars.
It's not fast in a straight line. It won't win a traffic light drag race against a hot hatch. But it will reward a driver who wants to learn on a mountain road or a track day.
The rear seats exist in name only and the boot is small. You know this going in. Nobody buys a Toyota 86 to move furniture.