9 years to the week after I bought my FR-S, the GR has just arrived.
While the Corolla Hybrid was a fantastic appliance, it certainly was lacking in the driving dynamics department. The original plan was to add the 86 to the fleet and continue to daily the Corolla, but with the recent used car insanity I found myself in a remarkable position… I ended up making about $1000 after driving it 27k miles in 14 months. Trade values have slipped a little bit in the last few weeks, but I came out of the car with a significant chunk of equity. The plan is now to daily the 86 until the market settles down somewhat, then lease a Corolla Hatch (or now that we own a Nissan dealership, something on a cheap lease there).
When the 86 was confirmed and announced last summer, I immediately got on the phone with the GM at my old store and told him I wanted the first one. Build guides hit late October and preferences for allocations started early December. After the anxiety of the allocation process in the Northeast regions, my car was secured late December and after further delays for all weather liners it showed up yesterday.
My GSM hooked me up and I ended up with a $1000 discount from MSRP (with some creative internal accounting on his end to hide the discount from the GM) on the car plus the $500 rebate financing through TFS at a very competitive rate for a captive finance arm. MSRP was $31,8xx and invoice is $30,700. They’ll end up making $100 in front end gross, $780 in holdback and financial reserve.
I picked it up this morning after yesterday’s ice storm. Roads blanketed in salt and sand, and 25 degree weather. Immediately threw the back end out pulling out of the dealership while the tires were begging for grip.
It feels incredibly similar to the first gen car, as expected. As I accelerated through second gear I was anticipating the torque dip we all know exists in the first car…
It’s gone. It pulls right through and keeps on going. This is the engine the first car needed.
Quick impressions - no particular order and just as I think of it:
It’s very blue. Darker than chief on the Rubicon, closer to Voodoo or Mexico Blue on the Porsche spectrum. I’ll match color samples on Monday.
The front end is very Cayman/718. The back end is very Civic. The spoiler is massive but I love the way it looks.
Steering is light and direct.
Great throttle response.
Great linear power delivery from 2500 and up.
Ride is firm and pretty well damped, doesn’t dive and roll around too much.
You can still feel the road a good bit, but probably magnified with the frozen Michelin PS4 summer tires. Tire noise is noticeable at 60+ but again likely due to the frozen rubber in 25 degree temps. I have a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4’s going on it Monday before it goes for clear bra.
Clutch is light and a hair long. Bite point is a bit higher than I remember on the FR-S, but it’s got none of the weird inconsistencies of the MK7 GTI.
Shift lever is a bit tall. Shifter is noticeably tighter and has less slop than the FR-S. I have the heavyweight GR knob coming next week.
I forgot how small these cars were. It’s tiny.
Dash cluster is well laid out and decently sharp and bright. Nav screen is large, clear, and the 480p backup camera trend continues.
Audio sucks, even on the premium trim with extra speakers. I will be reaching out to OEM Audio+
Visibility out the rear window is massively improved now they relocated the center brake light. However that area that it blocked is now replaced with the top of the duckbill spoiler on the trunk
Headlights are super impressive, the premium gets LED speed sensitive adaptive lighting with a great cutoff and fantastic visibility. I feel they’re better than the MK7 GTI lighting package.
Back seat is useless as the new seats are much larger than the first car.
Seats are well bolstered and have a nice premium touch. The premium trim gets alcantara and leather on the dash and door panels which make the car feel a lot more expensive than a 30k cheap sports car should.
Same with the steering wheel. Good size and feel, plenty of adjustability.
I’m sat on the floor as low as I can, and thanks to the wheel arches can see exactly where the car is.
Side view mirrors are large (and painted black, which i didn’t realize but I love the way that looks). They also are shaped well with a large extension at the bottom that allows you to see the rear wheels easily while giving plenty of rearward visibility.
There’s nowhere to put your phone.
Cup holders are effectively behind the seats in the middle. Can only have armrest closed if nothing in cup holder. Maybe that’s why they sent me a GR86 water bottle for the door pockets?
There’s no roof mounted grab handles. And coming to think of it, no real handle on the door to close it… the door panel is just shaped with an area you can pull on.
In all, it addresses every last negative feature of the first gen car and improves it, save for the lack of phone storage.
I’m thoroughly impressed.
Fled’s FR-S 2.0 — 2022 GR86 Premium
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
First mod installed.
You want to know how I know I’m getting old?
Auto Dimming rear view mirror. The car is so low I remember being routinely blinded.
Car gets Michelin Pilot A/S 4 rubber tomorrow morning and then goes over for a full front clear bra.
You want to know how I know I’m getting old?
Auto Dimming rear view mirror. The car is so low I remember being routinely blinded.
Car gets Michelin Pilot A/S 4 rubber tomorrow morning and then goes over for a full front clear bra.
- Tar
- Chief Master Sirloin
- Posts: 14126
- Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 6:06 pm
- Drives: Beige Family Sedan sans Dent
- Location: Canuckistan
Whoa, congrats! That's hawt, love the blue so much on this car. I'm guessing from the pics that it's slightly darker/different then the blue they put on the Rav/Corolla RN (looks pastel but has a metal flake in it). Dang, I want one of these to call my own.
- Huckleberry
- Senior Chief Patty Officer
- Posts: 2415
- Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:10 am
- Drives: 2004 GTO
- Location: Hi. I'm in Delaware.
Good stuff. I definitely want to stop by a dealer and take one of these out once they become more plentiful.
- ChrisoftheNorth
- Moderator
- Posts: 47112
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 6:10 am
- Drives: 4R
Is there a mod for an auto dimming side exterior mirror? I find that really helpful on low cars.fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 06, 2022 9:15 am First mod installed.
You want to know how I know I’m getting old?
Auto Dimming rear view mirror. The car is so low I remember being routinely blinded.
Car gets Michelin Pilot A/S 4 rubber tomorrow morning and then goes over for a full front clear bra.
Desertbreh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
Detroit wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:44 amIs there a mod for an auto dimming side exterior mirror? I find that really helpful on low cars.fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 06, 2022 9:15 am First mod installed.
You want to know how I know I’m getting old?
Auto Dimming rear view mirror. The car is so low I remember being routinely blinded.
Car gets Michelin Pilot A/S 4 rubber tomorrow morning and then goes over for a full front clear bra.
I wish there was... I will likely end up with some film if it's bad enough.
I haven't driven the car on the highway at night yet... we'll see what the drive is like tomorrow night when I get the car back.
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
- Desertbreh
- Chief Master Sirloin
- Posts: 16809
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 11:31 am
- Location: Beyond Thunderdome
Sheeshfledonfoot wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:59 pmYeah, you do.
My drive home is 44 miles on a normal day. Today it was 108.
It’s fucking brilliant.
- coogles
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4985
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:52 am
- Drives: Hooptie Crotchfruit Carrier
- Location: Indianapolis
fledonfoot wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:59 pmYeah, you do.
My drive home is 44 miles on a normal day. Today it was 108.
It’s fucking brilliant.
Glad to hear you're enjoying it.
- wap
- Chief Master Sirloin of the Wasteful Steak
- Posts: 45163
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 11:52 pm
- Drives: Blue Meanie
- Location: Pepperland
fledonfoot wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:59 pmYeah, you do.
My drive home is 44 miles on a normal day. Today it was 108.
It’s fucking brilliant.
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
The blue is darker than Chief. Close to Mexico or Voodoo blue.
Another 200 fun miles today.
The car has no exhaust note.
All of the exhausts for this car are loud, boomy , drony fart boxes. I just want something with a bit of… anything. Will likely order the CounterSpace Garage Touring86 catback, which seems fairly mellow and opens up on acceleration.
Another 200 fun miles today.
The car has no exhaust note.
All of the exhausts for this car are loud, boomy , drony fart boxes. I just want something with a bit of… anything. Will likely order the CounterSpace Garage Touring86 catback, which seems fairly mellow and opens up on acceleration.
- CaleDeRoo
- Senior Master Sirloin
- Posts: 8012
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:46 pm
- Drives: C5
- Location: CLT NC
UEL header from the last gen with the factory cat back might be cool. Not sure how optimized the factory EL header is from the factory though. Might hurt performance switching.fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 9:07 pm The blue is darker than Chief. Close to Mexico or Voodoo blue.
Another 200 fun miles today.
The car has no exhaust note.
All of the exhausts for this car are loud, boomy , drony fart boxes. I just want something with a bit of… anything. Will likely order the CounterSpace Garage Touring86 catback, which seems fairly mellow and opens up on acceleration.
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
The first gen headers are generally catless. The 2nd gen header is much improved.CaleDeRoo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 10:06 pmUEL header from the last gen with the factory cat back might be cool. Not sure how optimized the factory EL header is from the factory though. Might hurt performance switching.fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 9:07 pm The blue is darker than Chief. Close to Mexico or Voodoo blue.
Another 200 fun miles today.
The car has no exhaust note.
All of the exhausts for this car are loud, boomy , drony fart boxes. I just want something with a bit of… anything. Will likely order the CounterSpace Garage Touring86 catback, which seems fairly mellow and opens up on acceleration.
HKS has a sport muffler that keeps all of the resonators and sounds ideal. I’m not looking for noise… just tone.
- coogles
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4985
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:52 am
- Drives: Hooptie Crotchfruit Carrier
- Location: Indianapolis
From the early testing I've seen, going to an UEL header gains a decent amount of mid-range but sacrifices top-end HP above ~6k.CaleDeRoo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 10:06 pmUEL header from the last gen with the factory cat back might be cool. Not sure how optimized the factory EL header is from the factory though. Might hurt performance switching.fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 9:07 pm The blue is darker than Chief. Close to Mexico or Voodoo blue.
Another 200 fun miles today.
The car has no exhaust note.
All of the exhausts for this car are loud, boomy , drony fart boxes. I just want something with a bit of… anything. Will likely order the CounterSpace Garage Touring86 catback, which seems fairly mellow and opens up on acceleration.
That said, there are options out there from the 1st gen that maintain the 4-2-1 design that apparently still produce gainz in the mid-range but don't see a drop-off in those higher RPMs.
Like this one - https://jdlautodesign.com/products/jdl- ... gth-header
- coogles
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4985
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:52 am
- Drives: Hooptie Crotchfruit Carrier
- Location: Indianapolis
fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 7:12 amThe first gen headers are generally catless. The 2nd gen header is much improved.
HKS has a sport muffler that keeps all of the resonators and sounds ideal. I’m not looking for noise… just tone.
Although I don't love the blue tips with Neptune. Would look good with Halo or WRB, hopefully there's a polished or black tip option.
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
There isn’t, unfortunately.coogles wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:57 amfledonfoot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 7:12 am
The first gen headers are generally catless. The 2nd gen header is much improved.
HKS has a sport muffler that keeps all of the resonators and sounds ideal. I’m not looking for noise… just tone.
Although I don't love the blue tips with Neptune. Would look good with Halo or WRB, hopefully there's a polished or black tip option.
May end up with the CSG/MXP exhaust which is a sub 90db cat back for a bit less scratch.
- coogles
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4985
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2016 8:52 am
- Drives: Hooptie Crotchfruit Carrier
- Location: Indianapolis
Boo. FWIW (nothing) my favorite cat-back so far from sound clips has been the Perrin.fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 4:01 pm There isn’t, unfortunately.
May end up with the CSG/MXP exhaust which is a sub 90db cat back for a bit less scratch.
- fledonfoot
- First Sirloin
- Posts: 4244
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:33 pm
- Drives: Taco Truk | Power Wheels Heep
Perrin are only making 3” exhausts for now, which are loud.coogles wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 4:08 pmBoo. FWIW (nothing) my favorite cat-back so far from sound clips has been the Perrin.fledonfoot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 13, 2022 4:01 pm There isn’t, unfortunately.
May end up with the CSG/MXP exhaust which is a sub 90db cat back for a bit less scratch.
I leave for work at 6am daily. I don’t want to wake the neighbors or sit in a drone box, given this thing ticks over at 3500rpm at 80mph on the highway... If this was a weekend car it’d be a different story.
Damn, I’m getting old.
My Mountune exhaust on the FoST was perfect. Deep and punchy but barely louder than stock, and had a great sound on hard accel.