[LiamH66]

It had actually arrived with the dealer within a few weeks, but I didn't have a chance to collect it until yesterday. I'd never driven one, just knew it would be my sort of thing.
What an incredibly nice little sports car. I've driven lots of interesting cars, Jag XK120 to Ferarri 512 TR, and pretty well everything in between. Driving position and road feel is incredibly "Porsche-like", and whilst waiting at the dealer for the salesman to arrive noticed in the"coffee table" book that this was intentional. I've not really nailed it, as I'll give it 500 miles to settle in before exploring very high revs, but it has a nice little torque surge between 3 and 4 K that gets you around at traffic speed. Then a gap, then it picks up and goes again from 5 K. I know why they've done this, and I like it like that.



At the time of ordering the short-list was down to the Toyota or a used Cayman.I knew I wanted the driving experience of the Cayman, but really needed something that was easier to own (insurance, servicing costs, tyres, etc.). I was also worried that if anyone I know saw me in a Porsche they'd think I'd turned into a complete ^*&^. Great cars, but their owners doinclude a disproportionate number of them.



The GT86 gives the best of one world (ownership), and is close enough to the driving experience that I'm happy. I'm wondering if it's not actually a little better than the Porsche in some ways - if it's not the best car I've ever driven, I'd have to say it's the nicest. For a £25K base price for a brand newcar, that just seems ludicrous.



One very happy Liam - think I might go for another drive now!

 

[Angel C]

Nice one, interesting to hear the comparison to owning a Porsche. I'd toyed with the idea of getting a second hand Boxster but when the GT86 appeared on the horizon it just wiped out all thoughts of everything else.

Talking of going for a drive, it's a nice looking morning and I was going to give the GT a wash down but I think I'm going to go for a drive first and get a few more dozen miles off the run-in.

 

[Senna]

He, he, - I know where you are coming from Liam.

I too, toyed with the idea of a Cayman R, but though it was lovely and very quick, it just didn't seem to warrant £50-60k.

The GT86 has similar handling, albeit less power but much more fun.

I would be having 'the vapours' every time I parked the R in public...

 

[TripleRich]

Fantastic, good to see everyone loving their car.

I let my dad have a drive around some of the local backroads yesterday, his face said it all

 

[LiamH66]

I took my Dad with me to pick my one up. Went from Colwyn Bay to Ruthin via Corwen and Lllangollen, taking in theHorseshoe and Nant-y-Garth passes. He didn't fancy driving as he only likes auto boxes nowadays.


Got a held up by traffic on the Horseshoe Pass, but had a clear run at the Nant-y-Garth. He had to dash into a petrol station toilet when we got into Ruthin, complaing that I brake too late and too little for corners. To be honest, I really wasn't trying very hard, but he was gone for a while! Very easy car to get to do what you want, and I think once I'm properly used to it will be able to pedal it down twistynational speed limit roads pretty briskly. The nice thing is that it's not fast enough in a straight line to tempt me into going totally berserk.



Liam

 

[tank commander]

hi liam welcome,i traded in a 310 bhp audi s3 for mine,and was not completely sure if i had done the right thing,but the more i drive the gt the more i like it,ie having to actually drive the car,instead of pressing the throttle as hard as you can and holding on and never knowing when the audi just might let go and then kill you,because your doing crazy speeds,and by the way if you nail the gt above 5000 revs it aint no slouch,loads of feedback so you know your limits,im sure you will enjoy the car just as much as i am.

 

[Keethos]

Congrats Liam and glad your leap of faith paid off like I thought it would. Any true enthusiast has to love this car, maybe not for all their own reasons but at least for what the car is trying to achieve. It is annoying when people who sl*g this car off are people who don't even give it a try, and true carenthusiast wouldn't just disregard a car just because they think it lacks in power.

 

[a18ttc]

Well done, you have chosen wisely and drank from the correct grail.

 

[Senna]

I had some fun yesterday, driving on the A49 in south Cheshire - though it began with me being put in my place by a 911 (GT3 RS, I think) which overtook me on the straight and when he changed into 6th, he spun his wheels at 110 Mph+ - so ferociously that his rear tyres stripped up the white paint from the centre road markings! I am running in so allowed his Evo8 & Lotus Elise buddies through without resistance.

Later however, (same road, but opposite direction) I had a dice with 2 big superbikes that ate me on the straights, but really struggled to keep up / ahead on the multiple double S bends... I don't think they could believe the grip I had ! I destroyed the gap they had built on the straights very quickly indeed.

Edited by: Senna

 

[ICantAffordAnLFA]

what you are saying is even more evident on track and I have been able to keep up with some, on-paper, faster metal quite easily.

later braking, higher speed through the curves; that is where the advantage lies.


with more grunt down the straights it would be a real tool.

 

[Senna]

what you are saying is even more evident on track and I have been able to keep up with some, on-paper, faster metal quite easily.

later braking, higher speed through the curves; that is where the advantage lies.


with more grunt down the straights it would be a real tool.

Yes... - I bet my local circuit (Oulton Park) would be ideal for this car.
As you say, if only there was a bit more grunt...I recently had a remapped new-type Seat Leon Cupra that I ran at a track day at Oulton, - it was the opposite... I whooshed past Lotus Elises like a fighter plane on the straights (had over 300 Bhp) but was no match on the corners!

 

[malcolmgt86]

Mallory Park also a good circuit I'd have thought. Lol - my V8 TR7 track car much the same. Lots of speed in a straight line, but rubbish in the corners. It was fun to slide the rear end out but didn't do my lap times any good....