Skip to main content

Running errands in the Toyota 86RC


Photo by Ted Baghurst
This week started with quite a surprise when I was thrown the keys to Toyota's 86RC media car for a photoshoot for Driven. Now most people assume that because I work for a motoring magazine I get to go for a hoon in flash cars all the time. Takes a bit of explaining to get through that I normally am sitting in front of a computer and very rarely get invited along to photoshoots...

Anyway, while driving the 86 up and down Auckland's North Head and trying to drive as incognito as possible along the motorway on the way back to the office I got to thinking what the RC moniker in 86RC means.

Toyota is selling the RC as an internet only, stipped down version (if you don't customise at all) of the incredibly popular GT 86 that the buyer can fully customise to their tastes and needs. The main idea behind the stripped out RC mainly being that with the new single make race series on the horizon people will be buying them, ripping out most of the interior and chucking in a rollcage for the track.

My in car train-of-thought naturally progressed to this, what do you actually need to do to get yourself onto the track to have a blast?

So I've decided to explore this over the next couple of weeks. Starting with the basic track day next week.

'Til then, here's a vid about the 86 and its inspiration. The AE86 Corolla. Presented by a different English guy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maxxis Bravo AT 771 Review

Watch the 3-year ownership review on Youtube! I've owned a set of Maxxis' Bravo AT771 tyres for 3 years now, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on them. Firstly, I didn't buy these tyres after doing any research on them. Truth be told, I'd never even heard of Maxxis before buying these! But with the stipulation that I wanted a set of All Terrain tyres for my Forester in 215/65R16, and that I didn't want to pay over $1500 for them. I ended up paying $1000 fitted and balanced. I took a punt on the 'Mackies' as I've started to call them, and I've got to be honest, I've been pretty happy with them. Sure, they don't look as cool as other All Terrain models out there, but they've worn well and haven't given me any headaches in the 3 years I've had them. The Good Stuff The AT771s have proven to be a really good match for the Subaru in the sand, which is primarily where they've been used apart from highw...
Post a Comment
Read more

Aprilia SR125 Review

  Aprilia’s motto is “ desined  for racers, built for riders” – but does that translate to their scooter range?   I’ll admit that even with my  usual  level of enthusiasm  at collecting a shiny new bike , I wasn’t expecting a heck of a lot from Aprilia’s SR125  “ Motard ” scooter  out of the box.    After grabbing it from  Bayride  Motorcycles in Tauranga – straight off the showroom floor no less – with just 1km reading on the digital display,  I was expecting  my 80km ride home along the state highway  network  to take  much longer than the norm.   However, to my surprise, the little Aprilia not only made the trip in easy fashion, it hit the legal highway  speed  limit straight out of the box! An impressive feat, considering it was still – technically –   running in when I handed it back and was pushing a top speed which, at times, would  get a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

#RoadTest: 2015 Aprilia ETX-150 review

With the introduction of the Learner Approved Motorcycles Scheme (LAMS) in 2012, new riders have far more choice in bikes than ever before. But has that extra variety and choice come at the cost of incredibly fun and thrifty, smaller capacity bikes? I’m not sure about the statistics, but in my own anecdotal view, it has. While I’ve noticed more people in my social circle taking up riding, not one has started with a sub 250cc motorcycle, even when their commuting needs don’t require the power and torque of a mid-sized bike. As a result, I’ve come to the conclusion that small capacity commuters are seriously underrated in terms of fun and ability. Jumping on the Aprilia ETX-150 for the first time I, like many, made a judgement about how the little Aprilia would ride based solely on the bike’s capacity. That 150 printed on the side cowling, in my mind, meant ‘no fun, gutless, and boring’. How wrong I was… The first thing you notice with the ETX-150 is not the size of the engine b...
Post a Comment
Read more