Bucket Seat: Toyota GR86

When building a great sports car, one of the fundamentals behind the design is to give the car perfect balance. Some would argue that power is all that matters but without balance, you're not going to be able to do those high speeds or do it comfortably. When Toyota first launched the 86 coupe, it was brought in as an affordable sports coupe for the purist, powered by a 2.0L Subaru sourced 4cylinder Boxer engine. It wasn't the fastest but with its design and low center of gravity, it proved to be quite a hit with many purely coming back to the fact that they managed to obtain a perfect balance and feel with the car. I got the opportunity to spend a week with the second generation 86 coupe which now dons the Gazoo Racing badge to see if they've managed to keep that balance and feel, along with a little bit more oomph from that new engine. 

DESIGN

The team at Subaru and Toyota again joined forces to produce a new look to the 86, while keeping the shape generally the same, the car has grown in length and width. The front styling is more distinctly Toyota with the rear very Subaru. The design is sleep with the front end having larger front headlamps with LED tech and day time running lights. The hood is more slanted and has a big gaping grille to allow for cooling to the engine bay. There is two angular air scoops with a black border that's directed at the front wheels for brake cooling with a matching air outlet behind the wheel arch, while these are functional, they add a very sporty look to the car. Certain angles when looking at the 86, it gives off Porsche Cayman vibes which isn't a bad thing if you ask me. The rear end is also very neatly designed with various height changes coming down from the back winds shield that tapers onto the boot lid, a nice little scoop style spoiler wraps around the curved edge with a solid black line that runs across the width and ties into the rear lights which have LED inserts for the indicators. The bottom diffusor is blacked out with twin round tailpipes on either end and like the previous generation 86, it features reflectors at the center. 18-inch 10-spoke blacked out rims adorned the GR86 which provides a great contrast to the bright red colour it is. The interior almost looks like a carbon copy of the old until you start inspecting it closely, you'll find that the design is actually better with a larger tub and great use of materials and textures adding to the sporty look. 

PERFORMANCE

The new GR86 is powered by a 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated boxer engine from Subaru that generates 174kW and 250Nm of peak torque, all which is fused to a 6-speed manual short shifting gearbox that will have you grinning like Eskom just announced no load shedding over the long weekend. Look, I can't guarantee you the no load shedding part but this car will bring you tonnes of enjoyment. When I was talking about balance in the start of this review, getting behind the wheel of the GR86 will tell you all you need to know about it, it's effortless in steering which is perfect as your one hand will be on the gear knob and the other maneuvering the wheel around the bends. Yes! That is just how good this car is, I very rarely found myself having the need to be ten-to-two with it because of its sporty nature and high torque, when going at it around the twisty's this car just comes into its element. Toyota's catch phrase for it is "born to perform" and my word does it live up to it. The D4-S dual injection engine allows for more aggressive throttle performance which gives it a grunt of note. It's quick off the mark and picks up speed on the straight well, it's top end speed isn't the greatest but as I found when driving the car, straight roads isn't it's play ground, throw some bends in and it will be leaving the competition in it's dust. 

COMFORT

It's a sports car, so its not meant to be comfortable, it's low to the ground which means getting in and out can be tricky for someone like me but you know what, i didn't care one bit. The sport seats are nice though, snug fit with extra padding means you and the front passenger have a nice comfortable chair to be in, to make it more fancy, they threw in two setting seat warmers! The dash is well laid out, lots of plastic used, I presume for weight saving purposes, while it is good quality plastic, I feel that could have changed things up with the introduction of some suede here and there. There's a large touch screen infotainment display that has built-in mobile apps that is only accessible via USB, this is located in the large center storage compartment. There's dual zone climate control which is controlled by the three dials below the screen, these have built-in LCD's that display the temperature and fan speeds. The flick switch type controls below are for the other AC controls such as demister and aircon modes. The three pedals and finished off in machined steel with large holes to complete the racing car look. The GR badge is prominent on the bottom of the wheel with multi-function controls for radio and telephone. The instrument cluster is digital with the rev counter large and in center to give you that ultimate Adrenalin boost when revving this bad boy up. The rear seats, if I could call them that isn't design for human seating if I'm being honest, apart form the space being really limited, it's not really comfortable as the front seats. It's better used for additional storage should the boot not be big enough. The back rests do drop to extend the luggage hold. While the boot is shallow, with the seats dropped I did manage to get two sets of golf clubs in there. 

VERDICT

I love this car, while many may dub is as a baby Supra I think that is doing an injustice to it. The GR86 has its own character and appeal. The amount of fun this car can bring you as a motoring purist is unparamount. I think due to it being a fiesty little sports car with brilliant handling, it gives you the type of exciting driving that you don't need to being going extremely fast. The near perfect weight distribution is adds to the thrill of the balance, the design of the car is sculpted for speed and with the GR badge added to the mix, it's got heritage behind it. While Subaru opted not to bring in their version of the car to our shores, I can understand why, with the Toyota badge on it along with the Gazoo Racing backing, this model would be the clear winner in sales. I don't know what else to tell you about this car but I'll tell you this, the night before I was handing it back, I just got off my couch at 8pm and decided to take a 60km drive up the North coast in Durban, just to make sure I got one last good joy ride out of it. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.4L flat-four petrol boxer engine
Gear Box	6-speed manual
Torque	250Nm
Power	174W
0-100km/h	6.4 seconds
Price	R733,500*

*base price 

 

Bucket Seat: The new BMW 4 Series

It's been a hot topic for the past few months in the motoring world, will BMW really have that massive grille on the new 4 Series? Well last night it was confirmed, as BMW announced the reveal of their second generation premium midsize coupe which will be launched globally in October this year. Amongst all the noise, the design of the new BMW 4 Series is unique and distinctive, separating itself from the rest of the line up with key design characteristics that is true to this model only. With most of their latest designs, there's always one aspect that gets a lot of attention, that is the grille. For the first time in a long time BMW have chosen to elongate the iconic kidney grille, which harks back to sports models of the past from the brand. There's an element of history and nostalgia to this and in my opinion it looks fantastic. The overall design is sharper and has a lot of character compared to the out going model which simply follows the lines of its 3 Series sibling. The wider body line, more aggressive front and smooth back really make the new 4 Series Coupe look agile and capable. 

Engine wise, the range will be flagshipped by a 440i xDrive which has a six-cylinder in-line petrol engine delivering 275kW and 374bhp. Two other petrol engines will be available in four-cylinder configurations with another diesel option. BMW will make use of mild hybrid technology for the six cylinder engines which will help reduce emissions as well as fuel economy. A big plus with the new 4 Series is that the diesel engines will have two-stage turbocharging. The gearbox that will be fitting in these cars is an eight-speed Steptronic with optional sport transmission available as an extra. 

Interior wise, not much is different from the G20 3 Series with similar styling and cockpit design, I'm glad they kept it this way as its a form that works, the large 10.25" infotainment screen is easily navigable either by touch screen on the joggle dial, the digital instrument cluster is also available as an optional extra on the 4 Series, I feel that this feature should have been standard on this model, seeing that it is a sports model but any way to keep the price down I guess. The car comes loaded with all the fancy tech and the list of optional extras that we've come to known with BMW over the past year, nothing really sticks out as new. The car will be made available in the various packages with the M Sport being the most popular as always, they have even launched a range of M Sport parts for the model. Overall the model looks good, there's still a while to go before sales start around the world, so maybe by then the emotions over the radical design of the grille would have died down. I can see this one doing well in the market, the lines on the model are simply breathtaking and synonymous of coupe's that hark from Italian shores. 

Bucket Seat: BMW Concept 4

Yesterday at the 68th annual Frankfurt Motorshow saw BMW unveil their Concept 4 which their upcoming 4 Series model line up will be heavily based on. IAA being one of the biggest motor shows on the European continent, and with it being in Germany serves as the ideal platform for German brands to flaunt their latest ideas and models. On Monday we saw VW and Audi flaunt their showcase, with the show stopping RS7 being unveiled and VW's electric model ID.3. With BMW eager to get the crowds just excited, they could not have chose a better model to do it with, the Concept 4 is simply stunning, the design harks back to BMW racing legends in the past, molded by heritage and sculpted by the future. It's sharp angles and straight lines give it that racing stance which is required on a sports coupe but still maintains that level of elegance that BMW somehow always achieve. 

The high door line gives the overall vehicle a sleek look and with the sides flaring to the wheel arches adds bulk to the waist of the car. The roof is more sloped than what we're used to with BMW Coupes and the elegant window line outlined in metal give the car added dimension. However, the major talking point about this car is the rather large vertical kidney grilles, personally I think it works well with the car. As mentioned before, the design draws lots of inspiration from BMW's of the past and if you look at the 3.0 CSL, the 2002 GT, all had vertical kidney grille's, granted not as large but vertical none the less. It's the not the first time we're seeing massive grille's from BMW and it's a sign of the direction their design language is heading. I don't see why many are making it a big issue, other manufacturers also have large grilles on their cars but don't get as much flack, in fact, the likes of Lexus are applauded for it. 

Anyway, Adrian van Hooydonk, who is the senior Vice President of the BMW Group Design says "The BMW Concept 4 embodies the aesthetic essence of the BMW brand. It combines perfect proportions with clear and precise design." BMW say that up to 85% of what we see in the Concept 4 will be what the production model 4 Series will look like, and I love it, I hope they keep the flares that adorn the sides which have carbon moldings that are in a shape of a 4. No imagines of the interior has been shown as yet but it should be very similar to the 3 Series. Overall the Concept 4 is a very exciting model and hearing that significant amount will be kept for the next generation 4 Series does excite many. 

Bucket Seat: BMW Concept 8 Series

When BMW AG broke the news that the 6 Series production line had stopped, it meant one two things, we were never going to see the super luxury coupe again or something new and better was coming. Thankfully it was the latter, late last night the German manufacturer lifted the covers on its long awaited return of the 8 Series Coupe and, its magnificent! With rivals Mercedes Benz taking the market by storm with their S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, BMW knew they had to do something to persuade their current clientele and new prospective buyers with something equally great or better than what the competition has. 

And suffice to say, they didn't just do that but they hit the ball out of the park with this one. The BMW Concept 8 Series is something to behold. It's bold, its sleek, it's something that personifies what BMW has planned for the brand in the coming years. Whats even more great about it, is that BMW say that this concept, is very close to what we can expect in the production car next year. Yes, this car will be made and much of what you are seeing here will be in it! 

The design is something completely new from them and BMW say it will influence their product range going forward in terms of design and technology. It also signals BMW's interest in making a move to a higher market in terms of their offering. Being the new range topper from the stable. the Concept 8 Series takes a swipe at luxury sports cars such as Porsche and Aston Martin, so it will be very interesting to see what the final product is and how close it is to the concept. 

The Concept 8 Series also has a new user interface which will follow in the brands lower segments. It see's a new interior layout, which is clean, sleek and very much driver focused and super luxurious while still maintaining key elements that made their simplistic but rational design great in the past. The driver has a full digital cockpit with the ability to view almost any information on it, including the navigation map. No word on whether the car will have the XDrive system which is offered on other high end sports models from them but there is no doubt this one will be fast!

Bucket Seat: BMW 640d Gran Coupe

BMW first introduced their "Gran Coupe" in the 6 series variant, the 6 series was a purpose made sports coupe, do at the time people thought a 4 door version of the super saloon would be cool, and I was one of them. But my obsession with the 6 series Gran Coupe was more than just the thought of it being cool, for me the car showed BMW's intent on making a statement. The 6 Series was by far one of the most luxurious Coupes on the market and with it's radical styling, one that got you noticed wherever you may go. With it's large headlights, protruding kidney grille in front of that long bonnet, it really looked sleek. 

With the Gran Coupe being launched, it wasn't just about adding 2 extra doors, there was the whole sports limousine feel to the car. Yes while the car remained a drivers car, with it's coupe like stature, the occupants at the back could sit in comfort with a variety of options offered to them in the car. Being a Coupe, the car comes in a 2+2 configuration, which basically means, 2 seats in the front and 2 seats in the back, the center console for the back passengers houses the controls for their own dual climate control, which means the car has 4 aircon zones, one for each passenger. 

Style

I could really go on all day about the styling of this car, the original 6 Series which got a lot of flack since it was one the brain child designs of controversial designer Chris Bangle, but for me it gave birth to something special in BMW history, it steered the design path of the company into a new direction and from that car, the new 6 Series adapted many of the styling but with bolder detailing and sharper edges. The car still maintains that coupe like shape, albeit a bit longer, the large wheels give that sporty and aggressive look, even though the car I had came in the luxury kit. The large flared bumpers, finished off in the back with twin chrome tail pipes just added the finishing touches to this brilliant piece of moving art.

Performance

Where do I start? Okay lets chat about the engine, yes the badge does say 640d but lets not get ahead of ourselves, it is a 3 litre twin power turbo diesel engine but we all know what power BMW generates from them. 230kW and 630Nm of torque! With that car weighing close to 2 tons, all that torque comes in handy, but it still lacks in take off as the turbo lag really is quite evident when driving in Comfort setting. Switch over to Sport or Sport+ and that problem is non existent but then you unleash a whole lot of mayhem! Tyres spinning, the most beautiful noise you have ever heard from a diesel engine, with the deep hum and then the torque thrusting you back into your exclusive nappa leather seats. The engine keeps delivering the more you ask of it and it's actually quite scary how it builds up speed. Being a big car and rear wheel drive, the back does get slippery when taking bends and throwing down the hammer, so that's one to be-careful of, but if executed properly it is proper fun!

Comfort

While with the car, someone asked me how would I describe the comfort of this car, yes it's much lower than most of BMW's high end saloons but it's keeping to it's Coupe heritage and you can understand why the Germans opted for it to be like this but it doesn't hamper the ride quality at all and if one had to compare it to any other model in the BMW stable, I would say it's in the same league as it's bigger brother the 7, which ultimately what the 6 is based on, it's the 2 door version of the 7 and not the 5 as many might think so. The car is also loaded with tech, as mentioned before, the quad zone aircon, there is also heated seat option for the passengers, a full glass moonroof with just a tilt function and memory seats. The rear passengers have sufficient space and the limousine feel is completed with electronic blinds for each of them at the back.

Storage
Even though it's a coupe, don't be fooled, there is plenty space for you to store your stuff. From the interior cubby, to the split door center console opening, which is large enough to store a lot of things. The boot space is huge, large eought to store your holiday luggage and it has a peep hole type of door to gain access to it from the back seats.

Extras

I hope you're sitting down and reading this because you might fall if you're not, the car came loaded with extras, R300K worth of them! Yes, that is a lot but if you are someone who's spending this type of money on a car, trust me, every single one is worth it. The one that stood out for me was the Bang & Olufsen high end surround sound system. My god, it's like having symphony orchestra in your car. Sound quality bar none, it truly is magic to your ears. Another cool extra is the park assist, which essentially parks the car for you, yes it's available on many other models but when in the 6 GC, I think you're going to need this one. Since you're sitting much lower, and with the long bonnet, the cameras and PDC's will help you only so much when getting in and out of tricky parking spots, this on the other hand does it for you. Other handy extras are the Adaptive LED's, Active Steering control, BMW Connected Drive, Lane Assist, High Beam Assist and Soft close for the doors seeing that they are frameless, you don't want anyone slamming them shut. 

Verdict
Yes, the price tag for this car is heafty but if you look at the car you getting for the price you pay, very little comes into comparisn. The touches and finishes are nothing short of sublime and the car oozes luxury and sportiness in every aspect of it's nature. It can change from being a cruiser to an agressive tarmac munching machine. So in essencee it offers the best of both worlds and with the diesel engine, one can experience great fuel economy. For me, even before driving the car, this was my favourite car offered in the SA market and after driving it, it just validated this point for me. 

Specifications

• 3 litre, 6 cylinder TwinPower Turbo
• 8 speed steptronic automatic gear box
• 230kW
• 630Nm torque
• Consumption: 5,5ltr/ 100km
• Top Speed: 250kph
• 0-100kph: 4.9 seconds 
• Price: R1 182 500 (excluding extras) R 1 406 017 (including extras)