I don't think for a moment that this car won't sell out it's volume (maybe not in the snowy regions), but this car is not going to sell totally to the type of person Toyota/Subaru is aiming for. It's going to sell a bit to enthusiasts, but like it or not, the engine is a massive disappointment and is going to be the root of the problem why this car will not sell entirely to the crowd it's intended for. This is coming from someone who had a 2000 Celica GT-S which had similar ratings. It's going to lack power to pull you out of the turns, and I'm going to suspect that the suspension isn't going to be hero-car like at all. Was my GT-S a fun to drive car? Sure, at times. If it were RWD it would have been a bit more fun to mention. But it was my first new car, and that clouded my views, even despite owning and driving faster cars prior to it.
Everyone seems to think that this thing is going to handle on rails, and it won't. Not without a real suspension on it, at least. "You don't need the power to enjoy the handling", that was the way I thought when I bought it. Then 4 years later I test drove, and immediately bought a new Evo, which has more power but it's "heavy" as some would say back then. I knew it would be faster, and it would handle better, but I was blown away how that heavier car shit on my modded out Celica in every regard.
So this brings me to my next scatter-brained rambling. Toyota/Subaru fucked up royally. This car had the potential to bring by "fun" to the Toyota name, and bring them back to the glory of their golden 90's years. This car should have at least been turbocharged and put out 260+hp. It would have been more enticing to "modder enthusiasts" for sure. And why couldn't they have done both a real performance car, and this wet noodle that's going to sell to window shoppers.
Yes, that's who's going buy up the vast majority of these cars, the uneducated window shoppers who buy a car entirely on looks and price. Now there's more rumblings than ever Toyota is going to bring back the Supra, and I believe they are, but I'm scared as hell to how they're going to shit on that name. Hell, some people still don't even know that Scion is actually a Toyota brand to this day believe it or not.
Subaru on the other hand is sitting pretty. They have a 2-door cool looking affordable car now, but they at least have the WRX and STI to fall back on for enthusiasts. And the new WRX sounds delicious if rumors are true.
The 86 will probably be around 25-26k optioned well enough in the end when it hits dealer lots. That puts it dangerously close to other cars that will match, and exceed it's performance. I would maybe consider one as a daily commuter, but that's about it. I had higher hopes for this, and once I saw the writing on the wall I started looking at alternatives.
any interior that is tailored toward the driver gets a plus from me.
i miss the curve of the supra interior.
That car was a work of art, a real drivers car on every level for it's day. Hell, even today it's respected and regarded well, and it holds up well compared to today's cars. And yes, the interior was spectacular. How Toyota went from that car to the 86 is shocking, and I have zero faith in them bringing back the Supra magic when they inevitably bring that car back.
