Group Test - GT86 vs 370Z vs Cayman

Soldato
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I think it's indicative of how we have recently become addicted to unnecessary levels of straight-line performance that we think a car which does 0-60mph in 7.4sec (Autocar figures) is plain slow

This point struck me the most.

It's true, I thought the GT86 would be a boring coupé that severely lacked in power. But a slight change of mind, I think I'd much prefer a car which offered fun driving experience and excellent handling ability over a top trumps "0-60 time" and "top speed" kind of figures.

Also the Cayman has really attractive purchase figures, shame about running costs!!
 
i cant beleive there is a debate whether it is fast enough.

have mx5s been fast enough? but theyve all been awesome.

going quickly in a straight line really is one of the most basic motoring enjoyments, its definitely not the be all and end all
 
Mazda could easily have made the mx-5 faster, Toyota could have made the last Celica faster, but they didn't because they didn't have to. The gt86 looks seriously good fun in that video. Definitely worth a test drive! The looks have grown on me. Two questions for Toyota:

1. Why is the engine note not great? Surely you want to be wringing its neck and getting aural pleasure while you're flinging it along a B road?

2. Why so expensive? Is there really a gap in the new car market at £23k-£28k for this car? There are plenty of other options.

I do wonder if Toyota are planning any hotter versions or is this car made for people to modify themselves?
 
Considering how much Harris hates the mx-5 for being

http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Monkey-Harris/blogs/index.cfm/2011/2/7/CHRIS-HARRIS-The-Mazda-MX-5-is-pants-ducks

i'm slightly confused about his love for the GT86, but still I love the fact that hes fighting its corner


I'm confused entirely by that video.

He says the GT86 is:

Not quick.
cheap inside.
5 to 8 grand too expensive.
And if it was his money he would buy a second hand Caymen.

The actual conclusion he comes to, but doesnt actually say it in all the waffling on about loose back ends and the way a car makes you feel, is that it its a fun little coupe that's too expensive for what it is.

This somehow comes out of his mouth as "the GT86 is the new messiah of motoring reasonably pacey expensive coupes are the way forward"

I prefer the old ways of reviewing a car, where they told you:
How fast it is.
How it handles.
All the boring stuff, seats, radio, options blah blah blah.

Is it worth the money Y/N

This trend for hours and hours of unquantifiable nonsense before they tell you it might or might not be the type of car you want really is starting to get on my nips.
 
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MX5 is slow
MX5 is cheap inside
MX5 maybe too expensive

Makes you feel great though, puts a smile on my face each time i drive it even if it's probably not the best at anything but the sum of it's good bits make it a hoot. This is what 'feel' relates too I think, it's subjective but so is opinion on which car is best.
 
I wish Chris Harris could take Richard Hammonds place on Top Gear.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that, hes not a presenter like RH, but I certainly think they could do far worse than get him on to do some of the car reviews hes very interesting to watch in a car and comes across as authentically knowledgeable.
 
Don't know about others, but I don't need or want somebody else telling me what car I want.
I value the monkeys opinions though because he's a proper driver and tells us what it's like to drive flat out, not what it's like to mince around in.
 
This trend for hours and hours of unquantifiable nonsense

This is exactly what I want to see because all the quantifiable nonsense is quantified on the website of the manufacturer in question.

I can look up how fast and how frugal a car is, i've no interest in watching someone spend 15 telling me all the information I can look at myself, I want them to relay what the car feels like, how it drives, how much fun it is, because those are the things you can't note down in a handy table on a website.
 
I always look forward to a Chris Harris video, think I'm slightly obsessed with him at the moment.

Would love to review cars as a part time thing, which probably doesn't exist.
 
MX5 is slow
MX5 is cheap inside
MX5 maybe too expensive

Makes you feel great though, puts a smile on my face each time i drive it even if it's probably not the best at anything but the sum of it's good bits make it a hoot. This is what 'feel' relates too I think, it's subjective but so is opinion on which car is best.


I have no opinion on the car in question, but what usually happens when someone reviews an MX5 is you get told its the best small two seater on the market bar none, a brilliant handling car and has just enough power.

On a side note, a 2.0 MX5 is almost as fast as a GT86, a tiny bit slower, and the roof comes off.

Plus its 5 grand cheaper.
 
This is exactly what I want to see because all the quantifiable nonsense is quantified on the website of the manufacturer in question.

I can look up how fast and how frugal a car is, i've no interest in watching someone spend 15 telling me all the information I can look at myself, I want them to relay what the car feels like, how it drives, how much fun it is, because those are the things you can't note down in a handy table on a website.

But you dont know how it drives.

You know how it makes him feel, one mans seat of the pants just quick enough coupe which is the best thing since sliced bread, might see you spending £28k on something you find to be a twitchy, slow coupe thats lack of pace you find seriously frustrating.

Say what the car is, straight up, no waffle.

You can get across how a car drives, by just, telling us how it drives.
 
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But you dont know how it drives.

You know how it makes him feel, one mans seat of the pants just quick enough coupe which is the best thing since sliced bread, might see you spending £28k on something you find to be a twitchy, slow coupe thats lack of pace you find seriously frustrating.

Say what the car is, straight up, no waffle.

You have a much better idea than you do from looking at a spec sheet, but like any car purchase, you'd be mental to not test drive it first.

Either way, it's a damn sight more interesting than watching someone drone about how many radio stations the stereo can store and what the exact litre capacity of the boot is.

The style of video in the OP is absolutely spot on IMO.
 
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