OZFT86 - Australia's 86 & BRZ portal

2012 Drive Car of the Year – Toyota 86!

OZFT86 — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 08:41:01 +0000

Toyota 86 owners will feel a little prouder today as their car has just been announced as the Drive ‘Car of the Year’ for 2012.

In a classy field of respected and competitive cars, the Toyota 86 was able to take the title thanks to its pure focus on sports car dynamics and value for money proposition. Its near identical twin, the Subaru BRZ scored roughly the same in all areas as the Toyota 86 however the higher priced BRZ spec meant the 86 was able to take the title by slimmest of margins.

The 86 was challenged in this years test for the overall title, with the Mazda CX-5 scoring highly with judges thanks to its impressive diesel engine, low fuel consumption and class leading dynamics. The korean Kia Sorento SLi and Toyota Camry Hybrid both were also in contention.

To read the full write Drive write-up of the Toyota 86′s victory here:

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/car-of-the-year/drive-car-of-the-year-toyota-86-gt-20121126-2a2tj.html

Turbo Subaru BRZ in development for 2014 release

OZFT86 — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 09:47:24 +0000

Automotive media from the USA have reported on the likely development of a turbo-charged version of the Subaru BRZ sports coupe. Sites like Automotivenews.com have claimed sources in Subaru USA have told that a turbocharged 2.0l engine is being developed utilizing a single twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection. The engine would share development and technology with that of the upcoming Subaru WRX STi.

Speculation is that the engine would be capable of generating upwards of 209kw and 340Nm of torque. For comparisons sake, that power output would be similar to that of the 6cylinder Holden Commodore SV6 (210kw,350Nm). The Subaru BRZ coupe has a nice 445kg lighter advantage than the Holden

Common critism of the under-powered BRZ/86 coupes would be well addressed with the development of a turbocharged engine. Thanks to the already light body the BRZ could potentially have paper specs of 170kw per tonne, easily beating that of the Porsche Cayman and close enough to match the Porsche 911 Carrera at 174kw/tonne. The 911 Carrera reaches the 100km/h mark in less then 4.8seconds.

While rumours of a turbo charged BRZ Sti have been circulating since March this year, this is the most recent confirmation of its development and first to state a likely delivery date of 2014. Subaru Australia has stated it is unaware of any factory backed effort in turbocharging the BRZ a this stage.

OZFT86 news: In 2013 we will be releasing some fan designed t-shirts of the BRZ/86. We are looking forward to releasing more details of these tshirts as they are being produced by local t shirt printing company, Tee Junction.

The BIG list! – Australian Subaru BRZ launch reviews

OZFT86 — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 06:38:08 +0000

Only 2 months after the well praised Toyota 86 launch, Subaru officially launched the BRZ to the Australian market. Subaru’s lead-up to the launch was ultimately quite different to Toyota Australia’s including their unique pre-selling of vehicles via a limited online order process. Only 300 vehicles, in one trim, were available to Australian buyers. The value and pricing were relatively on par with Toyota 86′s offerings, sitting between the GT and GTS models from Toyota and priced accordingly.

Media and automotive critics had extensive hands-on time with the BRZ leading up to and during the launch events. OZFT86 presents the BIG LIST of Australian reviews from print media publications, automotive magazines, online outlets and other well known critics.

CarAdvice.com.au – Subaru BRZ Review (plus Video review)

“There’s certainly no reason why the Subaru BRZ – standing for Boxer Rear-wheel-drive Zenith – can’t become as much of a cult car as the WRX.”
Read the review here: http://www.caradvice.com.au/181535/subaru-brz-review

CarPoint.com.au – 2012 Subaru BRZ Review

“Too often in the past we’ve been disappointed when the pre-release hype for a new car fails to match reality. Not so in this case – if anything the BRZ is even better than we expected.”
Read the full review here: http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-road-tests/2012_subaru_brz_review

Drive.com.au – 2012 Subaru BRZ Review plus Video review

“When it comes to outright pace the Subaru BRZ doesn’t upset the sports car status quo. Porsches are still quicker, Ferraris sexier.

But the 86/BRZ does a heck of a lot of things right, starting with making you smile without draining the bank account. It’s lively enough and punches well above its weight when it comes to genuinely impressive and capable dynamics that would embarrass some cars at 10 times the price. It’s a wonderfully agile and engaging machine that’s fun at any speed More importantly it’s a sports car without the sports car price tag.”
Read the full review here: http://news.drive.com.au/drive/new-car-reviews/new-car-review-subaru-brz-20120811-240u6.html

The Motor Report: 2012 Subaru BRZ Manual Review

“The BRZ is destined to be a classic. We’d own one in a heartbeat.”
Read the full review here: http://www.themotorreport.com.au/54637/2012-subaru-brz-manual-australian-road-test-review

GQ – Short review

“I fell in love with the whole package: the old-school- rear-wheel-drive setup, the lively steering, the ready- to-party attitude.”
Full review here: http://www.gq.com/cars-gear/cars/201204/subaru-brz-jamie-kitman

Subaru BRZ with STi options?

OZFT86 — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 09:30:54 +0000

Subaru BRZ Official Pricing Revealed

OZFT86 — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:38:57 +0000

It’s official, the Subaru BRZ rear-wheel drive sports coupe will be priced from $37,150 drive-away and available in just one spec to the Australian market.

Andrew Caie, Subaru Australia’s GM of Sales and Marketing said “We’ve introduced a single, premium grade [for the BRZ],”

Subaru aims to sit the BRZ between the GT and GTS versions of the Toyota which currently have drive-away prices of $34,200 and $39,900 respectively. While the Subaru BRZ doesn’t quite match the Toyota 86′s GT RRP of $29,990 it comes surprisingly close when one factors in the extra trim and features over the Toyota.

Compared to the Toyota 86 GTS, and like the lower specced 86 GT, the BRZ will miss out satellite GPS navigation with touch screen controls and heated leather/Alcantara upholstery as standard (although available as an option. However, the BRZ will include 3 years or 60,00km dealer servicing which would equate to $680 through Toyota’s capped priced servicing charge over the same schedule.

Exclusive to Subaru customers is the world rallying blue colour option for the BRZ, which dealers predict will be the most popular choice. Six other exterior colours are available: white, blue, silver, dark grey, red and black.

Allocated supply of BRZ’s to Australia in 2012 is said to be extremely limited. Only 150 BRZ models would be available to retailer customers through the exclusive online order process (first trialled in New Zealand as reported on OZFT86 early this year). Just over 200 were available to Australia and of those around 60 were reserved for Subaru dealership as demonstrators. Reps from Subaru Australia expressed frustration of the limited supply from Japan as they believed it could sell upwards of 50 BRZ per month over the coming months.

When asked why people might choose a BRZ over the 86, Nick Senior from Subaru Australia admitted the cars had few differences but said he believed sports car customers will appreciate the fact the BRZ is built by Subaru.

“At the end of the day customers will make up their own mind whether they will buy the Toyota or Subaru,” he says. “But because we build it we think that could be a tipping point [for the buyer to opt for the BRZ].”

Official Subaru BRZ Pricing:

Subaru BRZ Premium – Standard (Manual) – $37,150 drive-away
Subaru BRZ Premium – Standard (Auto) – $39,730 drive-away
Subaru BRZ Premium – Standard + Leather/Heated Seats (Manual) – $38,650 drive-away
Subaru BRZ Premium – Standard + Leather/Heated Seats (Auto) – $41,230 drive-away

Officla Subaru BRZ accessories:

Carpet Mat Set
Navigation UNit
Fuel Lid Garnish
Rear Under Diffuser
Rear Spoiler
Rear Step Panel
Rear Park Assist
Front Corner Assist
Boot / Spare Wheel Carpet Mat
Reverse Camera
Cigarette Lighter
Rear Bumper Aplique

For the latest scoop on BRZ pricing and availability, talk with owners and enthusiast around Australia in our Subaru BRZ forum

Australians may have to wait 18 months for Toyota 86 GTS

OZFT86 — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:11:44 +0000

Toyota Australia have sent out a bulletin to dealers and customers advising of a lengthy wait for their Toyota 86 deliveries. As a result of global demand and production delays of the 86/BRZ, Australian deliveries have been impacted severely especially for the GTS model which could see a delivery window of over 18months for current and future customers.

Have you been affected by the production delays and supply issue? Visit our forum thread on the issue here http://www.ozft86.com.au/forums/threads/gts-manual-2014-delivery.160/

Australia’s Biggest 86 Meet/Cruise to Portsea!

OZFT86 — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:44:50 +0000

Earlier today a group of Victorian Toyota dealers took out their Toyota 86′s out for a cruise around the streets of Melbourne. The initial meeting point was at Port Melbourne where they took off and headed out for a drive. The convoy of Toyota 86′s made their way down through the busy streets towards Portsea stopping for lunch at Portsea Hotel at around 1pm this afternoon.

Whether this was an excercise to create more awareness or just a chill cruise and get together, one thing’s for sure, they definitely would’ve had a blast cruising around in what is/was the biggest Toyota 86 Cruise in Australia!

June Wrap-up – Toyota 86 & Subaru BRZ articles & discussions

OZFT86 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:35:55 +0000

Here’s a wrap up of some latest news articles/features related to the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ this month from Australian publications.

Wheels Magazine – 32 page Special Feature

Where to get: Latest June edition of Wheels Magazine Australia

It’s not often Wheels magazine creates a whole seperate special feature to just one car. They did just that with the Toyota 86 with a 32 page special edition booklet that comes with the latest June edition of Wheels magazine. While some may think that Toyota may have had a influence in creating this, the article and pieces are quite unbiased and independent. It leads on well from their previous edition ‘Toyota beats Porsche’ and include in-depth looks into the corporate and technical background of the car.

Toyota 86: Dealers Cashing-in

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/toyota-86-dealers-cashingin-20120627-211q4.html

A Fairfax reporter apparently conducted some mystery shopping test with a handful of dealers. He found one had offered him an earlier delivered Toyota 86 for a $2,000 premium. While this can not be interdependently verified cases like this have happened with Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 dealers in the USA where demand is still red hot and supply limited. It seems like the sample size of dealers they surveyed was very small.

Drive: Toyota 86 shootout vs Mazda MX5 and Renault RS250 Megane

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/new-car-comparison/toyota-86-shootout-86-v-mazda-mx5-v-renault-rs250-20120608-200xs.html

One of the first shoot-out comparisons conducted in Australia. This time vs local sport car rivals the Mazda MX5 and Renault RS250.

Launch Day Reviews: As featured previously on OZFT86.com.au

http://www.ozft86.com.au/toyota-86-reviews-launch-day/

Interesting Forum Discussions

Join hundreds of Toyota 86/BRZ owners, enthutiast and vendors in Australia’s 86 community forums

Toyota 86 Collectors Items and Memorabilia

OZFT86 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:55:12 +0000

With the massive hype that has been generated by the launch of the 86, Toyota along with other companies have shown us a huge range of items and memorabilia.

Ranging from ordinary to extravagant there is a wide range of items that would make any collector go crazy!

What would you add to your collection or what should they make?

A standard looking keyring with the renowned 86 emblem on an unusual pink background.

How about a glass and coaster set for those times when you have guests over?

Use these to keep the weather and dust away. Wonder what might be hiding underneath that?

Need some 86 Style in your life? Now you can rock it with some of these awesome shoes!

Here’s a way you can bring out the inner geek in you. One what you can look cool AND smart.

Into collecting model cars? No way you can pass these babies up!

Ultimate in rocking it 86 style! Citizen teamed up with Toyota to release this range of watches. Available in 3 different colours.

For those times you need a pick me up you’ve got the GT86 Energy Drink!

We’re sure we’ve missed a lot but if you’ve got something that we missed, share it with us!

OZFT86 Victorian Meet Pictures

OZFT86 — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 01:56:03 +0000

Earlier this week OZFT86 had the first 86 Meet in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Many Victorians braved the cold and windy weather to finally see the Toyota 86. For many this would have been the first time that they were able to see this in the flesh. The Toyota 86 at the meet was a Manual GTS in the amazing Pegasus White color owned by i_love_Touge on the OZFT86 forums.

A great meet had by all and solid turnout. Thanks to everyone for coming out despite the cold weather. Next meet we should be expecting more cars and better weather!