Owner Review: Pure driving excitement and enjoyment - My 2012 Toyota GT86 in Malaysia

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Basic information

2012 Toyota GT86 2.0L

Reason why I bought this car

The funny thing about it is that. I never wanted to buy this car. I owned an S15 as my first car and let my friend test drive which did not end well. Fortunately, I had insurance coverage and manage to claim back most of what I have lost. After I lost my first and only car, I had to find a replacement which will be an RWD daily manual sports coupe with decent fuel economy.

My S15 before it was totaled 

Car selection process

• I had a budget of 60k cash or 100k loan
• Models that I have considered include: Honda Integra DC2, Civic FC, Jazz, Toyota MRS, Nissan S15, R32 GTS-T and finally ... King of the road Myvi

User experience

• I have done about 50,000 KM.
• My average fuel consumption is 9L/km

The year is 2017 and it was a tough choice really, GT86 wasn't even my first choice since it's neither here nor there in terms of performance. It is mediocre the least to say. Then again I wasn't keen on going back to old school JDM anymore since the maintenance cost is higher than newer cars due to wear and tear, FWD is boring for me since I drove my mum's Waja throughout my college life, compact cars (Kei cars) are quite easy to go around town and maneuver in tight spaces since my house car porch is small but the lack of manual 6-speed option turns me off.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Tons of aftermarket mods available
• Superb handling
• Good RWD learner car
• Surprisingly good fuel economy
• Its a Toyobaru, spare parts are cheap and easy to attain

Cons

• Faulty throw out bearing for manual variants 
• Electric power steering may not be as responsive for some people/driving style 
• Torque dip in the FA20 configuration 
• An Axia can overtake it easily - Bumper gap due to design fault
• Understeer apparent in a supposedly RWD car 
• Racun itu benar

Ratings

Total Score: 3
Performance: 3
Quality & Features: 3
Space: 2
Ride Comfort: 3
Fuel Economy: 4
Price & Cost: 4

Summary

TLDR; The GT86 wasn't on my list of preferred cars but after sitting in one and experiencing the way it drives, it's really difficult to go for another RWD sports coupe that handles as well as this does. It's a good all-rounder and good learner car for those interested in motorsports. Just don't delve too deep into the local GT86/BRZ Facebook page or you will be stuck in an endless loop of modification and empty wallet every month.

Lastly, are there any interesting event(s) that happened to your car that you would like to share?

Well, my first mod was an equal length header from Tomei which I purchased off RHDJapan. Now mind you that when I first started buying parts for my S15 it was still GST and not SST, the import taxes were peanuts too in comparison back then. I bought it at a discounted price of RM3800 including delivery charges and had it shipped to Johor, Malaysia. At the time it arrived in Malaysia, I received a call from the delivery company which asked me to pay a total of RM1200 in taxes before they could release it out of the port and send it to my address. To my dismay, I asked how come I have to pay almost 40% in taxes when I only had to pay 6% last time? To which the abang sigh out loud and asked me when was my last transaction from overseas, then I realized my mistake. Until this day it is a running joke in the local 86/BRZ community that I have the most expensive header in the SEA region.

The most expensive Tomei equal length header in SEA, totaling RM5,000

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