August 7, 2017April 25, 2018

2017 Toyota 86 – Review

August 7, 2017

The rebranded “86” is a refreshing addition to extremely limited Toyota RWD lineup. Born from the ashes of the now dead Scion brand, the 86 is the reincarnate of the FRS.

Starting as the groupthink project by Subaru and Scion, this small, affordable sports car makes a welcomed appearance in the Toyota brand. Being their only current two doors, rear wheel drive car, this addition is a clear nod to the past and the much loved Toyota Celica/Supra.

There wasn’t much that changed during the rebadge except for really the badge itself. You’ll see a few minor tweaks in places like the bumpers and lights. Toyota also did some tuning and re-gearing which is all that differentiates this from the nearly identical Subaru BRZ

The 86 is a sleek car with all the lines and shapes expected in a true sports car. It is a true back to the basics sports car. It’s a lightweight, rear wheel drive coupe, with Toyota focusing on the handling and driving experience. While it does give some much-needed choice to the entry-level sports car line, the “sports” is mostly external. The unique 2.0l flat 4 Boxer engine helps deliver a lower profile and center of gravity, making for a sportier feeling ride.

However, to get the price tag to start at only $29,580, the Toyota scrapped everything that doesn’t fit the sports car image. Unfortunately, that might have meant giving up some raw off the line power. The Toyota 86 powerhouse pushes out a very unsatisfactory 200hp with 156ft. Lbs of torque. This pushes the almost 1300kg car from 0-60 in 6.2 seconds. When compared to similarly priced but much more powerful Nissan 370z, a 332hp v6 that goes 0-60 in over a second faster, the Toyota 86 looks like less of a sports car and more of a daily driver. Except that even the 1.5L Honda Civic Si, puts out the same HP, but with much better fuel economy.

The interior is also quite minimalist. While I expect there only to be two seats in a coupe (who uses the backseat in a two-door??) the cockpit of this vehicle is severely lacking. Toyota drives home the back to basics look with a dash that would look more at home in a higher end car from 20 years ago. Many of the tech goodies found standard in cars that are half the price are missing in this vehicle. While if you’ve never had some of those features, I’m sure your driving experience wouldn’t suffer, drivers who have had the pleasure of using them may be turned off this vehicle just for that reason.

In conclusion, the Toyota 86 is a welcomed addition to the lineup. It marks the re-entry of the Toyota brand into the RWD sports car market. At the under 30k starting point this is a perfect vehicle for a young adult to get their hands on a brand new driving machine. Toyota has ensured that the focus of this car is on the driving experience, especially if you enjoy drifting more so than speed. To keep the price on the lower end, the Toyota 86 cuts out all the frills and leaves you with a fun to drive RWD coupe good for the daily grind yet still suitable for the occasional rip around some winding backroads, or the hugging some curves on the track.

Key Features:

Starting at $29,580
2.0L flat 4 Boxer engine
205hp @ 7000rpm
156 ft. lbs. torque @ 6400rpm
0-60mph in 6.2 seconds
1252kg base curb weight
Seating for 4

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2017 BMW 750i xDrive – Review

Ian Harwood

2017 BMW 750i xDrive – Review

June 19, 2017

Adopting the phrase, “luxury reinvented” the BMW 750i xDrive is giving its drivers a taste of future. The most impressive aspects of this car aren’t even directed at the driver.

Adopting the phrase, “luxury reinvented” the BMW 750i xDrive is giving its drivers a taste of future. The most impressive aspects of this car aren’t even directed at the driver. You may want to hire someone to drive you while you enjoy the roof light show and entertainment screen. This vehicle lays out an LED carpet for you as you walk towards the door. BMW has flooded this car with features to make a statement against its biggest competitor the Mercedes S-Class. It has succeeded. Accompanied by a monumental list of features are a superb driving experience and enhanced performance.

With a 4.4L twin turbo engine, this BMW 750i bolsters 445 horsepower. The sound transmitting from the exhaust demonstrates the sheer power of this machine with the appropriate luxury sound level inside the vehicle. The frame is made from lightweight aluminum, accompanied with carbon fiber accents in the body making this luxury sedan incredibly light. These innovations will reduce your co2 emissions by 25%. Fuel efficiency is decent, using the stop and start feature; the BMW 750i has a fuel rating of 14.7/100km City and 9.7. Air vents and radiator grille automatically controls the air flow to the engine bay as well as providing aerodynamics and efficiency.

Do yourself a favor and take a test drive of this BMW 750i xDrive, at night time. Wait, scratch that. Get a friend or loved one to drive this vehicle at night, while you kick back and enjoy the backseat. Like I said the most impressive aspect of this car is not directed at the person behind the wheel. BMW has put an onslaught on your senses. Beginning with smell, the 750i provides a fragrance ionizer. Its driver and passengers are treated to fermented scents all controlled by the display to increase or decrease the strength. The sense of touch; well, the display screens behind the seats, front display, and removable tablet-(yeah, removable!) all are touch screen activation. Allowing for controlling of entertainment and functionality to be conducted throughout. Did I also mention a key fob display that may be a bit unnecessary, but a unique feature that publishes a variety of vehicle information. Controlling some of the display screens can even be conducted by gestures. For your sight, an increased size of the heads up display is a subtle but valuable improvement. Taking a page from Rolls Royce, BMW has an interior light show cascading the entire roof and siding. Colors are changeable of course. Bower and Wilkens surround system will do any song justice and provides crisp quality for your hearing pleasure. This brings me to the last sense of taste. You are probably thinking to yourself; no way have they had something for that as well. Even though it isn’t highlighted anywhere in regards to this vehicle, nor have I tried it myself, but try giving the luscious leather a lick.

The overall drive of this vehicle was fantastic. It does, however, have a minor jerk when pushing the gas to take off, however, resulting in a lag. The BMW 750i has new innovative engineering with the suspension adjustments. It contains a new adaptive mode that dynamically shifts looseness suspension as you are driving which I recommend should be the default. By default it drives in a comfort setting, giving it a balloon type feel. Overall though it is a technically advanced vehicle with a list of features longer than a Donald Trump’s bizarre tweeting record. (Maybe not.) My only critique of the vehicle would be the lack of innovation to the exterior of the vehicle. I can understand keeping the classic BMW look, but maybe something with the grill or rear to have slick appearance would be good. Never the less, it’s an inventive piece of German engineering well worth the sticker price, or a test drive if you aren’t high class.

Key Features:

Price:$132,600
Monumental list of interior features
13.9/100km City
9.1/100km Highway
4.4L Twin Turbo V8