November 1, 2021 - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Toyota Announces Global Launch Of The All-New GR86

vuyi on November 1, 2021

The long-awaited Toyota GR86 is now available for sale in Japan but we’ll have to wait till 2022 to find out when it will be available in South Africa.

Press Release: Toyota South Africa Motors

The GR86 was jointly developed with Subaru Corporation (Subaru). In addition to building New Energy Vehicles, the two companies also share a desire to continue delivering the excitement, thrill, and joy of driving sports cars.

The GR86 shares the same base as the Subaru BRZ. However, Toyota focused on delivering the unique driving feel of a GR vehicle, with intuitive handling and instinctive responsiveness, linear response as well as outstanding agility at the upper limits of performance.

While carrying on the tradition of the 86 and engaging in friendly rivalry with Subaru’s BRZ development team, TGR sought to develop a vehicle that would realize a GR-like evolution. As a result, the new GR86 has been reborn as a car designed with outstanding driving feel that is both direct and satisfying.

Exterior

The front of the vehicle features the GR-specific Functional MATRIX Grille, which fuses performance and aesthetics. To mark its evolution from the 86 to the GR86, the GR86 logo has also been redesigned.

Interior

Equipped with a BOXER Meter, comprising a 7-inch colour screen and LCD metres, the car’s opening animation sequence is inspired by the piston movements of the GR86’s horizontally opposed engine, and fosters a sense of excitement even before the drive begins.

The metre display embodies the GR86’s sports performance, changing according to which driving mode is engaged. NORMAL mode shows the current speed in large numbers inside a circular tachometre; in Sports mode (available on AT grades only), the edges and rings of the tachometre gauge turn red; TRACK mode takes inspiration from racing car displays, and shows engine speed in large numbers.

The GR86 seats deliver a sensation of being at one with the vehicle. The lightweight front seats use independent pads used to support the body, and, in order to withstand the lateral and longitudinal g-forces generated during aggressive sports driving, they are covered in an extremely grippy material.

The new GR86 provides outstanding agility

Sporting a lightweight, compact engine with a low center-of-gravity in line with previous iterations, the GR86 increases its displacement size from 2.0 to 2.4L. The engine delivers superior driving performance as a consequence, achieving 0-100km/h acceleration in just 6.3 seconds―down from the 7.4 seconds of the previous model. Engine responsiveness has also been enhanced, providing smooth, stress-free sensations from low to high rpms.

A sports car that provides a secure and safe car life

The GR86 is equipped with EyeSight⁵ Driver Assist Technology (AT grades only). Featuring pre-collision braking technologies that help avoid collisions and mitigate damage, the system provides support for safe everyday driving.

GR PARTS maximize the appeal of the GR86

TGR has prepared a selection of custom GR PARTS to maximize the appeal of the GR86. From everyday driving to sports driving, a wide-ranging parts line-up enables all customers to personalize their GR86.Toyota South Africa Motors says local timing for launch as well as sales will be confirmed in 2022.

Car Tip of the Week: Guide for crossing intersections safely during load-shedding

vuyi on November 1, 2021

Load-shedding leaves many motorists frustrated and confused, and in this article we aim to provide tips to help maintain safety and sanity.

Load-shedding leaves many motorists frustrated and confused. No matter the time of day or night, load-shedding means more time spent in traffic, and the potential to be affected by another driver’s ill-thought-out actions. One place in particular where this occurs is at traffic lights.

In theory, every driver knows that an intersection that is normally managed by traffic lights becomes a four-way stop when the lights are out. Many drivers, however, do not follow this rule, consequently, creating chaos at intersections.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you navigate junctures. Hopefully, these will help you safely make your way through.

Slow down as you approach the intersection – even if it looks as if there are no other vehicles around.
Bring your vehicle to a complete stop and yield to those who were at the intersection before you.
Expect traffic from more than four directions being:
Traffic travelling straight through the intersection from the traditional four directions.
Traffic turning left or right from their current lanes and across the intersection.
Do not assume that just because it is your turn to go, that every other driver will respect this. Double-check before you proceed.
If you do begin to enter the intersection but see another driver approaching or about to cross the intersection at the same time, rather give them the right of way instead of persisting on your course as this will either lead to a collision or at the very least, a road rage incident.
As annoying as it may be, rather allow a motorist that doesn’t obey intersection rules to proceed through an intersection, instead of engaging in a road rage incident.
And don’t forget about pedestrians! They may have to cross intersections too. They have as much right to do so as safely as any vehicle on the road.
Watch out for drivers that skip the traffic by driving on the left shoulder or over yellow lines as they will eventually need to move back into the road

The most important tip: check, double-check and check again before you enter an intersection and even as you make your way across it. Load-shedding is creating many unnecessary challenges for drivers, but regardless of such, the unfortunate truth is that as long as there is load-shedding, all motorists need to be prepared to drive defensively.