![\"911_86\"](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/9ddb467e530c282d9c101d355e6531a65fc7e7f3\/c=504-0-3528-2268&r=x404&c=534x401\/local\/-\/media\/2017\/10\/25\/DetroitNews\/B99589394Z.1_20171025164936_000_GU81N6PE7.1-0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>Porsche vs. Toyota? What\u2019s next, Payne, Thor vs. Underdog? Bear with me, dear reader, there is method to my madness.<\/p>\n
Fifty years after the glorious 1960s, we are living the Second Golden Age of performance. Corvette Z06, Ford GT, Jaguar F-Type, Ferrari 488, Audi R8, BMW M4. It\u2019s an egalitarian Golden Age, too.<\/p>\n
Just as the \u201960s heralded the arrival of the pony car \u2014 the everyman\u2019s sport coupe \u2014 so has Golden Age 2 brought Easter eggs for every class of car enthusiast. Even in the pony aisle you can find a $26,000 Mustang and $64,000 Mustang GT350R shopped by disparate customers who would never share the same social calendar.<\/p>\n
Once upon a time you could also get a beginner\u2019s Porsche \u2014 the standard of sports car excellence \u2014 without breaking the bank. A 1970 Porsche 914, say, or the used, 1987 Porsche 924S I put training wheels on as a 20-something. But with Porsche 911s starting at an eye-watering $90K, those days are in the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n
Or are they? Say hello to the Porsche with the Japanese accent.<\/p>\n
On paper, the $27K Toyota 86 (or BRZ if you want it with a Subie badge) is an entry level competitor to Mazda\u2019s iconic, $25K MX-5 Miata. But the Miata is a tiny, two-seat, kick-in-the-pants roadster. The Toyota \u2014 my favorite entry-level sports car since the 924S\/944 \u2014 is made from different stuff. Porsche DNA stuff.<\/p>\n
With a horizontally-opposed piston, flat-4 engine, 2+2 seating, balanced handling, and simple, aero shape, the front-engine Toyota follows in the footsteps of the rear-engine, Stuttgart maestro with its\u00a0flat-6<\/em>\u00a0engine, 2+2 seating, balanced handling, and bullet-shaped bod. The 86 is a junior 911. A tiger cub. LeBron in high school.<\/p>\n And like $30 million for LeBron all grown up, our comparison begs the question: What do you get for the 911 GTS\u2019 $100K premium over the 86?<\/p>\n I took both athletes straight to Hell (Michigan, that is) to find out.<\/p>\n The 86 is a rebadged Scion FR-S that has found a home in Toyota\u2019s barn after the youth brand went belly up. My $129,560 Porsche GTS is priced a la carte with upcharges for everything from heated seats to rear axle steering. The 86 carries over from Scion which means it comes at once price: $27,870. The eager sports car isn\u2019t interested in haggling with you \u2014 it just wants to be driven.<\/p>\n I need a giant shoe horn to get into Mazda\u2019s Miata, but Toyota and Porsche are easy fits with low-slung seats and ample headroom. Both cars focus the driver on aggression. Like the Porsche, the Toyota\u2019s 7,500 RPM-redlined tachometer dominates the instrument panel \u2014 flanked by a 160 mph speedo and gas gauge.<\/p>\n The Porsche brings more gauges \u2014 \u201cMORE\u201d will become a consistent theme here \u2014 for a total of four flanking the center tach. Data like 200-mph speedo, tire pressures, oil temps are all here so your attention isn\u2019t diverted from the asphalt you are rapidly gulping. I inserted the key on the Porsche\u2019s left dash \u2014 just like LeMans racers once did as they slid into the cockpit. Porsche leads Toyota in overall LeMans wins, 19-0, so the Japanese make has some heritage work to do.<\/p>\n At the heart of these rear-wheel-drive athletes are \u201cflat\u201d engines \u2014 so-called because of low center-of-gravity, horizontally-opposed cylinder chambers. In fact, the 86 has the lowest CG in the business (along with the battery-laden Tesla Model S) \u2014 nearly an inch below the 911.<\/p>\n Driving with traffic on Racetrack-96 \u2014 er, Interstate 96 \u2014 toward Hell, the 911\u2019s turbocharged, 3.0-liter flat-6 is the smoother drivetrain. I miss the normally-aspirated six\u2019s rasp \u2014 muffled by efficient, twin turbos \u2014 but nail the engine over 4-grand and that familiar flat-6 wail is still there.<\/p>\n On the drive I assessed interior ergonomics. The Porsche\u2019s gorgeous leather and suede seats shame the cloth-attired 86, but the Toyota shines with useful console storage space and cup holders. Porsche\u2019s center console sleeve is festooned with performance buttons, leaving the cupholder duties to two flimsy pop-outs above the glove box.<\/p>\n My tall Arizona iced tea sat perched precariously in one \u2014 which I quickly drained lest tea coat the interior at the first temptation to pull Gs.<\/p>\n That tempting came as I departed I-96 at the Exit 148A cloverleaf.<\/p>\n Settling the car with a brake dab, I hit the 180-degree clover like a slot car. No matter how hard I pushed the throttle, the car wanted more G-loads. More, more, more.<\/p>\n The playful Toyota attacked the cloverleaf just as eagerly, its firm suspension also easily controlled. But the 86 shares narrow tires with Toyota\u2019s Prius, where the Porsche\u2019s Pirelli P-Zeroes are wide as a semi-truck. So 86 and I danced through the 180, the tires screaming at the limit. It would foreshadow the twisted, three-dimensional curves of Hell\u2019s sensational, wooded Glenbrook and Hankerd roads.<\/p>\n Like two zoo cats let loose on the Serengeti \u2014 lunging, turning, roaring \u2014 these sports cars were in their natural element.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a domain that rewards the Porsche\u2019s most telling advantage: The drivetrain.<\/p>\n While the Toyota\u2019s 6-speed automatic is smooth on the highway, it strains to coax power from the 86\u2019s tepid, 200-horse four. To keep revs up off turns, I put the car in manual and flipped the steering-wheel paddles between 3rd and 4th.<\/p>\n Mated to 450 horsepower (40 more than the 911S), the GTS\u2019 dual-clutch, 7-speed PDK tranny is engineering from the gods.<\/p>\n The 911 devoured Hell\u2019s roads, often at speeds 20 mph above the plenty-quick Toyota. So smart were upshifts and downshifts that I never bothered with its paddles. These are computer game speeds with corners rushing up so quickly I thanked the 14.5-inch front Brembos for their superhero stopping power.<\/p>\n On trafficked, two-lane Pinckney Road back toward I-96, the 911 kept on giving.<\/p>\n At just 2,811 pounds, the Toyota executed dotted-line passes adeptly, the flat-4 screaming in my ears. The Porsche\u2019s electronic PDK supercharged the experience with its steering-wheel-mounted, Sport Response button. Think Formula One\u2019s push-to-pass function.<\/p>\n Luffing along in 7th gear in SPORT mode, I pressed the button and \u2014 WAUUUGGGHH! \u2014 the engine instantly down-shifted to 3rd gear, revs spiking to 6000 RPM. I was past a line of traffic before I could murmur: OMG.<\/p>\n Is it worth $100K? If you\u2019ve got it. But if not, buy a Toyota 86. Because in the Second Golden Era, everything shines.<\/p>\n Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne. Catch \u201cCar Radio with Henry Payne\u201d Sat. noon-1 p.m. on 910 AM Superstation.<\/p>\n 2017 Porsche 911 GTS<\/strong><\/p>\n VEHICLE TYPE<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n REAR-ENGINE, REAR-WHEEL DRIVE,<\/p>\n FOUR-PASSENGER SPORTS CAR<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Powerplant<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 3.0-liter , twin-turbo flat-6 cylinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Transmission<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 7-speed manual; 7-speed, dual-clutch<\/p>\n automatic<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 3,200 pounds<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Price<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n $119,000 base($129,560 GTS Coupe as<\/p>\n tested)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Power<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 450 horsepower, 405 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 0-60 mph, 3.5 sec. (mnfctr.); top speed:<\/p>\n 192 mph<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Fuel economy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n EPA mpg est. 20 city\/26 highway\/23<\/p>\n combined (automatic as tested)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n HIGHS<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n SLOT-CAR HANDLING; SPORT RESPONSE BUTTON<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Lows<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Flimsy cupholders; no console storage<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n Grading scale<\/strong><\/p>\n Excellent \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605Good \u2605\u2605\u2605Fair \u2605\u2605Poor \u2605<\/p>\n 2017 Toyota 86<\/strong><\/p>\n VEHICLE TYPE<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n FRONT-ENGINE, REAR-WHEEL DRIVE,<\/p>\n FOUR-PASSENGER SPORTS CAR<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Powerplant<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2.0-liter flat-4 cylinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Transmission<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 6-speed manual; 6-speed automatic<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2,811 pounds<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Price<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n $27,870 (automatic a tested)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Power<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 200 horsepower, 151 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n (automatic as tested)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 0-60 mph, 7.7 sec. (Car and Driver);<\/p>\n top speed: 126 mph<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Fuel economy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n EPA mpg est. 24 city\/32 highway\/27<\/p>\n combined (automatic as tested)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n HIGHS<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n NIMBLE HANDLING; GREAT SPORTS CAR STARTER KIT<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Lows<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Narrow tires; lack of low-end grunt despite<\/p>\n 200 ponies<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Porsche vs. Toyota? What\u2019s next, Payne, Thor vs. Underdog? Bear with me, dear reader, there is method to my madness. Fifty years after the glorious 1960s, we are living the Second Golden Age of performance. Corvette Z06, Ford GT, Jaguar F-Type, Ferrari 488, Audi R8, BMW M4. It\u2019s an egalitarian Golden Age, too. Just as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21288"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21288"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21289,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21288\/revisions\/21289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\n
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