I don't think anyone could argue the 86 is not a sports car if they watched this video review/test by freelance automotive journalist Chris Harris.
 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=romf-G6CZ7g

I went from sw20 to a 2003 WRX.  The WRX was very capable and easy to drive quickly, but lacked the involvement and feedback of the MR2.  Although the WRX performance was similar and grip levels felt higher, it was comparatively quite boring.
 
For me its not all about the outright speed and power to make the car fun.
 
Cheers
 

I don't think anyone really doubts it will be fun. The question really is, is it the best fun for the 40k asking price?

TRD2000

I don't think anyone really doubts it will be fun. The question really is, is it the best fun for the 40k asking price?

 EXACTLY! and dats d million dollar question that surrounds the whole "86 hype"  for some maybe it is but for the most i dont think it will, considering the target market of this car. but hey if money's not an issue then so be it. but if it is, thats when a prospective buyer starts to weigh in considerations, bang for buck, other fun sports car comparison, price, spec etc etc
 
for me personally the final production design/styling fell short of the CONCEPT 2 design. non turbo but decent boxer NA powerplant fair enough. but for toyota to bump up the price to 40k opposed to 30k "as initially intended/promised" after all the let down.... well....
 
i'd buy it for 30k not for 40k if u get my drift :P

There has been some talk about that the 86 has been built to compete with the Mazda MX5.
New Mazda MX5's range from about $48,000 to $53,000 depending on specs and on this basis even at $40,000 the 86 would be more bang for buck IMO especially if your main concern was performance.
The 86 is a bit heavier but it has 147kw compared to the Mazda's 118kw.
For that sort of money I know which one I would prefer even though I own an MX5 albeit an older one.

artymr2

I went from sw20 to a 2003 WRX.  The WRX was very capable and easy to drive quickly, but lacked the involvement and feedback of the MR2.  Although the WRX performance was similar and grip levels felt higher, it was comparatively quite boring. 

I rest my case.

Ignoring the bit-of-confusion in the last 2 pages; the GT86 is definitely a sports car. 
A car purely made for driving fun. not racing, not winning.. just driving for driving enthusiasts.. just like an mx5.
As for how capable it is in corners, or how fast it goes.. i couldn't give two ****s. I have no interest in driving at half-throttle everywhere, and slingshotting out of corners at 170km/h because it just too much grip. i want excitement at the speed-limit.
..And short of 18yo boys and fat 40yo men who just want a car faster than their mates, I imagine a lot of people feel the same way..

Good point about the drive by wire, but when i drove it i completely forgot about the drive by wire. Didnt notice it had it. I think it would only become an issue if u worked the car a bit and had less throttle control, then it would probably be anoying

Re drive by wire, all the cars I have driven (except one) that have had it I didnt notice any weird behaviour, the Aurion for example still has very snappy response etc.  A GT Liberty however, the power delivery varies significantly at different times, sometimes its great, other times its jerky and somewhat unpredictable.  Not sure if this is the throttle or the fuel/ignition mapping (maybe a combination of both), but its annoying. 
 
The other thing is that the GT Liberty (and some other recent Subarus I believe) also has a damper of some sort on the hydraulics of the clutch system.  Its there so if you dump the clutch the actual clutch take up will be slowed to minimise the shock/stress to the driveline.  The trouble is, the clutch pedal is completely lacking in feel and its take up varies from time to time, so its a PITA driving in traffic. 
 
Hopefully the 86 wont have these issues.
 
Whether it will be the best fun for the money is more of a personal choice.  Some people enjoy outright grunt and speed, some prefer response, feedback and nimbleness.  Styling and practicality is another personal choice, whether you are happy driving a souped up version of a baisc sedan (eg WRX) or prefer something more uniquely styled (eg the 86) with more sporty lines.
 
Like my change to the WRX, it fitted my requirements at the time in being practical, relatively quick and a bit of fun.  But like I said, it felt quite numb to drive and to me they are "essentially" just a budget sedan that is very capable due to the bits bolted to it.  Without the boot spoiler, mags and bonet scoop, its a basic GX Impreza.
 
Cheers

Despite the "ball and chain" nagging me for years to get something safer and capable of carrying more than just 2 people, I still haven't given my MR2 up.  If anything were to happen to it though then the 86 would definitely be on my list of possible replacements.