When people refer to a car by its internal code, you know it is a true enthusiast’s vehicle. The 1600cc, RWD Toyota Corolla AE86, or Hachi-Roku as it is most well known, was introduced in 1983. It came with an option of two faces: Levin (fixed headlights) or Trueno (retractable headlights), and a hatchback or coupe for the bottom. However, it wasn’t the stunning Etch-A-Sketch lines and perfect proportions that had petrolheads in a rage. It was the fact that it followed the timeless but straightforward TG formula: RWD plus a cost-effective, lightweight (970 kg) chassis = enjoyment.
But it is believed that one guy is to blame for the AE86’s meteoric rise to zeitgeist status. Keiichi “Drift King” Tsuchiya is who he is. He was a racing outlaw. He would bung his AE86 sideways into corners for the crowd’s pleasure when he got tired of being in the lead. He excelled at it. He was so proficient at it, in fact, that he began practicing on Japan’s narrow mountain roads and created the odd but entertaining Pluspy movie (YouTube it immediately). The video quickly went viral. He was given the title of Drift King. In the manga comic Initial Da, where the hero drives a modified AE86 across the mountains delivering tofu, he captured the imagination of an entire generation. Tofu, indeed.
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Is the Toyota AE86 unique?
The Corolla is still available today, even though Toyota discontinued making the AE86 in 1987. The Toyota AE86, on the other hand, is a rare and hardly seen vehicle. Some AE86 vehicles are occasionally offered for sale on auto websites.
Since models sold in Japan and the US have slightly different styling, you might even decide to import the AE86 from Japan. The cost of the Toyota AE86 Corolla on secondhand automobile marketplaces fluctuates from $15,000 to more than $40,000.
Why are AE86s so uncommon?
The AE86 has cemented its position in the annals of automobile design because to its renown in motorsports and popular culture. It’s understandable why they continue to command a high price more than 30 years after they originally hit the streets given their illustrious past. Kimiko Kidd was born and raised in Dayton.
When was the AE86 phased out?
In the world of JDM cars, the Toyota Corolla AE86 is a true icon. Through Initial D and drifting events, this modest hatchback has become a superstar.
Japan’s Toyota Aiichi area is home to Toyota. According to Investopedia’s market analysis, Kiichiro Toyoda built what is today the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world. Since its founding, Toyota has produced a wide range of vehicles, including automobiles, trucks, SUVs, and even some concept cars. The majority of these vehicles are still on the market today, however several have been discontinued for various reasons.
The Toyota AE86, commonly known as the Hachi-Roku, is at the top of the list of Toyota vehicles that have been retired. It’s one of Toyota’s most remarkable performance vehicles. It debuted in 1983 and was removed from the market in 1987. Both the coupe and liftback versions of this vehicle were produced, and both in their home nation and abroad, they rapidly became well-liked.
The 1.6-liter 4A-GE engine, a high-revving naturally aspirated twin-cam 16v engine with about 120 horsepower and 109 lb-ft of torque, was installed in the AE86. Although it isn’t much by today’s standards and is less than what you’d get in a typical small family hatchback, the automobile was fairly quick back in the 1980s.
Here are 9 facts about the Toyota Corolla AE86 that everyone seems to have overlooked. There are many things to say about this automobile, perhaps too many.
Does Initial D have a real-life basis?
The 56-year-old Keiichi Tsuchiya simply describes himself as “a racing driver, from Japan.” But if you look a little closer, you’ll discover a career that has seen him compete at Le Mans with Toyota Team Europe and the ferocious Toyota GT-One, in addition to driving duties and cameo appearances in blockbusters like The Fast and the Furious.
Keiichi Tsuchiya, known as the “Drift King,” earned a reputation as a tough racer with a distinctive set of abilities. He is credited with helping to create the idea of drifting—the art of sliding a car sideways—as a sport.
And because of such abilities, he is now much better known, especially in Japan, where he was born.
The popular manga TV series Initial D, which aired during the 1990s, is thought to be partially based on the life of Keiichi Tsuchiya. It tells the tale of a Japanese delivery man who delivers tofu by day and races across mountain passes by night.
Tsuchiya, who has a quick grin and chuckle, is modest about this and his real-life accomplishments, although he does give brief hints about the type of person he is when discussing his racing career.
“I swerve to pass. He explained to us that this is not the fastest way around a bend, but rather the most entertaining way.
He balances racing, TV appearances, and Formula One commentary for Japanese TV these days.
He just visited us here at Toyota GB after taking a few days off from filming Toyota commercials in Australia and a Japanese GT race. In the five minutes we had with him, we asked him the five questions you can read about below.
Seven seconds of a very special film we made of his visit to this location are available as a teaser at the bottom of this page. Keep checking back because the movie will be ready soon.
Why is AE86 so well-known?
The AE86, with its typical RWD balance and graceful, mechanical simplicity that has drawn drifters to it, is a great vehicle to learn about the characteristics of rear-wheel drive. It’s almost 30 years old and feels it in some ways, yet it still has some handling lessons to impart to some more contemporary sports cars.
It really is amazing how the engineers were able to capture the spirit of the old car in the mannerisms of the new when compared to the AE86’s younger sibling, the GT86. The GT86 performs well in many of the same crucial areas, especially excitement, feedback, and balance, but being easier to drive much, much faster. But if it had power steering, air conditioning, or even a sat-nav, we’d be more than happy to use it every day.
Who made drifting popular?
Most people agree that Kunimitsu Takahashi, a well-known motorcycle rider turned driver, was the primary innovator of drifting tactics in the 1970s. The first Japanese racer to win a motorcycle Grand Prix was Takahashi, a former professional motorcycle and car racer who made his name in Germany in 1961.
Is AE86 quick?
In Initial D, Takumi is outdriving people in Toyota Corollas that are far faster than his on the touge. Fanboys’ fantasies about the AE86’s potential, however, are never as good as what the AE86 actually is. Its 0-60 MPH acceleration time is 8.5 seconds.
In 2020, how much will an AE86 cost?
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the base 2020 86 is $26,985. That amounts to $27,940 when the $955 destination fee is added. The 2020 Hakone Edition is priced from $30,825, while the GT starts at $30,790 before options. In all variations, the automatic transmission costs $720 more.
What does AE86 represent?
The name Trueno and Levin come from the Middle English term for lightning and the Spanish word for thunder, respectively.
[17] The Corolla Levin was only available at Toyota Corolla Store in Japan, whereas the Sprinter Trueno was only sold at Toyota Japan shops known as Toyota Auto Store.
The 1600 cc RWD model from the fifth generation of the Corolla is known as the AE86 and gets its name from internal Toyota code used during the development of the vehicle. The “A” stands for the car’s engine (4A series), the “E” stands for the Corolla, the “8” stands for the fifth generation (E80 series), and the “6” stands for the variant within this generation.
The Japanese word “eight-six” (Hachi-Roku) is also used to refer to the AE86. The AE85 was also known as “Hachi-Go (),” which translates to “eight-five.”
Models sold between 1983 and 1985 are referred to as “zenki” (literally, “early period”), while those sold between 1986 and 1987 are referred to as “kouki” (literally, “late period”) (, lit. latter period).
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Toyota marketed a limited-edition AE86 vehicle in 1986 under the name “Black Limited.”
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A JDM or AE86?
Those who are familiar with the JDM scene are surely aware of the AE86’s status as one of the most recognizable vehicles in the scene. A car from Japan is simply referred to as being JDM, or Japanese Domestic Market. The Corolla and Trueno series, which were renowned for being small-bodied, rear-wheel-drive cars, included the classic Toyota AE86. Keiichi Tsuchiya, a well-known figure in the drifting community, or the “Drift King,” demonstrated the full potential of the AE86 platform.
The anime series “Initial D,” which featured the AE86 as its focal point, helped the automobile achieve a lot of fame as well. The vehicle served as both the daily driver and drift car for the main character, who delivered food. The AE86 proved to rule the curved roads with its nimble and responsive handling characteristics, but this wasn’t the only place it reigned.
The AE86 achieved success in the racing world as well, winning more than 40 WRC races. The AE86 was beginning to shine and was quite well-liked throughout group stages and in racing.
Initial D contains what AE86?
The Toyota Corolla Levin and Toyota Sprinter Trueno are two little, front-engine, rear-drive Corolla cars that were sold by Toyota from 1983 to 1987 in coupe and hatchback body styles. Rear-wheel drive was available on only a few of these Corollas.
The “A” stands for the original engine (4A series), the “E” stands for the Corolla, the “8” stands for the fifth generation (E80 series), and the “6” stands for the variety within this generation.
The most notable class of vehicle in the Initial D series is the Toyota AE86 (Eight-Six, or Hachi-Roku) model, driven by Takumi Fujiwara and his father Bunta in a Toyota Sprinter Trueno.
The AE86 might return.
Toyota has confirmed that the Corolla Levin/Sprinter Trueno “AE86” is the newest vehicle to benefit from their GR Heritage Parts program, making high-speed tofu delivery a whole lot simpler. The goal of the project, according to the Japanese company, is to recreate long-since-discontinued spare parts “to enable customers who wish to continue driving vintage vehicles that are full of memories and that they genuinely love.
Brand-new AE86 rear brake calipers and steering knuckle arms will be added to the lineup as of today (1 November), and rear driveshafts will follow on 1 December 2021. Just like you would components for much newer cars, all of these parts will be sold by Toyota dealers.
As a result, what we’re discussing is not as significant as what Nissan’s Nismo Heritage Parts division has been producing since it began manufacturing RB26 blocks a few years ago. However, if past GR Heritage Parts efforts are any indication, more AE86 parts might be on the menu down the road.