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RSSToyota AE86: The Sports Car That Allured Sports Enthusiasts for Decades
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Toyota AE86 is perhaps one of the most popular sports car of the 1980s. Often popularly known as the Hachi-Roku, which means eight-six in Japanese, the sports car from the biggest motor manufacturer of Japan became incredibly well liked especially after its appearances in the Japanese manga and anime series called Initial D. Toyota launched the AE86 first in 1983. This sports car is also famous for being the last small, rear wheel drive coupe.
The AE86 came in two different body styles, the Levin and the Trueno. Both were almost same, with the only difference coming in the shape of its headlights. More variations between the two models happened in 1986, when Toyota changed the tail lights and hatchback styles as well. The cars before the arrival of this model were known as “Zenki”, which is Japanese for “early period”. Toyota AE86 cars with the new changes were called “Kouki”, which unsurprisingly means “latter period” in Japanese.
The AE86 was also very popular at car shows. It was widely used in various racing sports, particularly circuit racing and rally driving. Even though, it has been discontinued, still there is a grown up demand for AE86 among the rally circles and club races. The Toyota AE86 was light, quite powerful, easily modifiable and balanced very well.
The Japanese manga and anime series also sparked a new interest in the car among automobile and drifting fans around the world. There was a high demand for this car due to the high-selling, realistic videogame racing series Gran Turismo.
The AE86 sports car from the Japanese car maker was also released in Australia under the name Sprinter, but could not perform well because the stock engine was poor.
Even after twenty years of its release, this particular model car is still highly regarded among car enthusiasts. Thanks to the wonderful handling and drifting abilities.
