RE: Toyota Trueno AE 86: You Know You Want To
Tuesday 27th January 2015
Only last week the value in Japanese imports was discussed around PH when this gorgeous R32 GT-R popped up at £13,995. Standard bar the exhaust with low miles and in magnificent condition, it's enough to make Integrales and M3s look just a little pricey.
How can bronze wheels look that good?Then there's this Trueno AE 86. It's advertised at £11K. Which seems rather a lot in the context of that Skyline. It's probably a bit much anyway for a 30 year-old Corolla. And the owner has admitted to paying £7K for it last year. Ooops. But there's still something incredibly exciting about an Initial D-spec AE 86. With the money I'd have one in a shot.
Mmm, 80s JapaneseMoreover, it looks great in the pictures. The refurbed bronze wheels are pristine, the velour looks pretty fresh for 30 years old and that paint job appears pretty flawless. But with 93,000 miles on it you wouldn't have to be too precious. It could be driven (drifted?) and enjoyed, perhaps after that paint has been protected and it's properly undersealed. Should be hilarious.
Toyota Trueno AE 86: You Know You Want To
Live out your Initial D fantasties in the UK!
How can bronze wheels look that good?
We've celebrated the UK Corolla GT as a PH Hero but this is a Japanese Domestic Market AE 86 Trueno. Look, it's got pop-up headlights and everything. More cool points there. To an exceptionally large number of people it's a crappy old Japanese coupe with a silly paint job. To the (very) select few though it's Takumi Fujiwara's AE 86. And to a slightly bigger group it's the GT86's predecessor. To some JDM nuts (myself included), it's one of the most covetable Toyotas ever.
Going off the advert it's a superb one too. Of course there's only so much that can be gleaned from here but seeing parts like brand new suspension, a recent service and dedication to the AE86 cause that includes shipping a new OEM steering wheel must be good news. To spend £3K on an Initial D paint job is bordering on the obsessive though. Good obsessive.
Mmm, 80s Japanese
It's difficult to know what to compare the AE 86 too. For fans it's a hugely special car and there aren't really any alternatives. You could go more modern with a drift toy by opting for a 200SX or maybe even a Supra but they're not quite the same. Heck, it's not a million miles off used GT86s. There will surely be many "you could have a M3 for that money!!!" comments but it would be boring if we all lusted after the same thing. I think it's fantastic.
TOYOTA SPRINTER TRUENO AE 86 (1985)
Price: £11,000
Why you should: Because drift
Why you shouldn't: Because it's, er, a little expensive?
See the original advert here.
Discussion
peter450 said:
What's so special about it ? There's nothing in the article to state why it's so special
Big fanbase in Japan due to the Anime series Initial D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfXHiydW16E. Drift king!EDIT: changed it to the first episode instead of the very last, in case anyone actually wants to watch the whole series!!
Edited by jiggawhat2k on Tuesday 27th January 11:47
Drove one in Hakone last June. It was one of the best driving experiences i've had. The noise and handling are glorious, it sort of feels like being in a big go kart, you can feel that car rotating around your hips and the progression into a slide so easily. It definitely taught be a lot about RWD handling. The engine is glorious too; loud, bassy and sings then screams at the top. I haven't driven a modern car with such immediate connection and response to inputs. Not to mention feeling awesome because everyone was turning heads and pointing fingers. I may be biased because driving this car has always been on my bucket list, but it certainly lived up to all of my expectations. I will certainly be going back to rent one again. If anyone else is interested in doing the same kind of thing in Japan here is the link to the rental company
http://fun2drive.co.jp/
They have a whole host of JDM classics including an NSX and the original skyline GTR. Cost me around 100 quid for a day of driving. The roads in the area are twisty mountain pass roads so it's all the more fun. I took it and drove it up a misty mount fuji - pic below. Epic day over all!
http://fun2drive.co.jp/
They have a whole host of JDM classics including an NSX and the original skyline GTR. Cost me around 100 quid for a day of driving. The roads in the area are twisty mountain pass roads so it's all the more fun. I took it and drove it up a misty mount fuji - pic below. Epic day over all!
PK1987 said:
Drove one in Hakone last June. It was one of the best driving experiences i've had. The noise and handling are glorious, it sort of feels like being in a big go kart, you can feel that car rotating around your hips and the progression into a slide so easily. It definitely taught be a lot about RWD handling. The engine is glorious too; loud, bassy and sings then screams at the top. I haven't driven a modern car with such immediate connection and response to inputs. Not to mention feeling awesome because everyone was turning heads and pointing fingers. I may be biased because driving this car has always been on my bucket list, but it certainly lived up to all of my expectations. I will certainly be going back to rent one again. If anyone else is interested in doing the same kind of thing in Japan here is the link to the rental company
http://fun2drive.co.jp/
They have a whole host of JDM classics including an NSX and the original skyline GTR. Cost me around 100 quid for a day of driving. The roads in the area are twisty mountain pass roads so it's all the more fun. I took it and drove it up a misty mount fuji - pic below. Epic day over all!
That sounds like a great driving experience day - albeit a bit far. I guess you can do similar with stuff like 2.8 Capris, TR7s etc over herehttp://fun2drive.co.jp/
They have a whole host of JDM classics including an NSX and the original skyline GTR. Cost me around 100 quid for a day of driving. The roads in the area are twisty mountain pass roads so it's all the more fun. I took it and drove it up a misty mount fuji - pic below. Epic day over all!
Pricey but I want it badly, I was big into Initial D and the noise of the 4AGE will always resonate with me. What I don't quite understand is going to the trouble of making an Initial D replica and then sticking on bronze finish wheels that look about an inch too small. Correct black RS Watanabes please!
PK1987 said:
Drove one in Hakone last June. It was one of the best driving experiences i've had. The noise and handling are glorious, it sort of feels like being in a big go kart, you can feel that car rotating around your hips and the progression into a slide so easily. It definitely taught be a lot about RWD handling. The engine is glorious too; loud, bassy and sings then screams at the top. I haven't driven a modern car with such immediate connection and response to inputs. Not to mention feeling awesome because everyone was turning heads and pointing fingers. I may be biased because driving this car has always been on my bucket list, but it certainly lived up to all of my expectations. I will certainly be going back to rent one again. If anyone else is interested in doing the same kind of thing in Japan here is the link to the rental company
http://fun2drive.co.jp/
They have a whole host of JDM classics including an NSX and the original skyline GTR. Cost me around 100 quid for a day of driving. The roads in the area are twisty mountain pass roads so it's all the more fun. I took it and drove it up a misty mount fuji - pic below. Epic day over all!
Wow - what an experience. That is one of the things on my bucket list. I always wondered if it would be possible to rent some of the 80s and 90s Jap stuff during a visit to Japan and now I know. Thanks for sharing, thats being filed away for future reference.http://fun2drive.co.jp/
They have a whole host of JDM classics including an NSX and the original skyline GTR. Cost me around 100 quid for a day of driving. The roads in the area are twisty mountain pass roads so it's all the more fun. I took it and drove it up a misty mount fuji - pic below. Epic day over all!
Glorious amazing cars! I dont think it was ever intended for anything more than OAP's being ferried to the post office either, as per all other Corolla's. Somehow Toyota accidentally got this car right in every way.
Controversial despite its past, but i dont like to see old Japanese cars 'ruined' and turned into drift cars. Id much rather have an AE86 mildly tweaked and tuned for B-Road bashing.
Also i heard of their penchanct for sidewayness way before i ever heard of Initial-D. The Irish were scooping these up years ago, to go sideways in fields. For reasons im not sure of, but an Irish friend of mine said they all just go mad at the end of harvesting season, buy cheap RWD cars and go sideways until they break.
Controversial despite its past, but i dont like to see old Japanese cars 'ruined' and turned into drift cars. Id much rather have an AE86 mildly tweaked and tuned for B-Road bashing.
Also i heard of their penchanct for sidewayness way before i ever heard of Initial-D. The Irish were scooping these up years ago, to go sideways in fields. For reasons im not sure of, but an Irish friend of mine said they all just go mad at the end of harvesting season, buy cheap RWD cars and go sideways until they break.
10b0b said:
Controversial despite its past, but i dont like to see old Japanese cars 'ruined' and turned into drift cars. Id much rather have an AE86 mildly tweaked and tuned for B-Road bashing.
Yes to this exactly. I would buy that for 11k in a heartbeat if I had the right place to keep it and the means to treat it properly. Cable said:
peter450 said:
What's so special about it ? There's nothing in the article to state why it's so special
Think of it like a Japanese MK1/Mk2 Escort
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