Toyota Sprinter Trueno, AE86 (1986), Buyer's Guide: The Drift Legend of the 80s

Takumi Fujiwara, an 18-year-old high school student, drives tofu for his father in his old "Hachi-Roku," Japanese for "eight-six." The tours take him along the winding mountain roads of Mount Akina, which are used by various street racing crews for drift races. When Takumi involuntarily gets involved in a drift race one day and wins against a significantly more modern and powerful Mazda RX-7 (FD), the foundation is laid for one of the most successful and influential manga and anime series in the automotive scene. In 48 volumes published between 1995 and 2013, author Shuichi Shigeno creates a monument to the Toyota AE86 and, in fact, to Japanese car culture as a whole, which also enjoys enormous international success.

In the series, Takumi sits in a Toyota Sprinter Trueno, nicknamed the "Panda Trueno" because of its white and black paint scheme. The front end of the car presents a minimalist, uncluttered look. Instead of a Toyota logo, the name "Trueno" is emblazoned on the narrow grille. Behind them, the pop-up headlights dip into the wedge-shaped front end. As if drawn with a set square, the body features a trapezoidal shape with clean lines – typical of Japanese cars of the 1980s. In addition to the liftback shown in our photos, the AE86 was also available as a coupe with a small trunk.

But why is the AE86 always being talked about here and not the Toyota Sprinter? Well, the model series, which was assembled over 360,000 times between 1983 and 1987 at the Toyota plants in Higashi-Fuji and Takaoka, bears more than one name. It is sold as the Corolla Levin in Toyota's "Corolla Stores." In contrast, it is called the Sprinter Trueno in "Toyota Auto Stores," now known as the "Network." Toyota uses various dealer networks to appeal to different customers. The Corolla Levin, Sprinter Trueno, and the American and European offshoots, the Corolla GT, differ only in visual details and the engine power tailored to the respective market.

What they all have in common: their low curb weight of 950 to 970 kilograms, depending on the configuration, rear-wheel drive, and the heart of the engine, the 4A-GE. The four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with two overhead camshafts, 1.6 liters of displacement, and 130 hp, developed in cooperation with Yamaha, is a free-revving freewheeler that is considered easy to maintain and easy to modify, thus earning itself legendary status in the rally and drifting scene. Many ingredients, then, that promise great driving pleasure even on paper.

The drift legend up close

Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't approaching owner Emin Köklü's Panda Trueno with a certain amount of anticipation. Its reputation precedes it. I've already driven the AE86 around the world's most famous tracks in countless racing games on PC and PlayStation. I was also familiar with the anime "Initial D." And when Emin tells me that he lived in Japan for a whole year and that his first act was to buy and register this car so that he could take it back to Germany as part of his move at the end of his stay, it becomes even more clear what a pull this otherwise ordinary 80s Corolla has on its fans.

They say you shouldn't drive your heroes, because the risk of disappointment is too great. But we met up to drive.

The bolsters of the Recaro seat hug the back tightly. The seats, incidentally, are the only thing that isn't original about Emin's AE86. After switching, it takes a few minutes for your brain to adjust to the right-hand drive setup with its sparse, black plastic dashboard – without practice, you'll always hit the windshield wiper lever the first time you try to turn on the indicator. Then the 4A-GE in the front of the car roars. Does that rich engine sound really come from a mere 1.6 liters of displacement?

Here, too, the gear ratios are sorted through a tight five-speed transmission. A four-speed automatic was also available as an option in some markets. But whoever ordered that didn't understand this car. The rev counter needle quickly climbs the display as we set off on our test drive. The engine practically begs for revs. The tachometer scale only turns red at 7,500 rpm. And the 1.6 engine delivers its 130 hp at 6,600 rpm.

Before that, though, not much happens. As is typical for a naturally aspirated engine, it delivers its power linearly without pinning you to your seat. The steering offers a good amount of resistance, allowing me to maneuver precisely through corners with the leather-wrapped three-spoke wheel. However, it's impossible to accidentally drift. The AE86 delivers a pure, raw driving experience, with every burst of throttle resulting in propulsion and a wonderful roar from the exhaust.

The AE86 is also light-footed and agile, but with its slightly larger exterior dimensions and more forgiving chassis, it feels like the more mature of the Japanese '80s icons. Of course, only in this respect: Compared to a Mercedes C124, the AE86 is as juvenile as the Eurodance music to which it masters its downhill drifts in "Initial D."

One thing is certain: the Toyota AE86 is more than just a car—it's a symbol of driving pleasure, precision, and passion. Anyone who sits behind the wheel knows: the Hachi-Roku is alive.

Engine: Type 4A-GE, water-cooled four-cylinder in-line engine, mounted longitudinally at the front, bore x stroke 81 x 77 mm, displacement 1587 cm³, 130 hp at 6600 rpm, torque 149 Nm at 5200 rpm, compression ratio 9.4:1, four valves per combustion chamber, operated by two toothed belt-driven overhead camshafts and bucket tappets, engine block made of gray cast iron, cylinder head made of light alloy, five crankshaft bearings, electronic fuel injection, oil cooler, oil capacity 3.7 liters.

Transmission: five-speed manual transmission, alternatively four-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive.

Body and chassis: Self-supporting sheet steel body, independent suspension at the front with spring struts, wishbones and tension struts, rigid axle with coil springs, four trailing arms and Panhard rod at the rear, cornering stabilizers all around, rack and pinion steering, alternatively with power assistance, four-wheel disc brakes, rim sizes 5 J x 13, 5.5 J x 14 or 6 J x 14, tires 185/70 HR 13, 185/60 HR 14 or 195/60 HR 15.

Dimensions and weight: wheelbase 2400 mm, length x width x height 4180 x 1625 x 1335 mm, track width front 1355 mm, rear 1345 mm, unladen weight 940 kg, tank volume 50 liters.

Performance and consumption: Top speed 195 km/h, acceleration 0–100 km/h in 8.9 seconds, consumption 8.3 liters/100 km.

Construction period and number of units: Production from 1983 to 1987, approx. 360,000 units.