Toyota Corolla AE86
The Toyota Corolla AE86 is a classic drift car suited to rally and drifting motorsports due to these attributes: Rear wheel drive limited slip differential configuration, low vehicle weight, good balance, a 5-speed manual gearbox, ventilated disc brakes, MacPherson strut style independent suspension in front and a four-link live axle with coil springs for the rear, stabilizer bars (sway bars) at both ends, and a relatively powerful and easy to tune 4-cylinder engine.
In Japan, these qualities made the AE86 popular with Japanese street racers named “Hashiriya,” who raced the AE86 in mountain passes, named “touges,” where the tight corners suited the AE86. Many car enthusiasts refer to the AE86 by its Japanese name “Hachi-Roku,” which translated literally means “eight-six.”
Japanese racing legend Keiichi “Drift King” Tsuchiya helped popularize the sport of drifting while driving the AE86. The AE86 continues to have a large fan base because the classic relatively inexpensive drift car is capable of competing against much newer, more expensive, and powerful sports cars like the Nissan Skyline and Silvia in D1 Grand Prix and Formula D drifting events.
In Japan and Europe, the AE86 was available with a fuel-injected 4-cylinder twin-cam 1587cc 4A-GEU engine which was also used in the first-generation Toyota MR2 (AW11). The 4A-GEU engine had a power output of 130 PS (97 kW) and 103 ft·lbf (140 Nm) of torque standard from the Toyota factory.
In North America, a modified 4A-GEC engine was used to comply with California emissions regulations. Power was rated at 112 bhp (84 kW), and 100 ft·lbf (136 Nm) of torque.
The 4A-GE engines were equipped with T-VIS or Toyota Variable Induction System that improves the low-end torque of high-performance, small displacement four-stroke engines by changing the geometry of the intake manifold according to the engine rotation speed.
Models equipped with the 4A-GE engine received a 6.7″ rear differential, while other models equipped with the 4A-C engine received a smaller, weaker, 6.38″ rear differential. The AE86 SR5 (4A-C equipped) had an optional automatic transmission, though the GT-S model (4A-GE engine) only came with a standard 5-speed manual gearbox.
In Japan, the DOHC 4A-GEU AE86 was offered in GT-APEX or GTV trims as the Corolla Levin or Sprinter Trueno, with SOHC 3A-U AE85 version sold in a variety of trims including SR and GT.
Euro spec models were sold as the Corolla GT with DOHC engines and fixed Levin-style headlights. The Middle East received the same basic model as the North American market, with pop-up headlights and the regulated 5 mph (8 km/h) bumpers.
Toyota Corolla Levin GT APEX AE86 - Fixed Headlights
Toyota Corolla Trueno AE86 - Pop-up Headlights
Both the Levin and Trueno AE86 variants were offered with either a 2-door coupe or 3-door liftback, or hatchback, body style. Both the Levin and Trueno were generally identical, apart from fixed, rectangular headlights on the Levin and pop-up headlights on the Trueno. Minor bodywork changes were made in 1986 which resulted in different tail lights for both Levin and Trueno models, along with the coupe and hatchback styles.
The AE86 is frequently seen in Japanese manga and anime including Initial D, éX-Driver, Tenjou Tenge, Over Rev, Azumanga Daioh, Dear Boys, School Rumble, Capeta, Transformers: Energon, Jigoku Shojo, Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori, and [adult swim] hit FLCL. Manga appearances include Beck and Shuichi Shigeno’s earlier work Tunnel Nuketara Sky Blue.
Racing video games like: Namco’s The Fast and the Furious (PS2), Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport franchise, Electronic Arts’s Need for Speed franchise, and Sega’s Initial D Arcade Stage all feature the AE86 as a playable car.
More than 20 years after its production, the Toyota Corolla AE86 continues to play a roll in drifting and street racing. In modern day drifting, the AE86 is a classic under dog that continues to compete among drifting’s elite race cars. It is pretty impressive to see an AE86 hang with a Skyline during tsuiso battle.
very cool and informative.
awesome write up
i love the ae86, always wanted one and when I have too much money and I dont know what to do with it I am getting one and just putting as much cash as I can into it :D
I’ve loved the ae86 for ever. I read initial d manga and i can’t get enough of the car. It may not seem powerful or much of a challenge but ever since i drove one for the first time, i just can’t get the feeling out of my head. I’m building a 93 tercel into a trueno and all i need to do now is mold a hatch, shape the body, and find an engine. I wish I could find a trueno or levin in America but they’re so hard to find. So yeah, i love the site and the car! Especially the fujiwama tofu ae86.
nice post! AE86 rules.
I think there is going to be a remake of the AE86, winter 2008…
Classic car with classic style… very nice car with very nice specs *thumbs up* If you get ur hands on one of these… AE86 is a keeper ^_^
Hi i am from guyana, i just got my hands on an ae86
corolla coupe. I now see what all the fuss was about.
A great car indeed. I am using mine to race on the South Dacota circuit in guyana.
Hey dude it’s Dave…from myspace. This is the bomdiggidy loads of info pluss bomdiggidy pics! 0-^
I love the ae86! especially the trueno model. the ae86 is popular here in the philippines in the drift scene. :D
and oh yea, i heard that a prototype corolla with the exact specs of the ae86 has been released. most likely a remake of the good ‘ol Hachi-Roku. i just saw it in wikipedia.
Hachi-Roku is the only drift car for me ^_^
I’m so glad I just purchased one. I would’ve never been able to find one so affordable if I didn’t live in Japan. This is a very well written overview of how the AE86 came into production.
I soooooo want this car. I might be able to get one when i goto the philippines to meet some family.
I have a AE86 SR5 and I’m building it into a GTS then I swaped the engine for a more powerfull 4A-GE with 138hp (103kw) @ 7200rpm
and I’m going to change the diferential for an LSD and disk brakes.
i want to know if they are any more diferences betwen SR5 & GTS?
Nice stuff, I like ae86 trueno… Even it’s old fashion but it always world…
I own an SR5 in trinidad this is a great website love the AE86
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This car is the ultimate drift machine!!! Considering this car only has less than half the horsepower of a Nissan Skyline, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Mazda RX-7, Ford Mustang, or even the Dodge Viper SRT-10 which all have been used in drifting… The Corolla was able to keep up with them though it was short on power and despite its age. It doest need high amounts of power because it doesn’t need it… The car is so lightweight… It’s a trully remarkable car, I’ll love it if I will have one… I’ve heard that Toyota is making a replacement for this car. They claimed it will be faster and more powerful than the original so it can challenge the more powerful opponents.
For me, there will be no replacement for this car. Supercars may come and go but there will never be a replacement for the Toyota Corolla AE-86. It has already became a legend.
WELL..you learnsomthing new every day..thanks. NICE! layout and INITIAL D RULES!!!!!
Wow…That’s AE-86 manga called “Initial D”, That’s Initial D Movie, reader??
i love ae86! under dog style, but great one!
Thank You for the pictures that you’ve been show in this site, thank you for everything. More Thank you and, I hope you continue finding more pictures of Toyota Trueno AE86 GT-APEX.
For those who dont know, there is a Live Action Movie version of Initial D. As It stars Anthony Wong and Jay Chow. Not to forget Edison Chen. But they Jay drifts the Hachi better than I do :(
You can read my review of the live action Initial D movie here:
http://driftjapan.com/blog/entertainment/initial-d-movie/
Hello if somebody knows whos selling the smoke headlight for an Ae86, please i need it so bad.. well contact me throught here…
i love the ae86, being an owner of one she is a beast with unlimited options, mine is a red hatch
“Hachi-Roku” are getting harder and harder and more expensive to buy. get them while u can!
i’m in love with the “Hachi-Roku”. when 1st time i saw it in Initial D that was so amazing me….i want get one….that car always be a legend.
own tureno for almost 20 years, always love to drive it
i always wanted to buy a AE86, i found toyota sprinter trueno coupe. but i do not know if it is capable drifting as trueno hatchback.
i’m going to buy it. so i need some advice from you people.
(technical specs for drifting)
I’m just in the middle of doing a turbo build on my JDM Levin Coupe. Man I love these cars! My cousin and I just got and 85 GTS hatch for free the other day, she’s in pretty bad shape but after some TLC and alot of welding she’s be as solid as a rock.
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I want buy ae86, but at my place, i can’t find it. so what i do is just only watch the movie and anime again and again to see my dream car.
I have one and it doing me wonders hahaha..man all the specs are true thats the usual stock of a trueno..hahaha i love my 86…
Tengo un AE86, modelo 84, me la chocaron y no encuentro repuestos de carroceria. Es un magnifico carro y necesito restaurarlo. Lo juro no hay otro mejor.
“I have an AE86, model 84. I had a wreck and cannot find body parts. It is a fantastic car and I need to fix it. I swear there is no car better,” Spanish to English translation.