Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno
The 1983–1987 Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno, also known as the "Hachi-Roku" (Eight-Six, from the Japanese hachi for eight and roku for six), is a car made famous by the hit anime series Initial D. Before that, it was known among Japanese car enthusiasts as a car that offered great handling and maneuverability for a relatively low price. Closely related to the Sprinter Trueno is the AE86 Corolla Levin. The Levin is distinguished primarily by its fixed headlights in contrast to the Sprinter's popups. The 2-door coupe and 3-door hatchback AE86 Sprinter Trueno and its almost identical Corolla Levin brother were the last rear wheel drive (RWD) members of the Corolla and Sprinter family of cars (also some of the last the lightweight rear wheel drives). Their AE82 Corolla sedan counterparts were already being built as front wheel drive (FWD) cars. The rear drive configuration, combined with the Trueno's light weight (~2300lb curb weight), great balance and relatively powerful (and easy to tune) 4A-GEU engine made it popular among the Japanese hashiriya street racers, many of whom raced in the tōge, mountain passes, where the corners suited the Trueno best, especially on the downhill. Among those who utilized this amazing car was Japanese racing legend Keiichi Tsuchiya also known as the Dori-King (drift king). Tsuchiya helped popularize the sport of drifting, which involves taking a car on a set of controlled slides through corners. The AE86's RWD configuration made it well suited to this kind of cornering and up to this day the car is a mainstay of drift shows/competitions. The Hachi-Roku has now been immortalized by manga artist Shuichi Shigeno (しげの秀一) in the hit manga/anime series Initial D, this in turn has led to a resurgence of interest in this car. This rise in the popularity of the AE86 Trueno has led to a growth in its demand and a subsequent rise in its resale value. What was once a car that was looked over by many in the US and abroad (during a time when power and 1/4 mile times were focused on more than cornering ability and balance) is now a hot commodity among auto-enthusiasts.
Nowadays the AE86 even gained attention from western video game publisher, as this car was included by Electronic Arts's Need for Speed Underground 2 (although under the American name Corolla GTS). More than a decade and a half from when the last of its kind rolled off the production line, the AE86 Sprinter Trueno is finally being recognized for its true value. Considered by many as one of Japan's best cornering machines (along with Mazda's FC3 and FD3 RX-7ss and Honda's S2000), the Hachi-Roku truly is, alongside cars like the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, etc. a true Japanese legend.
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