Product attributes
Other attributes
The AE86 series of the Toyota Corolla Levin and Toyota Sprinter Trueno are small, front-engine/rear-wheel-drive models within the front-engine/front-wheel-drive fifth generation Corolla (E80) range — marketed by Toyota from 1983 to 1987 in coupé and liftback configurations.
Toyota AE86
Lending themselves to racing, the cars were light, affordable, easily modifiable and combined a five-speed manual transmission, optional limited slip differential, MacPherson strut front suspension, high revving (7800 rpm), twin-cam engine with oil cooler (e.g., in the US), near 50/50 front/rear weight balance, and importantly, a front-engine/rear-drive layout — at a time when this configuration was waning industry-wide.
Widely popular for Showroom Stock, Group A, and Group N, Rally and Club racing, the cars' inherent qualities also earned the AE86 an early and enduring international prominence in the motorsport discipline of drifting. The AE86 was featured centrally in the popular, long-running Japanese manga and anime series titled Initial D (1995–2013) — as the main character's drift and tofu delivery car. In 2015, Road & Track called the AE86 "a cult icon, inextricably interwoven with the earliest days of drifting."
The AE86 would go on to inspire the Toyota 86 (2012–present), a 2+2 sports car jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru, manufactured by Subaru — and marketed also as the Toyota GT86, Toyota FT86, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ.
In November 2021, Toyota temporarily restarted the production of a limited number of parts for the AE86, and dealers began taking orders for new steering knuckle arms and rear brake calipers. Rear axle half shafts have also been scheduled for new production. Toyota also announced that this reboot is temporary, and parts will be available only as long as stocks last.
The AE86 was available with a naturally aspirated 4A-GE 1,587 cc (1.6 L; 96.8 cu in) inline-four engine, a DOHC four-valve-per-cylinder motor, in Japan and Europe, which was also used in the first-generation MR2 G Limited (AW11), Celica 1600GT-R (AA63) and Carina 1600GT (AA63) (Japan only) with a compression ratio of 9.4:1. It had a maximum SAE gross power output of 130 PS (128 hp; 96 kW) at 6,600 rpm and 110 lb⋅ft (149 N⋅m) at 5,200 rpm of torque in standard form, though it was later down-rated to 120 PS (118 hp; 88 kW) and 105 lb⋅ft (142 N⋅m) in net output. The 4A-GE engines used in the AE86 and AW11 were also equipped with Denso electronic port fuel injection and T-VIS variable intake geometry.
In North America, a modified 4A-GEC engine was used to comply with California emissions regulations. Power was rated at 112 hp (114 PS; 84 kW) and 100 lb⋅ft (136 N⋅m) of torque.
The AE86 used ventilated disc brakes. The car was equipped with a MacPherson strut style independent suspension at the front and a four-link live axle with coil springs for the rear as well as stabilizer bars, front and rear, and an optional LSD. The AE86 came with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and later came with the option of an automatic.
Higher-spec AE86 models known as the Sport GT-S featured the DOHC 4A-GE, 4 wheel disc brakes, color matched bumpers, front lower bumper surround had a much more sporty and pronounced lip, door panels were molded, tachometer redline is around 7,500, wrapped steering wheel, seats had leather wrapped tops (front seats are completely different from Sport SR5), optional LSD, and aluminium wheels, chassis code in the VIN is AE88 (for North American market cars).
