Quote:
Originally Posted by ichitaka05
Just one correction, AE86 isn't well known for drifting. That's "wanna be" car maniac think that. True AE86 fan knows that, AE86 isn't just for drifting. AE86 was popular in Group A & Group N racing. Also it was used in rallying and even in JGTC GT300 class (but it was quickly change to MR-2).
If it AE86 is well known for drifting, why all the famous drifters change their AE86 to different drift cars? example:
Imarura Youichi - Personal car: 86 to Silvia S15. In D1: AE86 to FD to Z
Taniguchi Nobuteru - Personal car: 86 to Silvia S15. D1: S15 to Altezza
Orido Manabu - Personal car: 86 to Silvia S14 to Supra. Ikaten: 86 to Silvia S14 D1: Supra to IS to GS to Supra
Ueo Katsuhiro - Personal car: 86 to Silvia S15. In D1: 86 to Z to S15
AE86 was good car to start get into racing world. Light weight, good engine, FR layout and cheaper parts than other FR cars.
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They changed because the nature of the sport changed. Old school Ikaten events and early D1's didn't have the overwhelming majority of its cars with, not an exact figure just an example, +$500,000 invested into them from tuning shops (especially in Ikaten events, lol). As the cars became more advanced, and driver skill continued to rise, the age of the AE86 became more of a hinderance than it would've been. It began to show its age, so to speak.
Not only that but good-condition AE86 chassis' are becoming harder and harder to find in Japan, and more expensive if you do find them.
In order to compete at that level (D1) the entire car has to be basically redone with technology more up to date. I know of a few drivers (can't remember names) that have had success with AE86's doning 3S-GTE's and what not, but at that point, it becomes more expensive to keep the 86 competitive than it is to find a much cheaper S13/15 and go with that.
$$$ is why the AE86 is disappearing from drifting. That and serious competition. Ikaten was a bunch of crazy guys out to mainly have fun. Winning D1, however, pays the bills, and makes the tuners look good. In that sense, the AE86 is a car you would chose if you willingly wanted to make it harder to come out on top.
To state that the AE86 is not well-known for being a drift car, however, is completely false. It garners respect from other drifters as being the personal favorite car of the drift king himself, as well as being one of the most common drift cars you would find in early events back in the mid-late 90's, for many reasons you stated above: it was cheap and easily found. Its 'popularity' as a drift car used in competition is dwindling because of the reasons I just stated above. It is still, however, a popular car amongst grass-root drifters.
The same thing will eventually happen to 13 chassis' and then 15's. Age will begin to show its ugly face as the cars become harder to find, and more expensive to maintain at a higher level of competition against the new wave of cheap FR's that are about to come our way.
However, yes, a true 86 enthusiast would know that the AE86 was a car just as popular for traditional racing venues, and not just drifting. But you can't say its not a car well-known to be associated with drifting. Thats just...no.