FR-S/BRZ Predecessor: Hachi-What?

[Wes B.]

Some of the most sought after cars nowadays are those in the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) family. At first glance, many models seem to be the perfect sports car for…well…anyone. The vast majority of models were produced in the tens of thousands, have tons of aftermarket support, and are relatively cheap to own and maintain. Street racing scenes around the globe are filled with highly tuned variants of the most common JDM coupes and sedans, but which one is the best? Many of the street racers you’ll come across will prefer something like the Nissan R34 GT-R or the Toyota Supra RZ, but, in my own opinion, the best and most versatile would have to be the Toyota Corolla AE86.



While engineers in America were prone to using brute force to make speedy cars, the Japanese had a tad more finesse. With a lightweight car and a properly set up suspension, a car didn’t need a massive engine or all of the horsepower in the world to go fast. The AE86 variant of the Corolla was exactly that. It was just a smidge over 2,000 lbs., had a FR layout, and sported a peppy 1.6l 4-banger. What more does one need?



Well, as it turns out, quite a bit of work needs to be done to make this competitive on and off the track. Most people will probably advocate for a Chevy or Ford V8 swap or a Toyota or Nissan I6 swap, but none of that is necessary. The 4A-GE that lies beneath the hood has some incredible power potential if you know what you’re doing. Some of the most extreme AE86’s sport upwards of 240 naturally aspirated horsepower, and forced induction build-ups will throw out even more power. Nearly 30 years have passed since production, and we still don’t see many cars with that type of horsepower per liter potential.



Moving towards the rear of the car, we can start to tell that this car means business. A strong and simple 5-speed manual is mated to a lightweight driveshaft that finally connects the engine to the bulletproof solid axle in the rear. Toyota purposely did this because it allowed the owners to maximize power potential of the engine without having to worry about snapping axles, grenading differentials, or shredding synchros. The best part of the entire setup is the plethora of aftermarket support. Companies like TRD and Quaife still manufacture close-ratio gears for the transmission and ring and pinion swaps for the rear differential. These key aftermarket parts are the reason the AE86 can roll with the big dogs on the street or at the track.



At a time when all other sports cars were becoming bigger with more meaty engines, the engineers at Toyota decided to enhance completely different aspects of the AE86. Could they have shoved the turbo I6 from the Supra in it? Sure, but they didn’t need to. Instead they reduced the weight of the AE86, installed a tuner-friendly drivetrain, and upgraded the suspension. With all of this in play, the AE86 could go fast in a straight line, corner like a madman, and retain full daily drivability. As I said before, what more does one need?

[Wes B.]

This kind of begs the question: what are the best/easiest ways to enhance a sports car? Are you a horsepower nut, or would you rather reduce the weight and tune the suspension?