"Toyota 86 for Dummies" (and Dumbfounded Admirers)

MANILA, Philippines - To a car enthusiast, the number “86” can only mean one thing: the legendary Toyota AE 86. And now after a quarter-century, there’s an all-new Toyota 86—which many refer to as the spiritual successor of the AE 86.

The car looks great and all...but what’s with all the fuss? Well, in case you’ve been living under a rock, or have just been completely apathetic to this mid-80’s motoring legend, allow me to enlighten you. Diehard fans from all around the world have been celebrating the comeback of the 86. And for good reason.

To help you fully comprehend the significance of the 86, I’d like to tell you more about its pedigree. And for that, we’ll first have to go a little bit back in time...

Rewind to 1965, when Toyota released its first production sports car, the “Yota-Hatchi” (Hatchi is Japanese for the number ‘8’) or Sports 800. It was a lightweight, easy-to-drive, and most importantly, inexpensive sports car that had the world’s only unique combination of a horizontally-opposed boxer engine (with dual carburetors), and a rear-wheel-drive layout. Not to mention it was one of the first cars ever that had lift-off roof panels.

The Sports 800 is considered one of the earliest ancestors of the Toyota 86, as the current 86 model also sports a 2.0L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder boxer engine, mated to a Subaru 6-speed (automatic or manual) transmission, with an FT layout (Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive), adopting the original design more than 40 years later.

Come 1967 and Toyota released the first-ever Japanese supercar—the 2000 GT—which instantly became a global sensation. It was so popular it even appeared in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice (which starred Sean Connery). From this car, the new 86 inherited its graceful side window shape and its rear fender line.

Finally, in 1983, came the immediate forefather of the Toyota 86, the highly-popular AE 86 a.k.a. Hatchi Roku (Japanese for ‘8’ and ‘6’). The Hatchi Roku had a 1.6-liter fuel-injected, 4-cylinder twin-cam 4A-GE engine, a 5-speed manual gearbox, ventilated disc brakes, a low curb weight, and rear-wheel-drive—elements that made it great for drifting. The AE 86 was so charismatic, it became a huge racer favorite and still appears in rallies and club races to this day.

If you’re into Manga or Japanese anime, you might recognize the AE 86 as the trusty automobile of lead character Takumi Fujiwara, an 18-year-old boy who had to regularly deliver tofu up a mountain using his Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE 86). The anime series highlighted how the AE 86 could skillfully drift through the zig-zaggy roads of the mountain, and featured several races where the 86 had to go up against elite race cars such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

The AE 86’s were the last of Toyota’s front-engine/rear-wheel-drive production cars—until this year. The coming of the all-new Toyota 86 marks a significant break from the long absence.

And the suspense has literally been killing everyone! Ever since the first appearance of the concept car FT 86 (FT stands for Future Toyota) at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2009, there had been mass speculation as to whether another production version of the 86 would be released soon. An appearance of the FT 86 G Sports (a high-performance version of the FT 86) in the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon playfully poked curiosity from fans, and finally the revelation of the FT 86 II at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show teased global followers until they could contain their excitement no more! For many, it was a long but worthwhile wait.

And what’s so great about the Toyota 86? The ultra-low center of gravity that gives you that ground-hugging experience. Those incredible looks that could spill over to yours and give you +5000 pogi points. That functional, race car interior that makes you feel one with the car. The front-engine rear-wheel-drive configuration that delivers 200hp and exceptional handling. That minimalist 1200-kg of super-balanced weight. (Did I mention the handsome looks?) The exclusivity of owning one. And probably most of all, it’s a relatively affordable sports car! (No wonder they’ve practically sold out within days.)