Toyota AE86 Review Says Twin-Cam Engine Is Stunning

Thanks to the Initial D series of comics and cartoons, the AE86's reputation has reached nearly mythical proportions. You know what they say: never meet your idols in real life. Buy that Lamborghini you had on your childhood bedroom wall and you might be in for a bad shock. However, the Brits at Car Throttle say the AE86 is every bit as good as you thought it was growing up.

The one they've got to hoon about in is from Toyota UK's heritage fleet and costs as much as a brand new supermini. It's in immaculate condition and the part that will really get to you is the sound of that 1.6-liter twin-cam 4-cylinder engine, which is somehow way better than what European companies offered at the time. With a redline set at 7,500rpm the AE86 delivered a punch 130 hp towards its rear wheels, accompanied by 150 Nm of torque (110 lb-ft). That might not sound like much, but like the modern day GT 86 that we tested, the idea is to have fun, not set record.

Now that artist Shuichi Shigeno has stropped doing Initial D comic books, which have been rolling off the presses in Japan since 1994, the 86 is sure to become even more of a cult car. It's funny though how a car that is so popular on the internet actually belongs to an era before cellphones and web browsers.