Toyota unveiled two AE86 care models that run without emitting carbon emissions. (Image Credit: Toyota)
Coolest car on the planet is a 1984 to 1987 Toyota Corolla hatchback? Yes.
I might have a bias since I drive one. However, for those who don’t know, this car in the quintessential drift car. The main focus of the Initial D manga/anime/film.
It’s interesting Toyota chose to go with this car for their concepts. It is quite exciting to see this retrofit. There is hope for the renewal of all classic cars. But let’s talk about what they did.
Slowing down and eliminating carbon emissions will require automakers to make the big leap to electrification. That’s been happening so far, but more work needs to be done. Automakers have promised to no longer sell internal combustion engine-based vehicles by the decade's end. However, this may not be sufficient because the millions of ICE-based cars that populate the roads today still emit emissions.
At the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota unveiled two AE86 Concept vehicles that were transformed to run on an electric battery while the other uses a hydrogen combustion engine. The shift to these carbon-neutral vehicles serves as the automaker’s solution in the fight against climate change.
Toyota’s AE86 H2 car has the stock four-cylinder engine with modified fuel pipes, fuel injectors, and spark plugs under the hood. (Image Credit: Toyota)
Each car has been designed to be more eco-friendly. They come with Bride’s used racing buckets, while the four-point seat belts, fabrics, and cushioning are created from recycled materials. Toyota’s AE86 H2 hydrogen vehicle features two high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks (taken from the Miria fuel-cell vehicle) mounted in the trunk. It also has a four-cylinder engine with modified fuel pipes, fuel injectors, and spark plugs, allowing the combustion to run on hydrogen.
The performance of this one was a bit lacking. But forcing hydrogen through the original stock engine was probably the problem. The stock motor was only around 100-130hp to begin with. However, the ease of adapting the stock car in inspiring.
Toyota’s BEV Concept car. (Image credit: Toyota)
Meanwhile, the Toyota AE86 BEV has a Tundra hybrid-sourced electric motor, Prius plug-in hybrid-sourced battery pack in the trunk, and a manual transmission similar to the ones for the Lexus supercar.
This is the one that was mind blowing. A glimpse into how any car can take a few EV upgrades and become a super-car. The driver in the video couldn’t stop smiling while driving this version.
Does Toyota have a plan to mass produce these AE86 variants? No.
It seems they don't want to make billions off of reviving this legendary car. That's too bad...
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