・No expense spared

・A one off flawless build

・Never started since completion

・Multiple times show winner

The Toyota AE86, known as the Corolla Levin or Sprinter Trueno, was launched in 1983 and ran in production up until 1987. If they had fixed headlights they were the Levin and the Trueno had the much cooler, and very 80’s pop-up headlights, but both shared the Corolla name. The front engine/rear wheel drive cars became used for racing as they were affordable, light and easy to maintain, and, more importantly as times have gone on, easy to modify.

The Hachi-Roku, (Japanese for eight-six), has a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution, which coupled with a 5-speed manual gearbox and a revvy twin cam engine, has made them extremely popular in the world of drifting. This is one Japanese classic which can definitely be classed as a cult icon.   

This amazing 1986 Toyota Corolla AE86 started life out in Japan, and was imported into the country just a few years ago, in late 2018. The seller, who’s always been a big fan of Japanese cars and the whole tuning scene, is no stranger to AE86’s. 

Whilst at a contact’s garage looking to purchase another Japanese classic, the AE86 was spotted up a corner covered with a dust sheet and just one corner poking out. Knowing his cars, he knew straight away, having owned one some years ago which he regrettably sold to pay the rent, that he had to have it, and so a deal was struck for the Toyota.

With the car purchased, the intention was to tidy it up a little, replace some bits of missing trim and change the front bumper, but as you can see, the plan got a little out of hand! The Toyota has been transformed into a work of art from an obsession that didn't stop.

The V5 is present and shows there are 0 previous keepers for the UK. 

As you can imagine just from looking at the car, the work and time involved in getting something this good comes at an enormous cost. So there is a lack of paperwork, which is understandable, as it would have probably never been finished if you started to tot up just how much has been spent.

Inside, wow, where do we start? Let’s point this out now,  the car has never been sat in other than for a magazine feature. Some may think it’s strange, but when so much time, effort and passion has gone into making this immaculately prepared floor so perfect, why would you want to risk marking it. 

Ok, so what's gone on inside to make this AE86 so special? 

First off are the custom made Cobra racing seats, which have been finished with AE86 world embroidery and then mounted with some fabricated sub frames. There is a full Cusco roll cage finished in Candy Red. This has 3 gauges mounted to it on the driver’s A pillar that monitor the water and oil temperature along with the oil pressure. Facing you, if you were to dare to sit in the driver’s seat, is the OMP dished steering wheel, and behind, the Carbon fibre dash, (which is a work of art in itself). The odometer has a reading of 198,921, which can be disregarded as the car is virtually new. 

To your left is the hydraulic handbrake on a custom made billet lever. The CNC made gear knob is the same. Behind the seats sit the custom air ducts that feed cold air to the seats. There is then an OMP fire extinguisher plumbed in, and just behind that is the JAZ Fuel Cell and lines, with anodised fittings. Finally, tightening the rear end up, is the Cusco Carbon Fibre rear strut brace. 

The door cards and quarter panels have been finished with some custom made carbon fibre panels which look fantastic and fit…. you guessed it, perfectly! The whole of the interior floor is finished in Toyota 041 white to match the exterior, and it has to be said, the inside finish is as good as the exterior. 

The exterior of the AE86 has been treated to the time, precision and craftsmanship carried out by some of the best people in the country to make this work as well as it has. Anyone can order a body kit to be bolted on, but getting one to fit with such millimeter precision on every panel is a true credit to Mark and Wayne at MW Bodyshop, who have excelled in doing this. 

Starting with the front, there is a Runfree front bumper with custom carbon fibre Canards and a lower splitter. The bonnet is a J-blood carbon bonnet with an air intake to keep things cool. The lights have all been replaced with new Toyota corner lamps and clear lenses for a clean look. The original Trueno grille and carbon fibre headlight panels, with the sleepy eye look, finish off the front end. 

Around to the sides, and the FRP wings with CBY N2 flare arches fit like a glove, the gaps between the arches and wings are perfect. These lead into the Runfree side skirts, with some carbon side skirt extensions. The doors are carbon fibre with small lightweight carbon mirrors, and again, these fit perfectly. To continue the lightweight theme, the windows are tinted Lexan, with a sliding side panel. Hard to find, but not impossible, are the Toyota window seals that have been used around the car to hold in the lightweight tinted Lexan quarter windows. The roof has been replaced with a carbon roof. The quarters have also had the flare arches fitted, and again, as you would expect, are fitted perfectly.

For the rear, the hatch has been swapped in favour of a lightweight FRP CBY boot lid with a spoiler, and this has also been fitted with a Lexan window.  The rear bumper has a custom carbon diffuser fitted with J-Blood rear spats to finish it off. The lights are new Toyota Redline items. 

With all the panels fitted perfectly, the car has then been painted in Toyota 041 White by MW bodyshop, and then covered in custom one off livery decals made by AWS graphics and fitted by 3sixtyWraps.  

The wheels on the car are Work Meister CR01, with a Bronze polished dish and matt centres with chrome bolts. These are believed to be a one off set with this colour combination. The wheel sizes are 16” x 9j, both to the front and rear, and shod with Toyo TR1 195/45/16, in new condition.    

The engine bay is another work of art. Fitted with a fully rebuilt Toyota 4AGE 16v engine, it has also received the following upgrades, because if you’re doing it, you might as well do it right. 

Starting from the bottom up there are ACL bearings, new Toyota oil pump with Toda internals and a new 42mm Toyota crankshaft. Fitted to this are a set of Toda 82mm Pistons. The head has been ported and polished, and fitted with Toda 272 / 288 camshafts and uprated valve springs.

Externally, a full custom CNC pulley kit has been installed with HKS Cam pulleys and timing belt along with a new Toyota water pump, alternator and starter motor. An uprated fuel pump and filter provide the fuel to the Mikuni 44mm Twin carburettors. Providing the spark is a set of TRD ignition leads, and after the bank, this will exit through the stunning Powercraft Tornado Manifold, which is connected to a Reinhard titanium exhaust system. Keeping things cool is a Koyo radiator and twin fan setup. Obviously, it goes without saying that other items such as bolts, brackets and hoses are also new. 

Achieving the perfect stance has been done by using YZ adjustable sports rear suspension, with custom springs and Panhard bar. The front has been done with Blitz coilovers and adjustable camber top mounts. Keeping things firm is a full set of AE86 World bushes, and a Cusco front strut brace. 

The gearbox is a Toyota T50 with a TRD gear set and a custom billet CNC machined shifter. A Toda flywheel has been used with an ORC clutch plate and a new Toyota clutch cylinder. The gearbox has a TRD 2-way LSD, with a final drive ratio of 4.77. 

When it comes to the stoppers, at the front is a set of Red Wilwood 6 piston front calipers, with drilled and grooved discs and 4 pistons calipers to the rear, with hydraulic handbrake. There is also a brake booster N2 servo delete kit. 

A couple of important points to mention. The car has never been started since the build. It will run once the carbs have had a little fettle to ensure they are set up correctly. There is also no brake fluid in the system, so as not to cause any friction marks on the discs. As you can see and read from the spec, it has been built to the highest standard and would run and drive, should you wish, once it’s set up.

This is a serious build, one that’s taken 3 years to complete and called upon some of the highest level craftsmen in the country, to create something that can only be described as a work of art that could be viewed as a celebration of the 'Gran Turismo generation'.

It may not run at the moment, but it has everything needed to make it run as it should. Some might say it’s a waste and it should be driven, whereas other people will appreciate the amount of work that goes into a project like this. Either way, when you build a car you do it for yourself, and the fact is, after building something so special, the seller had no intention of using it. It was purely built to show what could be achieved when the right products and right people are involved and you can't deny that it is nothing short of jaw dropping!