Category Archives: Feature Cars

HR Feature Cars. The Best AE86’s we can source and snap! In depth interviews with the owners and drivers of these machines.

Interview: Adam & His ADM Levin

May 14, 2009 in Community, Feature Cars by

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Today we have the first of a few interviews on the people behind the HR blog.  Adam is one of the driving forces behind HR Blog’s editorial content and specifically the writer of the much loved AE86 Tuning Guide. We catch up and talk shop with a die-hard member of the ‘AE86 For Life’ crew.

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All Weather Fighter

April 3, 2009 in Feature Cars by

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You said you wanted more grassroots drift AE86’s in Japan and here at HR blog, we listen. Alexi over @ noriyaro again has the scoop on a local unsung drift hero, this time piloting an AE86.

This three-door Levin belongs to an unassuming bloke by the name of Tadashi Yanagawa. The interesting thing about him is that he can drift as fast in totally wet conditions as he can in the dry. I saw him at a recent track day at Nikko Circuit and had to have a look at his car. Surprisingly, there’s not much more to it than many other AE86s out there, but it’s still pretty damn cool.

Check it out! Noriyaro.com

Conrad Customises Corollas

April 2, 2009 in Feature Cars by

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We see a lot of smacktalk on the ‘net about what engine conversions are ‘the best’ and what’s done the ‘right way’ or the ‘wrong way’.  HR forum member Conrad falls into the category of ‘the best right way’, with his meticulous attention to detail and fantastic metal fabrication work done on the car it’s certainly something to aspire to!

Sporting brands such as AP Racing, Tilton, Longchamp, HKS and Crystal Body Yokohama, it’s certainly going to be a very serious kind of monster! We’ll be sure to keep you updated when the build is completed!

Check out his super-clean work in progress over in the forums.

Daily Driven Hachi-Go!

March 31, 2009 in Feature Cars by

lemontrueno

Now I know the website’s name is hachi roku, but that’s not gunna stop us posting up hot AE85s is it? Look at yesterdays post, even TOSHIKing’s drift beasty is an AE85 under all that technology and matte black war paint! Which bring us to this sweet lemon. No it’s not a lemon it’s one hell of a daily-driven, yellow-tinted harlot.  Another AE86 to reside in the land of the long white cloud, this time it’s Rob Powell, otherwise known as Flange, to show off his wares:

So why did you choose the AE85, as opposed to going for an AE86 straight off?
It’s what was available at the time. Plus 86s are stupidly over-priced these days. I do have a genuine AE86 sitting in the driveway, but it’s rusting to bits, unfortunately.

Oh the controversy! But he hit’s the nail on the head! Why not choose to convert a nice AE85 shell into and AE86? Bring it on I say! Read the rest and much more over at NZPC.

Tec Art’s Katuzo Trueno

March 27, 2009 in Feature Cars by

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170PS. Hi-Comp 16v 4A-GE. 9″ Wide Work Equipe’s. Full Aero Kit. Tec Art’s Built. Pure Sex.

Check out the pics and full spec list here.

Naturally Aspirated Nirvana

March 24, 2009 in Feature Cars by

booya

One of my favorite cars of all time, this Trueno’s photo still hangs proudly over my workspace on a poster that’s over 3 years old. When the car was released, it was exactly what I wanted: Big offset, super wide body and clean paint. Built by Tama Autos and owned by Kiwi GarethThode, this hachiroku is one of NZ’s best.

“I built this car to have a clean, well performing 86,” Gareth told us. As it ripped past, throttle wide open in third gear, deep-dish rims gleaming beneath a widened body it became pretty obvious that he has achieved exactly what he set out to do…

Check out the article (and pics!) over @ the NZPC website.

Manuel Manhao’s Macau GP Levin

March 19, 2009 in Feature Cars by

various012

Today we have some photos by Aussie-based Irishman Eirecam86 snapped late last year of a very fruity coloured AE86 that now lives in the Macau GP Museum. Driven by Manuel Manhao of Portugal in 1992 and 1993, we don’t know why it’s pink and yellow but it certainly catches your eye! Love your work Eirecam86!

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Saxspeed – The Garage Feature Part 1.

March 18, 2009 in Feature Cars, HR Originals by

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A while ago we promised a closer look at some of the cars Finnish Rally Champion Ari Saxberg had built in his frequently snowed-in rally workshop located in the scenic area of Jyvaskyla in southern Finland. The town itself is a mere 3 hours north of Helsinki and that’s where this story takes us. Let’s take a look at the specs on some stunningly prepped rally hachi’s aswell as some great action photos.

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780kg, 210hp & No Comprimises

March 6, 2009 in Feature Cars by

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One of my team members has been running AE86’s for a while now in the Swiss Hillclimb Championship and I think his current one is quite unique.

This particular AE86 started it’s racing life at the end of ’07 after its predecessor was unfortunately crashed while racing, but since the owner is a hardcore AE86 lover, he of course had another shell ready to go. So the transplant started…

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Custom Garage SPEED N2 Levin

March 2, 2009 in Feature Cars by

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One of the many cars at Tokyo Auto Salon 2009, but one of the very few AE86’s, the Custom Garage SPEED N2 Levin certainly looked the piece amongst the millions of yen worth of vehicles on display.

Sitting pretty in its mint bodywork and wearing some of the widest and most dished wheels i’ve ever seen this N2 monster will no doubt be a centrepiece of the 2009 N2 race this August @ Okayama. We can’t wait!

Hit the jump for a few extra pics!

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