AutoArt 1/18 AE86 Initial-D Tuned Version

A2

Oh yes! When we asked for a ‘Project D version’ of the AE86 from AutoArt all those months ago, it seems someone had listened! AutoArt has another exquisite 1/18 scale hachiroku for you avid toy collectors to purchase and add to your fleet! Unfortunately still missing the AE101 ‘TRD Spec’ 4A-GE from the actual Project D version of the car, it still makes for a pretty nice piece of desk art.

Priced @ $129USD it isn’t cheap, but for you highrollers out there, you can pick it up over at AutoArt with some of that Stimulus package (if you have any left!). Hit the jump for more photos!

Continue reading


All The Horsepower In The World..

… won’t stop you from spinning out and losing the round… Here Taka Aono in his trusty AE86 shows Daijiro Yoshihara that the key to success isn’t simply a bigger dyno sheet…


2009 HR AE86 Annual!

annua09

It’s that special time of year again… Yes! That’s right, it’s time for the 2009 HR AE86 Annual! So clear your schedules for October 24 and 25 and read on for the juicy details! (psst! it’s a wickedly exclusive trackday event with touge loving too!)

Continue reading


Hachiroku Heartbreak

hachirokuheartbreak

Over in Japan, Justin from 7TUNE has found yet another story of heartbreak and remorse for us AE86 owners.

I finally went back to my old neighborhood in Settsu-Motoyama in Kobe and sure enough, the old “abandoned” AE86 Toyota Sprinter Trueno was still there, only now in a different position! Yep, it’s the same car I saw behind my apartment way back in late 2003.

So head over to 7TUNE and catch the rest!


AE86’s Of Nikko MSC

noriyaro_msc

Alexi has a few pictures of AE86’s up on his site that attended the recent MSC day at Nikko Circuit (in which he placed roughly fifth, congrats Alexi!). So get over there and check ’em out.


N2 Racers, Mosaic Censors and Plywood.

Although completely untranslated, this video has got to be one of the most unusual N2 ’86 builds i’ve seen yet!

Being built by Tsuchiya Engineering (not that Tsuchiya) for Tsukuba time attack use (and maybe the upcoming N2 race in Okayama later this year), it features plywood underbody diffusers, more monkeybars than your local playground and amongst countless other custom suspension modifications, a very unusual, and apparently somewhat secret, one-off rear roll centre setup; the thing is simply crazy.

The guy in the video is Haruo Tsuchiya and he’s the boss of Tsuchiya Engineering. Normally builders of GT300 and GT500 cars, the workshop has also built Manabu Orido’s RS-R D1GP Supra and countless other race machines so it’s no surprise to see a humble AE86 with this much development put into it. We love it!


Ghetto!

boro

Total ghetto spec. The car is so messy it’s a testment to the driver to keep it on the road! I’m simply gobsmacked….

Oh, and Happy AE86 Day! (for those of us in non-american dated countries that is…)


HR Dictionary: Body & Appearance

dictbody_header

Have you ever looked at a forum, tech guide or catalogue of all those shiny bits you want for your car but the terms and abbreviations got you confused? Well with the HR dictionary you’ll never have those problems again!!  In this edition we cover the finer details of body and trim terminology and all those strange acronyms you often see associated with bodykits or model types.

Continue reading


Justin McClintock Race Wins @ Oran

jmcheader

As father time closes in on Australia’s historic Oran Park, one of HR’s hachiroku racers has taken pole, victory twice and set a personal best time on the famous circuit. With the track closing soon due to development, Justin has proven his car to be a mighty fast machine as the 3S-GE equipped, dry sumped machine came to Oran Park after only a hand full of meetings since the completion of its two year build.  Justin said on the HR forums:

Qualifying got me my first Pole Position with a 1.19.2 at Oran which is also a personal best. The car wasnt handling great though as i only won the first race by the slimmest of margins. Actually the tyres seemed to go off at the end of the race, but then Race 2 arrived and i managed to win that one too! The awesome weekend was going great: The car was quick, i was re-learning how to drive it again and all going well, then the final. I got a bad start, arrived at turn two in 2nd, slightly wet track ……. and then nothing. F%#K!! 3rd nothing. The gearbox was dead. I thought I had lost the tailshaft, all i got was just neutral. Tried 4th and got some drive, by this stage I had lost so many positions I could not tell you where I was. So that was it. I had 4th & 5th gear only. I just had to do what I could with what i had left so I picked off a few, and got back to 9th….. bit if a struggle but still good fun.

I am sure Justin will be back after sorting out his gearbox problems to run again in the Improved Production Series. Hit the jump to see the limited pics, partly due to Matt Mead locking the keys in his car and my forgetting to bring a camera!

Continue reading


Jason Sherring’s 4A-GTE Levin

blackgte

The boys over at DK (thats Drift Kulture for you who aren’t in the know) have got a feature up on a pretty trick turbo hachiroku.

Having worked for an import company before, Jason has been able to get his hands on a number of unique parts to add to the ’86, which has helped make it the car it is today. A few parts to mention is the 15×8 Work Equipe 01’s and SSR MKIII’s, a GReddy 4A-GE turbo kit with a TD05, as well as DRoop coilovers.

Sound good? Then head over there and read the rest!