Nobody who owns a tofu car replica that's this painstakingly detailed will ever be as fast as the autistic teenager from the cartoon. The whole premise of the first season of Initial D is that this kid in his dad's 15 year old shitbox Corolla is not taken seriously by anybody but is a savant and keeps winning street races anyway. Whoever wins this will be too scared of damaging their fifty thousand dollar cosplay to drive it on backroads. Meanwhile Takumi Fujiwara is spiritually a Nissan Altima driver and does not care.
Sillyweebsayswhat? Initial D sucks, seriously. As a anime fan and car enthusiast, it pisses me off, now a 4AGE for my MR2 costs 4 thousand fucking dollars.
Don't forget. The tofu car in the anime was tuned for racing and the kid was driving since 12 years old because his dad was a really bad parent and even forced his kid to optimize and drive faster. Even the protagonist blowed the engine when racing a better car mid season and his dad gave him a racing engine and tuned transmission because of course. The show was fun and the show that introduced many into car culture. But damn if you watch it again you realize that dad was insane forcing his kid to drive since he was 12 and forcing him to ignore driving laws to make better times and giving him the tools to drive like crazy
I think this car's real claim to fame is it has all the makings of the classic underdog. Initial D is popular for many reasons but one reason is how it conveyed a message to car enthusiasts that no matter what they drive, their car is only as fast and competent as they are as drivers. It's not what you drive, it's how you drive it. That's the spirit of racing. The human element is the most important part that can make even a slow Corolla beat GTRs, EVOs, and RX-7s. There's something that will always be beautiful about that kind of story because it dares to suggest that money can't buy happiness, skill, or respect. Those thing must be earned and it can be done behind the wheel of something as seemingly uninteresting as a Corolla.
Hell, remember when Takumi drove Itsuki's 85 single cam and whooped on those meatheads in the Silvias? And they were like, "Hey that's an 86! Liar!" But then he took the corner and the car nearly flipped from all the body roll. "Wait, we just got smoked by an 85."
I love RCR because of the fact that my introduction to this channel started out with "YOU DONT LIKE THIS CAR, YOU NEVER DID" and a full minute of Mr. Regular gaslighting me, such raw energy I haven't been able find ever since.
What I've come to learn about car culture - just _liking_ cars, or anything really - is that you can like something while acknowledging that it isn't as cool, or sounds as good, or is as fast as you remember. Much of my childhood was spent listening to AC/DC, and you know what? I still love 'em as a band - Back in Black is one of my favorite albums of all time - but AC/DC kinda sucks, y'know? They've had continued success through longevity, with a banger here and a banger there. Am I saying AC/DC is bad? No, of course not - Just that they aren't _as_ good as I thought they were when I was twelve. To apply this to cars, I _adore_ the Ford Mustang. Every year, every generation - Even the Mustang II - but in doing so, I acknowledge that the Mustang is... Just a car, just as the AE86 is. The AE86 is a dumpy, front-engine, rear-drive compact car, nothing more and nothing less. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and that's okay. Does the Hachi live up to its hype? No, and that's okay, because with hype like what it has, it's hard to live up to.
I am from PR and I can confirm what Regular said about this car being so popular in the island. You can still see some in several antique car shows. We were big consumers of this car, the CJs, Samurai, Beetles and VW vans
You can still see them as daily drivers. They may be special because of their motorsport pedigree, but they're Toyotas at the end of the day, and they're well built and reliable cars, even if their earlier models are pushing 40 years old.
@LouisSubearth There is a guy in the island who have the biggest Toyota collection in the world. He has 50s Toyotas who back then was named Toyopet(something like that). A mesmerizing group of cars.
"The MR2 AW11 should've been the hero, but it wasn't." Funny thing is, it was the hero car in another racing manga called Over Rev that came out around the same time as Initial D.
I actually had 2 different AE86 at the turn of the millennium..... Both were bought for under $800 running perfectly and both were GTS models. Really wish I would've held onto them. I could have $20k to $40k
Perfectly believable if it was before they started getting expensive. When was that even? I remember they were about $10k when I watched Initial D for the first time maybe five years ago.
@@ghomerhust In them and *under* them. They do know how to rust, it's the only thing that'll kill one. Mine was a generation older and I drove it to the junkyard when there was hardly enough good metal left to put patches on.
As Jeremy Clarkson says: you will die before the car. My dad died before his Toyota, and the damn thing is still running, with all of its electrics still working.
regular car reviews has been doing this for what, ten years? and we're still consistently getting masterpieces like this video for ten years here's to another ten years of great videos
As soon as I heard Saab wheels on a Corolla, my Puerto Rican ears perked up with such a specific Puerto Rican reference. Mr. Regular is spot on. KE70s amd AE86s Corollas are still very very popular. You see them daily. From rust buckets to surgery room spec condition. The only way they are junked is if the body is severely wrecked behind the firewall.
I live pretty close to Mr. Regular, about a half hour or 45 mins away depending on traffic. There are a lot of Puerto Ricans in this area, so even those of us not from PR pick up on those PR cultural references even if we didn't get chanclas tossed at us as children.
@@stop_tryharding of you’re in any city in the northeast you’re around a lot of Puerto Ricans. I’m from Boston and most of my friends are Puerto Rican despite me being very white lol.
One thing I think Mr. Regular forgot on to why THIS became a legend greater than the MR2: potential It was stated on a previous review, but one of the allures of the 86 is the potential that it promises it's drivers: YOU can be a driving hero, YOU can be the drift King, YOU van get to live your Anime fantasy... At the end of the day it promised you might get there, if you spend the money and the time on getting better, but if you didn't, the car had the credibility for you.
I had the pleasure of owning an 85 SR5. My favorite interaction was breaking down and rolling the car into a Lexus dealership. I walked in to let them know I was getting a tow and one of the sales team approached me. He said he had to come out and see the car. He had taught rally driving in them back in Australia when he was younger. It was a really cool car to own, not just because of the of the car itself, but also the connection people had to the car that I met over my time with it. I own a Miata today and while I love getting the waves from fellow owners, I haven't had such an organic experience with a car like I had with the SR5. It was magic.
As a driver of a classic Beetle, I can relate - it's a great feeling driving a car that means something positive to people, that brings back good memories for them. Where just driving around as I go about my life brightens peoples day.
Whenever I tell someone my dream car is an AE86, they always ask "oh because of Initial D?" and I have to say "no, because it was the first prize car in Gran Turismo 3" and also it's a cool looking car to me
This car and Initial D is what lead me to having Eurobeat as my most favorite "I just want to bop, I don't want too much complexity" genre. Eurobeat is wild. The genre started as disco made in Italy that was then marketed in Japan. Suddenly, club goers got a taste for it and a couple producers decided to make disco music in English for that market. Suddenly, BPMs kept getting larger, girls in go-go boots and guys in leather jackets where now flying their hands around in a Japanese version of line dancing with hands and arms, and a drifting anime decided to pick up some notable tracks from Super Eurobeat, a long running complication series of Eurobeat, as its main themes for the main action of the show. Give it a listen and listen to more than just what's played on the anime if you like cheesy synth dance music with slightly broken English. Hell, if you win this car, you have to play a mixtape of it on your first drive, it's part of the contract.
Back in the day we all drove notch and hatchback 5.0 Mustangs, another car that is legendary beyond its actual capability. I drove one of these cars back in the day, really hard. It's fun, light, modifiable, a perfect canvas for everyman street modding so popular at the time.
The design of the AW11 and AE86 is the best kind of dated. I think the phrase you used ages ago was something along the lines of "optimism for the future."
@@ThePhoenski i do too hehe Btw are you running coilovers ? I can't find anything other than BC & Ceika (and less known DGR & MRP) but my main issue is their price. I'm not a cheapskate, but here in EU all these options are 1500$ or more :/ Also does 15*8 with a low ET fits ? (I'm currently on 15*6 ET 49, i need spacers at the rear)
@@yuuji_ I do have coil-overs, however, I got the car with them already installed so I don't know what they are or what the specs are (I have pictures if you want.) Could you explain what 15*8 and 15*6 ET 49 mean? I also have an Ultra Racing rear upper strutbar, and rear and front sway bars. I didn't install these either so I don't know what the part numbers for these are. I've got a question for you now: how do you source OEM parts?
@@yuuji_ my brother drives an AE82 GT too (European 3door model) he has BC racing coilovers and be careful with your wheel choice because you'll end up with very little space in the rear. For example, his wheels are 15x7 et24 with skinny 185 tires, and the tire almost rub the coilover (like 3-4mm) but the tire is also flush with the wheel arch ! Oh and the car is not lowered that much, I'd say a little lower than stock height
i enjoy the literary theory and intellectual perspectives in videos like this because putting it in terms of cars and car shows and car videos makes me understand it.
Best review of the year contender instantly! Amazingly detailed explanation of the creation of the legend! And best of luck to those who can try to win it! (i'm from UK so no chance to play) 😢
And then Toyota themselves made 2 unique versions of the AE86: the AE86 Sprinter Trueno Hydrogen powered car, and the AE86 Levin EV... The best part: the EV has a manual transmission...
@@cjmpaja id say, in my humble opinion, that the Hydrogen ICE Corolla, is a bit more gamechanging, because instead of developing something new (which they did for a bit), they took a 20 year old proven engine, changed its diet, and now you can run it beyond 2025-2030+ because its only emission is water, and you still have the sound of an ICE, the grittiness of an ICE, the fun and simpleness of an ICE engine, and all you need to do is feed it compressed water (its not that simple i know) and make sure it doesnt rust beyond comprehension, but i guess manual EV is pretty cool since you can control the torque and that can be a fun time.
Then the question is: Why the richiest Toyota does not make a modern version of this cars? They have the money, hype train is not seems to stop, and they have the big chances to become more rich with that retro styled hatchback/coupe. Why Toyota is being so pussy about releasing anything fun and original, while Chad Hyundai/Kia just do it and gets expected lots of cudos for it?
@@mushijian7839 go watch the Rav4 Prime episode of RCR for reasons why Toyota does Toyota, but, if youre paying attention to what theyre currently doing, Toyota is trying to paint a bigger picture, because whats the point of wasting money making fun cars now, if theyre not gonna survive for another 2-7 years (since most countries and companies are planning to go full EV and clean by 2025-2030), so like instead of dreading in that perspective, why not spend it on R&D for a solution? hence all the Hydrogen research theyve been doing recently, hell even Porsche is researching synthetic fuel so that the Porsche 911 doesnt go EV because even they realised thats an abomination.
From Puerto Rico here, still living on the island, and I can confirm that they were very common and still are very sought after. If you get out of the metropolitan area and go to the inner parts of the island or the west side, you’ll still see them roaming the streets. If you attend auto shows and classic auto shows you will find pretty beautiful examples and unmolested ones too. The Saab wheels were the hot trend for the hatchback specifically, but the coupés also joined in.
I have an AE111 so I'm not free of sin here but this car brings the hype and the smiles. The 4AGE is an incredibly fun engine. And on top of everything else, this episode was quite special. Well done all around, guys!
The 4AGE is possibly the most brilliant fun 4 cylinder to ever exist. It just edges out the Austin A series for me. The common theme is they are both pissed off 4 cylinder engines that punch way over their weight class, and sound amazing doing it.
I remember seeing a SR5 GT-S coupe from, '86 or so on my local Craigslist for $7k back in 2016 or so. Even then it seemed a steal. Now it'd be outright theft. It was even a manual.
Mr regular is absolutely right on the ae86, I'm on my third ae86 fastback, first one was an SR5, second one was a 2jz swapped SR5, and currently I went back to basics with a rust free GTS with a freshly rebuilt 4age. The whole attraction to this car is how visceral and basic it is, the challenge of driving something so underpowered to the limit is very rewarding. Although it's a bit overpriced and over rated lol
Come for the cars, stay for the literary theory. Did a Transcendentalism class lead to me dropping out? Yes. Am I still here for the topic matter? Also Yes.
I think people forget it was supposed to be a shitty car by the time the anime was set on. And the protagonist only had any success because it was downhill in a very curvy circuit, the first time he faces a long straight, he blows up his engine.
Another great video, very insightful and deep. I think because the AE86, isn't expected to be good, there isn't that baggage and pressure, and because of what it is, it lets the driver's experience shine.
You know. I would complain about the giveaway contests, literary theory and tales of the host's discomfort growing up. But there be a reason I still watch this channel long after losing interest in Doug Demuro, Car Wizard, Hoovie, that Scotty guy that screeches at me, Doughnut Media.... Keep doing what you do guys.
I had a 1985 SR5 Corolla, probably the best car I ever owned. Unfortunately, after 250K miles and excessive body corrosion it had to be replaced. Just a great car that made me dedicated Toyoya owner.
Yup I remember rewatching initial D in high school back in the early 2010s and looking them up. I thought they were expensive then around 6-8k. Amazing
It's funny. The way other people get you to think your opinion is your own, I remember watching the original AE86 review and thinking that I actually liked the car, not just the hype. A light, simple high revving connected driving experience that modern cars will never be able to touch again. It's hard to know if that's actually my opinion or not, but I still want one.
I've never owned one but talking to a few people that grew up with 86's when they were dirt cheap I always hear them repeatedly talk about them with love and admit it felt fast because it's a cheap metal box with wheels. Still my dream car though. Also growing up in the north the "and the sun doesn't work" hit home.
I discovered and fell in love with the car through Need for Speed Underground 2. I think it was one of the starting cars and I loved it so much I completed the whole game with it. Even when I could tell it was probably time to upgrade cars I stuck with it because it always felt like if i just drove better winning would be possible. I had no idea at the time what an Initial D or a Drift King were. So i completely agree that this thing would've become famous no matter what.
Really shows how it's an unassuming "boring" "utilitarian" car with far more potential than comes across at first glance. Some things are easy to start with but will only get you so far. Other things are only for those with experience, skills, and resources to get into in the first place. But a few things can take you all the way from novice to expert.
Except it was in the game because it was already famous. I used it as a starter car in Gran Turismo as well, but it was chosen because it was already a drift idol.
I passed on a 1986 or 1987 GTS sedan in early 2012 - it was $3600 I think, in really good shape. I was looking for a replacement for my little '86 Corolla hatchback (FWD) that was in better shape because it was rusting out. As it happened, the fuel pump in my Corolla took a dump on the way out and I took it as a sign. I ended up picking up a 1981 Tercel for $3k that summer instead. The Tercel is my happy place, and it was my daily driver for 10 years (now relegated to when I feel like driving it so I don't destroy it on my commute). After I replaced my fuel pump, my brother drove the Corolla until it blew a head gasket, which was well after it had strayed into "an car" territory... holes in the floor, jury rigged brake piping, really the accumulation of roughly 30 years of Minnesota winters. Parts of it ended up in the '87 Corolla that was my first car and which I gave back to my best friend when I decided I wasn't up to maintaining it anymore. Sometimes I think I shouldn't have passed on the GTS, but if I bought it, it would have been used, and it would have ended up accumulating rust and wear just like my Tercel did. I suspect whoever owns it now probably doesn't daily it all year. These days I look at AE86 prices and I am absolutely dumbfounded what people are willing to pay for what is, at heart, just a really decent economy car. And I get really annoyed with the tuners who throw all the goofy Batmobile shit on these poor cars. It's also obvious that lots of them bent the axles on their Matchbox cars when they were kids with the dipshit amount of camber they like.
Literally had to order the series through a video store (Sun coast video?) at the Burlington Mall. It would take 3 months or so for each one to show up.
Could you do a RCR Story on the history of car modifications? My dad and many others in Sweden bought sunroof install packages and cut the roof on pretty much all their cars in the 80’s. Sounds very foreign to me today
As someone who had the E51 SR5, and an E70 1.8, and had frequently driven an AE86 (all in period) I enjoyed the former two cars just as much for various reasons and the E70 the most. The E51 was just fun because it easily got 40 mpg. Driving forever for nothing has it's own charm. Of course the much older series were much less powerful none of these were really powerful. The E70 was torquier off the line than the AE86 (perhaps ligher?) and just more fun to zip around in normal city driving than. And that old E51 liftback was just about the most lovely mechanical sounding and solid piece of equipment I've ever owned. And I have had a few mercs (no early 2 dr. coupes or G-Wagens mind you). My fondest memory was getting to drive that E70 in a heavy snow storm sideways down an empty highway for miles. It was long before drifting was a thing. Nothing like watching the snow coming at your through the side windows. It was so easy to balance.
I can not stop seeing this car everywhere. I see this car in a few Dustin William videos, Instagram videos. Some once in a while spotting on the internet. And then now here. And I mean this specific ae86 not. Not every other ae86
Ironic how overpriced these things are considering one of the main reason they were popular in Japan was because they were cheapest car that's good enough for touge. Except it wasn't good enough, it was great even. If the Keichi Tatsuya approves it you know it's a beast. Many call it overrated but unlike the fatass Supra it actually performs. That still doesn't excuse the RIDICULOUS prices!
I'm 53, from rural Iowa, a dad, and still pine for my 1973 Z/28. I drink Old Milwaukee by choice, since the 80's (do the math). I have no idea what the attraction to this little commuter/grocery getter is, other than good gas milage. Guess I'm old. RCR rocks.
In the last couple of years, I've realized that ideologies are kind of like an intellectual immune system. They're designed to protect themselves from critical inquiry.
As a Puerto Rican living in the island, I can confirm that the "sapito" (little toad due to the pop-up headlights) as many called them, were and still to this day very sought after. I currently own a red panda manual corolla coupe 1985 SR5 and used it to drive across the island many times. Until last year it was my daily driver, and I very much still enjoy riding my Toyo. It was my father's car and when I turned 18 it was my gift and I do not plan on ever letting go of it. Since I was a kid, I always thought it would be great to have both the coupe and the hatchback so…. Is the give away valid to Puerto Rico? Would you ship the car over to the island if I win?
Mr regular. You did that! Sick review and you just put further cemented the legendary status of the infamous Ae86. Kudos! Now i want one but not for 40 grand geez Louise! Bad ass car though.
He doesn`t absorbe his opponents strenghs, his strengh was none stop practice from deliveries and mastering his ultra light weight car + Track knowledge. And he does get ass... he`s got a girlfriend with minimal effort from being a decent guy and all the girls like him. Someone isn`t doing their homework. :P
@@youtubeaccountlol4942 I could argue that I am not a weeb... but your reply is fair, well placed (and expected) given my "Actually meme" type of comment. Cheers.
@Daniel Dahan have a good one m8 - I was thinking all the same things like "bro it's cuz he knows the track bro" cuz I've watched that shit too many times too
@@nater86zx have an Integra Type R with the factory white wheels, plus race discs and pads. Its that bad. I havent found a brake pad that doesnt end up with my white wheels being turned completely black after half a tank of gas
My mom almost got the GTS. I was 10, I got to help her car shop. She looked at the GTS, a Mitsubishi Tredia, and Nissan Stanza.. she ended up with a Cavalier hatchback lol she finally ditched it in 01 for a brand new 01 CRV that hasn't even turned 100k miles yet.
Aw11 features as the protagonist car in manga series OverRev! Worth a read for initial d fans wanting more. The GT86/BRZ also features in the series MF Ghost, a follow up series to initial d, set a little into the future. MF Ghost being a story from initial D creator. Mmm weebing out. Driving or no, I do like the noises they make with ITBs
