AE86 series of the Toyota Corolla Levin and Toyota Sprinter Trueno are known all over the world due to Initial D. They worked beautifully for amateur racing because they were light, easy to modify, and, above all, affordable. Don’t you just wish they made ’em like that again?
Toyota later made the switch to a normal layout. So while the Corolla remained affordable and reliable, it could boast 50/50 distribution or a MacPherson strut front suspension that could be tuned for rallies. Of course, the car went on to inspire the Scion FR-S, which eventually returned to Toyota.
This year’s Toyota GR86 is a nice continuation, featuring a better engine and modern interior. It’s still cheap and relatively easy to modify, but it has no intention of being a practical Corolla on top. And that’s where this rendering comes in.
Chinese artist Sugar Design has made the GR86 into something a bit more Corolla-like by messing around with the rear of its body. That’s right; the coupe has become a hatchback, though not in the traditional sense. It’s still a 2-door car where only the two people in the front sit comfortably. However, the larger trunk might make storing spare tires easier. You know, for track days and such.
We couldn’t find how much a RWD Corolla cost in the 1980s, but it couldn’t have been more than $2,000. By comparison, the GR86 starts from $27,700 with a manual transmission. By the time you add seats, a few comfort features, and the dealer markup, you’re probably looking at $35,000.
That’s not bad in today’s market, but to bring back the purity of the Trueno, Sugar Design opted for a “basic” rendering as well. This is an idea popularized by X-Tomi Design many years ago, where you add unpainted bumpers and steel wheels. The main difference here is that everything is done in 3D, so it’s 100% believable.
Of course, if you want to see a custom 86 with unpainted bumpers, you can check out that widebody BRZ we just showed you. It’s basically the same thing.