Tag Archives: Toyota 86

Tetsuya Tada Answers Your Questions

Before Tada-san flew into Australia for #festivalof86, Toyota Australia asked the Aussie fans to send in some questions for the Chief Designer. Here are some telling answers to those questions!


#festivalof86 Supported by Hachiroku.com.au!

festivalof86invite

On August 10 you can meet the man responsible for creating the car we all love – Toyota 86 chief engineer Tetsuya Tada.

Tada-san wants to pass on his personal thanks to everyone who has helped make the car such a massive success.

Toyota is supporting this special 86/AE86 owners event by hosting it at their Sydney HQ, and they’re putting on a sausage sizzle along with A FEW SURPRISES!

Tada-san will be joined on the day by two big Toyota names – four-time national rally champion Neal Bates and national drift champion Beau Yates.

If you are attending ‪#‎festivalof86‬ with your AE86/86/BRZ, you need to register your car spot at this website: https://festivalof86.eventbrite.com.au and join the event now on the Hachiroku.com.au Facebook Page.

Only 250 spots available and being taken fast!

86’s and AE86’s are the only cars permitted on the premises. Everyone else will have parking outside the grounds.

 


86RC Comes To New Zealand

https://youtu.be/AC3P4FGBFjQ

Isn’t Australia supposed to be the ‘lucky country‘? So why is it we have been bypassed on the ‘build your own’ version of the ZN6 86, the ‘RC’? Japan has embraced the ‘bare-bones’  model with open arms as almost every tuning house in the land of the rising sun grabbed one and put every combination of aftermarket parts into it.

So now that New Zealand is doing the same AND offering a slew of customisable Gran-Turismo style custom upgrades, I’m left wondering what the hell Toyota Australia is doing snoozing on getting the RC to Australian shores?

If you’re one of our Kiwi readers, check out what you can all walk down to the dealership and get at the official website here. For everyone else here in Australia and over in the US, well just visit it and cry a little I suppose.

[86RC – Toyota New Zealand]


Wallpaper Wednesday: Import Bible x Maiham x TRA Kyoto FR-S

Import Bible teams up with talented media group Maiham Media and Japanese shop TRA Kyoto to create high-resolution wallpapers of the popular wide body Rocket Bunny kit for the Scion FR-S.

Seen early this month TRA Kyoto’s is the talk of the community as of lately. Wallpapers are available in different sizes and are free for personal use over at the Import Bible website.


New Zealand Style: Auckland GT86 Launch

Keisuke from 86 Fighters got some excellent shots in Auckland for the North Shore Toyota NZ GT86 Launch. Some really nice AE86s live under the long white cloud, and the guys who drive them look like champs. Hit the jump for the gallery.

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Agression In Motion: TRA Kyoto FR-S

Love that soundtrack!


Holy Trinity: Rocket Bunny. TRA Kyoto. FR-S.

Kei Miura of TRA Kyoto may have already fitted his now unmistakable ‘Rocket Bunny’ kit to Fredric Aasbo’s drift-maniac 2JZ Toyota 86 as well as BeeR’s Imai-san’s blue BRZ, but now his very own (full imported) Scion FR-S is complete.

The Toyota 86 is quite the handsome car from the factory, but with the addition of the ultra sculpted aero, it brings those subtle hints of agression into a fully fledged shouting match for attention.

Feast your eyes on it over at SPEEDHUNTERS.


Hachiroku Master: Tsuchiya & The New 86

All of us here at HR Blog have been long time fans of Irish motorsport photographer Paddy McGrath, but his latest works might just contain some of the most iconic images of the Drift King yet! However they didn’t come without a great deal of personal anguish from Paddy!

He writes:

Those of you with an interest in drifting will surely recognize the name Keiichi Tsuchyia, also known as the ‘Drift King’. Tsuchyia-san is the godfather of drifting, and without doubt one of the most important people in the history of the sport. CAR (magazine) wanted to celebrate his history whilst also exploring his involvement with Toyota’s new GT86. The brief I received illustrated clearly what CAR wanted from the shoot, and allowed me to plan in advance what equipment I would be relying on.

Unfortunately, on the day of the shoot my appendix decided it no longer wanted to be a part of me. Shooting in much discomfort and pain, I was limited in my movement and abilities. It was pretty upsetting, as this was something I wanted to deliver 110% but I just couldn’t. I pushed on as much as I could and once the shoot was over, made my way to a local hospital where I was admitted for surgery.

I knew beforehand that there was a tight deadline, so I started editing the images a couple of hours after surgery. It probably wasn’t a great idea editing them in a hospital ward (under fluorescent lights) and under the influence of many amazing drugs, but sometimes you have to push on. All things considered, I was happy with the product of the day’s work. I just can’t help but think what could have been though …

With a tenacious work ethic like that, it’s easy to see why Paddy has come so far in the world of motorsport photography in just a few short years!

Hit this link here to see the full set of amazing images and the whole story, and be sure to pick up the August issue of CAR magazine for the article!


New Zealand TRD Special Edition!

Those lucky Kiwi’s over the ditch always get the best stuff and now they have the best local ‘special edition’ of the 86 too!

Only 20 New Zealand TRD Special Editions will be built as part of the initial production run and each car will be numbered and supplied with certificate of authenticity. The car is a NZ ’86’ Spec (similar to our base model ‘GT’) with the TRD 18″ Black Forged aluminium wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 3 225/40 tyres.

To go with the extra grip the Michelin’s provide, Toyota NZ are also fitting the TRD Special Edition with the now-infamous TRD Mono-block Brake Calliper Kit. The contents of which are: Front Mono-block Calliper (6-pot), Rear Mono-block Calliper (4 pot), 2-piece Front Brake Rotor (355mm), 2-piece Rear Brake Rotor (345mm), Stainless Steel Braided Brake Hose (Front / Rear) and Brake Pads (Front / Rear).

Obviously, the styling isn’t exactly standard either. This special 86 is fitted with the TRD Aero package containing a Front Bumper and Side Spoilers, Rear Spoilers,  Under Bumper (Diffuser) and Boot Spoilers.  The car also sounds the goods with the fitment of the TRD ‘quad-tip’ rear muffler too!

At NZ$63,486 (Roughly AUD$48,795 at time of writing) it’s not exactly cheap – an 86 (GT) spec car can be had for NZ$41,986 (AUD$32,269) – but you do get a hell of a lot for your money. A similarly priced TRD-Spec in Australia would cost roughly $46,000 – Would you pay the extra $16,000 for the TRD treatment? Hit the comments and let us know!

Check out the full details here and hit our flickr here for more wallpaper-sized images of the NZ TRD Special Edition.

Leaves me wondering though, why hasn’t Toyota Australia offered a similar limited-edition TRD version here in Australia? Surely at even 50 limited edition cars, they would be snapped up super-quick!


Toyota 86 ZN6 on the Nurburgring

Germany’s AUTOZEITUNG take a stock ZN6 Toyota 86 to the ‘Ring to do a lap of ‘the green hell’.