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Nothing says ‘Christmas spirit’ in Japan for me just like the AE86 Pageant – aka Hachiroku/86 Matsuri. The annual journey to Tsukuba Circuit for this occasion is just about a necessity for anybody even half inquisitive about Toyota’s Nineteen Eighties icon.
I’d argue that there are only a few different one-make occasions that share the identical range as AE86s. With nearly 40 years of improvement and tinkering with the chassis, nearly no two automobiles look the identical.
The Christmas Day occasion was no completely different, with each the drifting and circuit courses out in power, making for a jam-packed pit lane. The ocean of color throughout the Tsukuba paddock accentuated the completely different routes homeowners take with their automobiles – no Preliminary D replicas right here.
Because the morning ramped up, extra automobiles start to fill the pits. There have been a few late arrivals, however that was no actual shock given the below-freezing temperatures, which proved to be a problem for each drivers and all of the Hachirokus with carburettor-fed engines.
It was nice to see so many Storage Infinity drift automobiles out for the day. I’m all the time impressed by the quantity of seat time many of those drivers get of their Hachis. At least 10 instances a 12 months I’ll see most of those automobiles at occasions, a fairly spectacular flip round when you think about the way in which they’re pushed.
I used to be in no way shocked to see Oda-san out in his Trueno. Significantly on the circuit facet of pit lane, Crystal Physique Yokohama-built machines are plentiful, and it’s typically not onerous to identify them.
They’re normally sporting CBY’s iconic fender flares, and on this present day some had been even working the yet-to-be-released prototype CBY bonnet.
At grassroots-style occasions like this there is commonly a lack of workforce branding and signage, however relaxation assured, it’s not significantly onerous to match the homeowners to their automobiles. Intentional or not, there was no lack of colour-coordination this 12 months.
While it stays a one-make occasion, a quick intermission in AE86 motion is all the time welcomed by the Assault collection automobiles that squeeze a couple of periods in. As it’s simply the few periods, it’s reserved for a few of the extra severe time assault automobiles right here in Japan. This TCP Magic-built FD3S RX-7 is not any exception to that rule.
You’re one of many all-time greats in AE86 circuit racing – the Tec-Artwork’s N2 Trueno. This was one of many quickest Hachirokus of the day, and as soon as once more it’s working CBY fenders, hatch, flares and extra. I feel you can see a sample right here…
Tetsuya Hibino was again out in his authentic D1 Grand Prix automobile. It’s all the time particular to see these automobiles doing what they had been designed to do. The time period ‘storage queen’ is just not in lots of vocabularies at AE86 Pageant, and I actually hope that doesn’t change because the automobiles turn out to be even older.
As with each occasion, there’s all the time one automobile that steals the present, and for me it was this mind-bending Trueno hatch.
Talking briefly with the proprietor, an engineer, he informed me the automobile has been in improvement for 23 years, and was in-built collaboration with CBY. The whole lot has been modified to the intense. An identical engine setup to the CBY automobile would assume an influence determine across the 250hp mark, not dangerous when you think about the Trueno’s weight has been lower right down to 700kg (1,543lbs).
You’ll have seen the shifter doesn’t look regular-H-pattern-like, and that’s as a result of the Toyota is now working a Sadev sequential gearbox full with air-actuated paddles.
Virtually each nook and cranny of the automobile has been both riveted, welded or strengthened in a roundabout way. Mixed with the ultra-healthy power-to-weight ratio, you may solely start to think about how this automobile would possibly really feel being thrashed round Tsukuba.
It takes loads to cease somebody of their tracks at an occasion the place most automobiles are noteworthy, nevertheless on this case, there was a gentle crowd of equally amazed spectators stopping to look, ask questions and admire the 86.
I’d like to dive even deeper into the extremities of this explicit automobile at the moment, however that wouldn’t be doing it justice. Count on a full characteristic very quickly!
The drifting portion of the day is all the time the preferred with the spectators. The AE86 Pageant is just not a straightforward occasion to take part in as a driver, making for a few of the greatest AE86 driving you’ll see anyplace on this planet.
It’s all the time cool to see an OG Speedhunters sticker nonetheless caught to a automobile. However it’s not unusual to see these at AE86 occasions, with most of the automobiles being held onto by their homeowners for many years.
It was one other profitable and freezing AE86 Pageant at Tsukuba Circuit, however this 12 months I got here away each motivated and confused as to which course I ought to take my very own AE86. Is it the CBY-derived circuit method, or the easy however timeless avenue automobile look that resonates most with you? There’s clearly no scarcity of various avenues to take, however extra by myself automobile quickly…
Within the meantime, press play above to observe my 4K raw-cut video from the day.
Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
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