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There's something about an underdog that really inspires the unexceptional.
The 1983 Toyota Corolla Sprinter Trueno is famous nowadays and is considered an all-time great, however, it was in fact
never anything in particular. Instead it was rather plain and unremarkable, a car that was never expected to be anything more than a reliable daily driver.
It was essentially the same as the Toyota Corolla Levin except it had rear-wheel drive and pop-up headlights (okay admittedly that is rather sexy).
The reason this car got famous was exactly because it was so unremarkable. It was the car of choice for Takumi Fujiwara, the protagonist of the Initial D manga and anime series.
A manga written as a love letter to touge racing and drifting and a fictional autobiography of The Drift King himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya ("Dori-Kin").
You see, the Sprinter Trueno was not powerful in any way, it had a 1.6L naturally aspirated engine producing a mere 130hp.
But that sets the perfect backdrop for one of the greatest underdog stories of all time.
Because if the car is basic and yet dominates every race its driver enters, then it must be the driver that is the true hero.
If you ever wondered if The Drift King really was that good or if he just had a good car - the answer is clear, it was for sure not the car.
If you need proof, just dedicate a few minutes to watch 'The Touge' produced by Pluspy (visually '+P') and prepare your mind to be blown.
If you want to know the story about how The Drift King earned his stars, you could read his story or take the time to watch all the seasons of Initial D - it is almost the same thing ;)
Now regarding the car, it is mainly famous for its role in Initial D, but it is also a great car in its own right. The AE86 was a good platform for racing and did win titles in the British Touring Car Championship and the European Touring Car Championship.
So it was not a bad car by any means, it was just not particularly special either. Or at least it was not close to the reputation it has today.
It is a great car to drive, it is light and nimble and has a very balanced chassis.
And this is why it was a great car. Because it was an affordable car that was easy to drive and learn about limit driving with.
This is what Keiichi spent a great time in doing, which lead him to not just drive the car like a pro, but he transcended to something far greater.
When he raced the AE86, it was not just a car, it was an extension of himself. And that is what makes the AE86 legendary. He didnt pass the other cars by
being Mr. Late Break, he passed them whilst going slightly sideways, throttle wide open, all four wheels sliding in a trail of smoke and yet he left them all to taste the dust.
It was not just a statement of speed, but somehow that gentle slide made it faster. It was a statement of style, of grace, of mastery. And this is what made
driving like an idiot and wearing your tires out so cool. It was about the art of driving, the dance with the car, the connection and the pure proof of skill
without it being at the cost of speed. The Drift King essentially invented a brand new way of driving, which eventually became its own sport - drifting.
He was not a driver who was trained at the track in a go-karting career paid by his hyper wealthy parents in an attempt to fast track him to Formula 1.
Instead he was just a regular guy with a passion that he dedicated his life to. He pursued his passion with a relentless drive and an unbreakable spirit and because of that he eventually reached the top.
He didnt learn to go racing at the tracks, he learned it from the streets. He became the embodiment of Touge and through his hard work eventually reached Le Mans.
A living proof that you can that something unexceptional can achieve the impossible.