As the owner of a GT86, it’s fun to hunt out cars from the same bloodline as my own at a big show like SEMA. Today we’ll be looking at the AE86s, GT86s (FRS for my American audience) and GR86s of SEMA 2025.
The AE86 was the car that started it all. Sung Kang of Fast & Furious fame is currently working on a new movie about drifting, aptly named Drifter. The film’s lead car is an AE86 called Lola.
It appears to undergo a big transformation as the film progresses. This one features a Pandem wide-arch kit, Watanabe wheels and is powered by a Chevrolet LS3.
I’m looking forward to seeing the film when it’s released.
Honda motor swaps are popular in these platforms. This one has a K-Series with a bigggg turbo strapped to it.
Despite being a bit more collectible now, the occasional AE still becomes a drift missile.
Carbody.com by Juncheng Auto Parts make lots recreation panels for classic cars including new body shells for an expanding list of cars. The AE86 is a body that they produce.
A painted AE86 shell is $9500 from the factory (roughly £7200).
The GT is the spiritual successor to the AE. This is the generation I own. There were only a couple there this time as they are getting a little longer in the tooth.
We have seen this V8 swapped monster at the 2023 show: https://motorsportformentalhealth.com/2023/11/18/sema-2023-86s/
However I think it’s worth showing again. The quality of this build is amazing. There must be thousands upon thousands of hours in this car.
Evolv were displaying Chelse Gunnels’ BRZ.
The GR is the current iteration of the 86.
Toyota had a couple on their stand. The yellow car is the new ‘Yuzu Edition’ inspired by the Scion FRS (The American market GT86) Release Series which came in this Yuzu Yellow colour.
They also had a GR Cup car. Toyota organise a number of these GR Cup series in different regions of the world. They are a single make, grassroots(ish) series just for the 86.
Finally they had a normal production GR86.
This lightly modified Hakone Edition was very smart!
An 86 on airjacks! Note the Honda engine swap.
Another Honda swapped car.
A lovely widebodied GR!
Fujitsubo are a Japanese company that make exhausts. I loved the look of the GR86 on their stand – the colourway very much reminded me of 7/11 stores.
Finally we have Jhonnattan Castro’s Formula Drift car on the Metaldom stand.
Thanks for reading! .
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By Richard Francis.
