The arrival of electric cars has been greeted with as much joy as despair. On the one hand, the advantages of an electric car are evident even in a cheap model, and even if we leave aside the environmental question for a moment.
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But on the other hand, car enthusiasts are really worried that electric cars will end the “soul” and fun of combustion engines. These are well-founded fears, because while no one denies the power and delivery that electric cars are capable of, in terms of drivability and fun, the weight of the batteries seems an insurmountable obstacle.
Classics modernized with electricity and hydrogen
Now Toyota is coming and showing us that yes, it’s not only possible to create fun electric cars, it’s also possible. upgrade classic models
Toyota’s new prototype electric and hydrogen cars
The two new ‘restomods’ from Toyota are interesting for the choice of models. Instead of opting for a more luxurious and older model, the company chose two “popular” models, two AE86s initially launched in the 1980s which were the introduction to motorsports for millions of people.
Even if you’ve never been to Japan, you might know them well. The famous ‘Hachiroku’ is one of the most famous cars in the worldseries protagonist Initial D and promoter of car culture and “drifting”, which later influenced the saga The fast and the furious.
The AE86 stood out for its balance and weight distribution, which made it easy to learn on the winding Japanese mountain roads; It was by far not the most powerful car, but it was cheap and had plenty of “tuning” possibilities. That Toyota chose this car to make a “restomod” out of it seems a statement of intent
The AE86 BEV draws its guts from the Toyota Prius and other marquee hybrids, and so its battery is just 8.8kWh and won’t get us very far; but thanks to that, it should give us a lot of joy on any type of circuit, especially since the transmission and other elements have been retained. This model uses the Levin type body.
Toyota’s hydrogen combustion engine, which creates “noise and vibration” like gasoline
On the other hand, the AE86 H2 uses the most famous bodywork, that of the Sprinter Trueno with its retractable headlights that scream “80s”; it is also the most interesting model, since it is based on hydrogen. But instead of using this element in a fuel cell, it uses a internal combustion process that produces water; According to Toyota, it was chosen to achieve the sensations of a gasoline engine, such as sound and vibration, although in reality it is not a very efficient or powerful method.
With these proofs of concept, Toyota wants to seduce its most enthusiastic customers, to show them that they have not been forgotten. Its CEO, Akio Toyoda, complained during the presentation that Toyota’s green efforts aren’t as popular in his native country as they are in the rest of the world, and this may be an attempt to impress on the Japanese that the spirit that brought them to the roads is still alive.
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