I am writing this article to compare one of the greatest cars the 80s had to offer. It would be a thrill to drive them on the road, especially on mountain passes (touge) for any car enthusiast.
Overview
These cars were 2 door sports cars that toyota offered during the early 80s. They had the same engine.
MR2 AWll
Toyota AE86
Toyota AE86 was a small, lightweight, RWD car offered as a coupe or hatchback. It was the high performance version of the fifth generation toyota corolla/sprinter. It was also the last RWD car offered in the Corolla/Sprinter lineup. Two versions, called Levin and Trueno were offered. The Trueno version had pop-up head lights while the Levin version had fixed headlights. Please keep in mind that there is no difference in performance between the two versions.
When compared to the MR2, the AE86 car is much popular among car enthusiasts and has a large fan base. There are a lot of dreamers out there who dream of obtaining the AE86 but not the MR2. The 'civic fever' is now turning into a new fever, that is, 'AE86 fever.' Many people are now realizing the advantages that RWD cars have over FWD cars.
trueno
These pictures show 2 AE86 with pop up
headlights therefore it is a trueno
Levin
Fixed headlights are shown
therefore, the car shown left
is a levin
In Japan, the AE86 was also known as the Hachi-Roku (ハチロク), Japanese for "eight-six".
Engine
The highest performing engine fitted to the AE86 is known as the toyota 4A-GE engine.
It is a 4 cilinder engine manufactured by Toyota and had a displacement of 1587 cubic centimeters. The same engine was used in the AW11 toyota MR2.
This engine had a maximum gross power output of 130 PS (96 kW) and 110 lb·ft (150 N·m) of torque in standard form. The AE86 GT-APEX came with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 4A-GE engines used in the AE86 and AW11 were equipped with T-VIS (Toyota Variable Intake System). The GT-APEX model Limited Slip Differential (LSD).
The AE86 used ventilated disc brakes. The car was equipped with a MacPherson strut style independent suspension at the front and a four-link live axle with coil springs for the rear. Stabilizer bars were present at both ends. The GT-APEX version had a 6.7" rear differential.
Toyota MR2 AW11
The small, lightweight MR2 (chassis code "AW11") was something no one had expected from Toyota at that time was known for their economical and practical family cars. The two-seat MR2 was definitely not practical as a family car, designed for style and sport.
The MR2 Aw11 had the same engine As the toyota Ae86's Gt-APEX.
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Comparison of Body styles between the MR2 and the Ae86 :
The AE86 was offered as a 2 door coupe or a 2 door hatchback. The 2 door coupe version is know to be lighter and more rigid than the 2 door hatchback. The AE86 looks like a normal sports car in my opinion
On the other hand, the MR2 was only offered as a 2 door coupe. It is an extremely beautiful car that looks like a ferrari Dino in my opinion.
Therefore, the MR2 gets the edge in styling.
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Comparison of Curb weight
The GT-APEX AE86 model weighed between 900 and 960 Kg. And the MR2 AWll weighed between 950 and 1000 KG
The AE86 is lighter so the tyres wont wear out so easily.
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Comparing the Drivetrain of these two cars
The MR2 had an MR layout which means that it's engine was in the middle and has rear wheel drive. This makes the front light and the rear heavy in most cases. This makes the real slide in corners often resulting in oversteer and spinning. The MR2 isn't a good choice for drifting in my opinion.
On the other hand the 'hachi roku' had an FR layout which means that it's has it's engine in the front accompanied by rear wheel drive. It was also a very stable car which made it a very Good car to drift. In fact, keichi Tsuchiya, the father of drift, drove this car daily as a way of improving his abilities. Overall, the AE86 appears more advantages than the Mr2 in drifting. But their cornering in grip races is equally matched.
When talking about tyre wear, I'd say that the AE86 will endure more than MR2. Because it is lighter and also because it is an FR as opposed to the MR2 being an MR car.
The Hachi Roku wins this round.
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Comparing their Performance
The MR2 was faster in a straight line because it was more aerodynamic than the AE86. But it was slower in corners because it cannot drift like the AE86. And these cars are not meant to be dragsters. It's the corners that count for then, so I'd say that the AE86 wins this round.
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Conclution
The MR2 has way too many flaws and is much harder to drift than the AE86. It is also heavier and wears out it's tyres quickly. Overall, I'd say that the AE86 is a much better car for a car enthusiast.
