Toyota reveals "Initial D" concept car

WHEN car designers seek inspiration, they usually look to nature or to objects like fighter jets, but for Toyota's latest conceptual take on its GT86 sportscar, the company has looked to cult 1990s manga comic book and cartoon series "Initial D."

Those that know their manga will know that central "Initial D" character Takumi Fujiwara is a delivery driver by day and aspiring street racer by night. But they'll also know that his car of choice was a seriously tuned 1986 Toyota Corolla GT Coupe AE86.

But that's only because he had no money -- the old Corolla was his parents' car -- and because the GT86 wasn't available until 2012, and so Toyota has reimagined the Initial D car for the 21st century, taking what was best about the fictional AE86 and applying it to the real-life GT86.

So the concept car, created by Toyota's UK special projects department, sticks with the black-and-white monochrome graphics that the comic car sported. It also boasts the 2016 version of each real-life custom part that Fujiwara fitted to his car in the comic series.

So the Initial D GT86 has a carbon fiber bonnet, the latest TRD Sportivo suspension system, a Fujitsubo exhaust system, a Cusco Type OS front strut brace and custom RS Watanabe alloy wheels.

Even features that seem dated by today's standards such as yellow-tinted fog lamps and mud flaps are on the car because they were integral to the original, as is the lack of a rear spoiler (something the GT86 comes with as standard).

"With this Initial D concept we not only acknowledge how important the AE86 was in influencing Toyota's modern approach to sports cars but also demonstrate how the GT86 can be aesthetically and dynamically improved with relatively simple aftermarket accessories," said Joe Clifford from the special projects team. "But perhaps most of all, we just thought it was an achingly cool idea."

Since its launch in 2012 the GT86, also sold as a ScionFR-S and as the Subaru BZR, has been a huge hit with keen drivers of all ages. Jeremy Clarkson, presenter for TV program "Top Gear" from 2002 to 2015, declared it his favorite car of the year and it has been fully embraced by the customization and tuning community to the extent that it is always one of the most popular cars at SEMA. But that is something that Toyota always hoped would happen when the company started designing the car.

"Right from the start, the Toyota GT86 was developed as a car that would appeal to enthusiasts, whether in standard trim or as an exploitable base for further modifications," said Clifford.