When you build your career engineering cars that go sideways in noisy clouds of smoke, choosing what to drive on the weekend would seem like a pretty easy task.

However, no matter how much you thrive off of the mayhem of drift, any sane person probably needs a bit of chill time when they clock off for some rest and relaxation in the outside world. A world of weekend shopping, date nights, and Sunday drives in the countryside.

That’s why Yoshinori Kamata, owner of iconic the Saitama-based tuning shop Tec-Art’s, has chosen to keep it classy for his days off. Black and gold has, and will always be a cool combination, but I’m not sure there’s anything cooler than modifying a Toyota Sprinter Trueno Black Limited. Because only 400 of this special edition model were ever built.

I’m sure many of you will already know who Tec-Art’s are and what they do, but if you’ve just come out of a 25-year-long hibernation, here’s the short version. Tec-Art’s are OG Hachiroku tuners from the golden age of drift, now focusing building customer cars for the road and track – when they’re not participating in the N2 Vintage Racing Series or the Drift Champions Cup, that is. Oh, and they are the official caretakers of Keiichi ‘Drift King’ Tsuchiya’s personal AE86. Dino visited Tec-Art’s for a shop visit in 2020, and you can check that feature out here for more.

Drift cars are the Mel Gibsons of the automotive scene: outspoken, slightly offensive and not afraid to get a bit dirty. Let’s face it, if you had to work with either of them, you’d probably appreciate a little peace and quiet after an eight-hour day.

And if you clocked off work on a Friday night in 1986, you would probably want to kick back with your favourite whisky and a John Player cigarette. Yes, the very same tobacco company that draped its black and gold sophistication all over the Lotus F1 cars of the 1970s. I’m not sure if there’s any connection between the classic JPS (John Player Special) livery and the Black Limited AE86, but there had to have been some inspiration taken.

All 400 of the Black Limited cars came in black with gold insignias and pin-striping, as well as gold 14×5.5-inch ‘snowflake’ wheels. They had black, grey and gold-accented interiors with orange lettering on the dash controls and gauges, and a red ‘Black Limited’ heckblende between the taillights. Other than that, the Black Limited cars were mechanically the same as all other GT Apex trim level kouki (facelift) AE86 Truenos.

There’s no doubt about it, a Black Limited AE86 is 100% cooler than a panda AE86. Just think of all the other cool black cars out there: Michael Knight’s K.I.T.T., Mad Max’s Ford Falcon XB GT ‘Interceptor’, Dominic Toretto’s Dodge Charger, and the list goes on…

Here’s a question for you though: What do you think about modifying rare, collectable cars like a Black Limited AE86? Because that’s exactly what Kamata-san has done with his.

There’s not much of the original Black Limited interior, now replaced with a full bolt-in roll cage and a pair of bright red Bride seats.

The original bodywork went under the knife too, now enhanced Kamata-style with a full Tec-Art’s aero kit matched with Crystal Body Yokohama flares.

And one look in the engine bay tells you that the powertrain is now far from stock too. In place of the naturally aspirated, 1.6L DOHC 16-valve 4A-G engine the car came with is a Tec-Art’s-built ‘7A-G’, displacing 1.8L, fitted with a 4A-G 20-valve cylinder head, and also benefitting from a rather large GCG-Garrett turbocharger. The result of all this madness is 480hp at 7,000rpm and 51.9kg/m torque at 5,800rpm, as tuned through a MoTeC M4 engine management system.

There’s a whole lot more to Kamata-san’s Black Limited AE86 too, and those upgrades are listed in the spec panel at the bottom of the page if you’re interested.

So, do you think Kamata-san should have painted a standard AE86 in black and gold instead of modifying this genuine car?  Personally, I think he made the right call, because the upgrades have improved the car’s look and drivability tenfold.

Who knows how many of the other 399 Black Limiteds produced are still around today, but while all the survivors in original condition sit in garages collecting dust and no doubt appreciating in value, this one stealthily prowls the streets of Tokyo. And that’s infinitely cooler in my book.

Toby Thyer
Instagram _tobinsta_
tobythyer.co.uk

Tec-Art’s AE86 Toyota Trueno Black Limited 

Engine: Toyota 7A-FE block, forged 82mm pistons, Tec-Art’s 7A-G dedicated connecting rods, Tec-Art’s 7A-G special crankshaft, 1.8L displacement, 8.0:1 compression ratio, 4A-GE 20-valve cylinder head, combustion chamber & port processing, Tec-Art’s 264-degree/8.5mm lift intake & exhaust camshafts, Toda Racing 1.8mm metal head gasket, Tec-Art’s cast exhaust manifold, GCG-Garrett turbocharger, GCG by Turbosmart IWG-75 actuator, Tec-Art’s custom intercooler & piping, Tec-Art’s custom exhaust system with sports catalytic converter & high performance muffler, Tec-Art’s billet intake manifold, Tec-Art’s Type-T fuel pump, 1,000cc fuel injectors, NGK Iritop spark plugs, Trust/GREX 22-row oil cooler, Tec-Art’s Type-Max triple-core radiator, MoTeC M4 engine management system

Driveline: Toyota W55 5-speed gearbox, ATS carbon clutch, ATS flywheel, TRD 2-way LSD with 3.7:1 final drive

Suspension & Brakes: Tec-Art’s Tec-Damper Type-Aragosta shock absorbers front/rear, 6kg/mm front springs, 2.6kg/mm rear springs, modified OEM front/rear stabiliser bars, Endless 4-pot brakes front, Nissan S13 callipers with Tec-Art’s Super Slip rotors rear, Endless brake pads front/rear, Tec-Art’s braided stainless steel brake lines

Wheels & Tyres: Work Meister CR01 wheels, 16×8.5-inch -22 offset front, 16×8.5-inch -60 offset rear, Yokohama Advan Neova tyres, 205/50R16 front/rear

Chassis & Exterior: Reinforced spot welding, Tec-Art’s full aero kit, Crystal Body Yokohama (CBY) overfenders

Interior: Full roll cage, Bride King series carbon/Kevlar seats