A couple of days ago, I gave you a quick tour around AE86 specialist shop Crystal Body Yokohama, or CBY as it’s otherwise known. While I was super-interested to see how Oda-san works, I was equally excited to check out his iconic Trueno – the subject of this spotlight.
For over 33 years, Oda-san has been developing this AE86 to where it is today.
Almost everything you see that is not factory on the car has been developed in-house at CBY, making the Trueno’s 58-second Tsukuba Circuit lap even more of a testament to Oda-san’s craftsmanship. For reference, that is faster than most Porsche 911 GT3 RS drivers lap Tsukuba’s famous TC2000 course.
Here’s some in-car footage.
The car really does speak for itself in terms of aggression and presence. There’s the enormous CFD-developed rear wing on top of the CBY FRP hatch (still road legal by keeping within the bounds of the chassis) plus custom-vented CBY +50mm fender flares, skirts and front bumper. Up front, the CBY dry carbon front fenders and front spoiler weigh in at a total of just over 4kg (8.8lbs), which is impressive.
The Trueno sits on what look like regular RS Watanabe wheels, however these are the slightly lighter, forged magnesium variant, all wrapped in 225/50R15 Yokohama Advan A050s.
Jumping inside, it’s about what you’d expect at a first glance, including weight reduction and a full roll cage. However, the intricacies really set it apart from other circuit-spec AE86s.
The factory dash has been replaced by a custom-developed Gauge Art digital setup, backed off a Link engine management system.
The seats are super-special carbon fibre Bride x Watanabe collaboration Zeta IVs.
Finally, the powerhouse of the build, which sits 26mm lower in the AE86 chassis than a standard 4A-GE, to bring the car’s front weight even closer to the ground. Using a 7A-FE block with a 4A-GE 16-valve cylinder head, Oda-san’s ‘7A-GE’ displaces 1.8L and is supported by 300-degree intake and 295-degree exhaust camshafts. The rev limit currently sits at around 8,500rpm, so you can begin to imagine the sound that this car makes on full song thanks to its ITBs and race-spec exhaust.
The intake side of the engine bay has been covered with a custom airbox, which is fed by a duct in the left-side headlight cover. The front ducting, all supported by the CBY bonnet, is currently in development and testing phases.
It’s shops like CBY that continue to prove that no matter the chassis, you can always go faster. With over 30 years of development into one car, it’s no surprise that Oda-san’s AE86 leaves me both envious and motivated to create something similar for myself. More on that soon.
Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
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A 33-years old car that runs 58-second Tsukuba lap times while still being naturally aspirated. What a machine!
Why not both? Well...really easy question to answer:
You can't do both and have a vehicle that functions to its maximum in either.
I always laugh when people compare cars to something perceived as more expensive. In reality the owner of this car has likely spent close to $100,000 developing this car to get it to do what it does. Now we look at a GT3 RS for $180,000 and think "That's a bargain."
A Formula 4 car which costs about $30,000 - $50,000 and even lesser expensive purpose built machines for the track will smoke both of these with ease -- and do it without any need to be developed further or re-engineered by a "tuner."
When you actually chalk down what people spend on machines like this for the lap times they produce it is actually a colossal waste of money if the goal is only clocking a good lap time -- which seems to be the primary focus of why this machine is impressive to people.
Any time you try to take an engineering exercise and make it go in multiple directions you end up with a product that is inferior to something which has been designed for a purpose.
Nobody said loving a machine was supposed to make sense. You're entitled to your opinion though...
Missed the part where lap times are about love and therapy sessions.
I thought they were about winning. Jesus Christ.