It seems odd to say that a pair of Toyota AE86s debuted at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon. But that’s that they did, sorta. You see the pair of cars here are not new, but what lies under their bonnets is.

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Iconic Duo

The pair of ‘new’ AE86s are really the iconic drift machine that fans of JDM car culture know so well. The two cars have completely modernised powertrains. One is electric and the other is hydrogen-powered.

Company president Akio Toyoda explained the rationale behind the two show cars to Automotive News: “Many automakers target a 100 per cent shift to battery EVs, anywhere between 2030 to 2040. But the reality is that we cannot achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 simply by shifting all new-car sales to EVs. … It is important to provide options for cars that are already owned.”

Click here to read our driving review of the Toyota GR86. 

Franken-hybrid

The electric version is called the Toyota AE86 BEV Concept. It is powered by a 70 kW/190 N.m motor from a Tundra, which is fed from a Prius battery pack. Power is fed to the rear axle through a six-speed manual transmission. Toyota also carried out a few choice upgrades, including Bilstein dampers, Endless brakes, a Nardi steering wheel, Bride seats and Watanabe 14-inch wheels.

Hydrogen Power

The AE86 H2 Concept has the familiar 4A-GEU powerplant. However, there is one major change in that it now runs on hydrogen. This car also has Endless brakes and 14-inch Watanabe wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza tyres. Bride seats have also been installed.