Toyota has had some real bangers in terms of sports cars over the years. Car enthusiasts around the world have been shelling out tens of thousands of dollars just to get their hands on a piece of history, and with a great selection of speed to choose from, we can see why. But what we want to know is which of Toyota’s sports cars you think is the best.
Instead of playing a quick game of Eenie Meenie Miney Mo to decide which car should top your list, you can check out this video from carwow that actually runs through the details on five of the most popular—and most important—of Toyota’s sports cars: the Supra MKIV, the 2000 GT, the Celica GT-Four Carlos Sainz edition, the GT86, and the AE86.
Each of these cars had their own special moment in history, but there’s a pretty good chance you’ve got a favorite based on which one you admired growing up. Carwow does a damn good job of listing the pros and cons of each, so I highly recommend sticking those preconceptions off to the side for twenty minutes before making your decision.
We start off with the 2000GT, one of the first world-class sports cars from Japan. The curvaceous design is gorgeous, and damn, when it starts up, it sounds so delicious to the ears that I’d be content to sit behind the wheel and just rev the engine all day. Despite all its positives, it is incredibly cramped inside and can be pretty tough to drive. I’ll be honest—I’m a real sucker for an old car. The 2000GT is far and away my personal favorite.
Next on the list is the AE86 Corolla, a sporty rear-wheel-drive car that grew to be popular with drifters and will be instantly recognizable to any Initial D fans. It’s honestly pretty much the peak of retro angular design, and while it’s sporty as hell, it’s also pretty effective as a daily driver. It’s a punchy little thing, with its pretty advanced (for the time) twin-cam four cylinder, and even on a pretty standard roadway, you can see why this thing was so popular with speed fiends.
The Celica GT-Four Carlos Sainz edition, designed with plenty of vents for cooling after Sainz won the WRC championship. The interior is sleek, but it’s pretty standard for a Celica of the period. The video points out that it isn’t hugely fast and doesn’t sound particularly good, but the smooth manual gearbox makes up for the relative lack of madly impressive driving.
Then we get into the Supra MkIV, something of a cult classic and a true Toyota icon these days. The 2JZ engine is super easy to tune, which makes it a favorite for just about anyone who wants to start playing with performance. The car in the video has an automatic transmission, but Carwow argues it doesn’t detract from the speed—or the enjoyment. With high top speeds and rapid acceleration, it’s obvious why this has become a fan favorite.
Finally, the video wraps up with the GT86. While not completely a Toyota-only product, its limited-slip differential and rear-wheel drive setup practically begs its driver to go out and race it. The interior design is one of my personal favorites—while a little dark, it’s very modern and simplistic. The whole point of this car is to have fun with it, even at low speeds, and it’s really responsive to changes in the road. And, yes, the engine does sound a lot better than some of the previous cars mentioned in the video.
You can find all the detailed specs and driving impressions in the video. But we want to know? Which of Toyota’s sports cars is your favorite?
[“source=jalopnik”]