The Corolla AE86 Buyers Guide

The Corolla AE86 was first introduced by Toyota in 1983, and was available until 1987. The AE86 often times was called the Hachi Roku, meaning "eight-six" in Japanese. This was the fifth generation of Corollas at the time, and it was a coupe. Since it was the sixth revision of the E80 model, it was given the E86 title. Here are some important things to know about the Corolla AE86.
AE86 Engine/Technical Specifications

The engine was a fuel injected four cylinder located in the front of the car. It created 104 foot pounds of torque, and 130 PS (97kW) of power. It was modified for the United States to have a little less power to accommodate the emissions standards of the time. It was originally a five speed manual, but automatic transmissions came later. The Corolla GTS model later only had the manual transmission. It was a twin cam 1587 CC 4A-GE engine, that also had an optional limited slip differential. It had an independent rear suspension, as well as stabilizer bars at both ends. Depending on what model the car is, there could be a different rear differential. The 4A-GE had a 6.7 inch rear differential, while the 3A-4U and 4A-C models had a 6.38 rear differential. The car also featured ventilated disc brakes. It had a fuel tank of about 13 gallons, and since it was not the most powerful, had decent fuel efficiency for the time.
Performance

When it came to performance, the AE86 was not that bad, although not great. It went from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about eight seconds. Even with that poor acceleration, it still got to a quarter of a mile in about 15 or 16 seconds. It had a top speed of about 125 miles per hour. It had a 130 hp/tone power to weight ration.
Body Styles

There were two variations in the AE86, the Levin and the Trueno. There were two styles for each. One was a two door coupe version. The other was a three door hatchback. The taillights and headlights of the cars were different, with one having popup lights and the other having rectangular lights. The coupe was just a little bit lighter. There were also two different versions to come out by year. The 1983 to 1985 models were known as the Zenki. The 1986 to 1987 models were known as the Kouki.
Corolla GTS vs. Corolla SR5

If you are buying one of these two different models, you should be aware of the differences. The GTS was only available in 1985 and on, and because of this, it was able to have more horse power in the engine. It had 112 horse power compared to only 87 for the SR5 model. It also created much more torque than the SR5.
Corolla AE86 Price

The ultimate part of the AE86 would be the price. Remember, it's now around a 25 year old car. If it is in good condition, some may be in the $5,000 to $6,000 range. Most are probably not in the best of shape, and shouldn't be more than a couple of thousand dollars.