The Toyota GT86 Initial D Concept Is An Awesome Car-Based Manga Celebration

Arguably, the old Toyota AE86 is most famous for one thing: its starring role in Japanese manga series Initial D, in which main character Takumi Fujiwara belted around mountain roads on tofu delivery duties. Unsurprisingly, the original car’s famous black and white livery has been used on numerous examples of the GT86 - the AE86’s spiritual successor - worldwide, and now even Toyota itself has gotten in on the action.

The Japanese manufacturer’s UK arm has created this brilliant one-off ‘Toyota GT86 Initial D Concept’, and the attention to detail is extraordinary. Yes, the livery is spot on, but all the little details are correct too, thanks to modern versions of the Initial D AE86’s components being added.

There are custom-made RS Watanabe rims, Sportivo suspension from TRD, a Fujitsubo exhaust, Cusco strut brace and a caronfibre bonnet. Look carefully, and you’ll see fog lights with a yellow tint in a nod to the Cibié spotlights on Takumi’s AE86, and Toyota GB has even painted the engine cover silver to make it look a little more like the old 4A-GE.

The GT86’s standard boot spoiler has been ditched, mudflaps have been added, and the rear light clusters tinted.

Best of all though, Toyota commissioned UK-based manga artist Sonia Leong - who previously worked with the company on the Aygo Manga project - to create a set of magnificent drawings featuring the car and Takumi’s AE86.

Since they look so spectacular, we’ve added them all here with the optional of a wallpaper-friendly high-res download for each.

Want to see the car in the metal? It’ll be shown at various car shows throughout the UK this summer.