Toyota considering return of rear-wheel drive AE86?

Our pals at Winding Road just passed along a note that Toyota might be considering re-releasing the driftastic Corolla Sport. The endearingly tossable rear-wheel-drive AE86 platform was known by many names around the world: Corolla Levin, Sprinter Trueno, Corolla GT and of course the Corolla Sport in the States. Particularly in GT-S trim, it was one of the few sporty models to make its way into Toyota dealerships, alongside the Celica and Supra, and eventually the MR2, which essentially replaced it. But it was fun and cheap, and that set it apart. Available from 1983-1987, it was one of the last affordable rear-drive cars that could take a pounding, making it a favorite of budget street racers and the emerging drift scene in the '80s and '90s.

It looks like the suits at Toyota are close to greenlighting a new version. Apparently the idea has been floated several times over the years with mixed reaction, but it seems to be gaining some momentum lately. There is reportedly some disagreement within the corporate ranks over whether or not it would actually sell, but a few officials appear to be backing it strongly. Must be some Initial D fans up in there. A modernized Hachi-Roku would have to find a suitable rwd platform, but would be a blast to see in the lineup again. Of course, we've had access to AE86 in games like Need For Speed for years now, but getting our hands on the real deal would be sweet. We'll keep our fingers crossed on this one.

[Source: Winding Road]