Hachiroku Heaven: The Paddock Scene at Okayama
So, where to start with Okayama’s annual AE86 fest? The first thing that pops into my head is the sound, quickly followed by a rush of excitement walking up to the paddocks and hearing those cars screaming down the straight.
Your brain is in overload. Add the fact this day had already topped by Rob, allowing me to drive his 86 to the event; I was at capacity for trying to enjoy this experience; the memory bank was full. Looking back, most of it was a blur. It’s only through this imagery and the video that I’m getting to relive this stuff! Thank fuck for these photos.
We strolled in from the car park, which took some time, as you might have guessed, due to the distractions surrounding us. To the right, you hear the cars on track; to the left, the cars driving in for the event, the racing is endless, its free reign at the pit wall to stick your head out and gets a slap of the 4A-GE note as much as you want. I loved how casual and relaxed the atmosphere is at these events.
After you’ve had a fill of the N2 machines on track, you left trying to absorb the selection of Corollas and Truenos on display; there’s not enough space in the human brain to take this in!
Everywhere you look is a photo opportunity…
Iconic machines I’ve drooled over in various hot version DVD’s all here at the same time.
So good to finally see the Crystal Body Yokohama machines.
I almost had a panic attack trying to figure out how I would document and enjoy this event simultaneously. I start sweating, almost panicking about how id navigates the rows and rows of cars; I’m even starting to sweat just thinking about it all over again!
Each one of these cars would be worth going in-depth with, they were all top tier examples. It’s like seeing all your favourite artists at the same time at the same event. You’d hardly remember any of it.
I had never seen this many circuit spec 86’s in my life, they are a rare sight over our side of the world, especially with the N2 kit.
The content was endless; so many famous cars I’ve been following online for years, all in one spot at the same time.
Sky mint rabbitry!
I love that they have different classes too, here are a few rotary-powered machines from the ultimate class.
Everything is a photo opportunity.
Hard to beat a clean Zenki 2 door rear end…
Or a well-sorted grip monster. TE37vs seem to be the go-to choice for a lot of drivers.
Further up the paddock was the private drivers who could pop out for grip sessions in between the proper n2 cars.
As I mentioned further up, everything at this event was top tier. I found myself taking the exact same photo angle over and over just to document the cars.
Love the look of this 2 door with the late spec Trueno rear tails.
Another shot of this aggressive satin black Levin. Big 15’s and meaty tyres, the 86 can take on many looks.
It still baffles me that this chassis can look good in so many different styles. A mix of Run Free here with millennium Ganador style led mirrors oddly do not look out of place on this Levin.
I love the sticker collection under the boot lid.
Wow!
Gotta love a P1 on an 86, it doesn’t sound great on paper but it’s a match made in heaven when you see it in real life.
Mix match equips look good here! I love the look of an all-white car with painted black bumpers.
More P1’s combined with a full Goodline kit. It doesn’t get much better.
Look at that bay!
It’s hard to be unique with an 86, there were more pandas at this event than I’ve ever seen, but I’m not complaining. It seems like you can’t do something with this chassis, that hasn’t already been done.
Sometimes it’s better to run with a look that has been tried and tested, like this all-white Zenki Levin on bronze TE37V’s
There were a few very standout cars, like this menacing looking Trueno, with a full run free exterior and smoke 17″ P1s.
This was a flawless build, I have been following this car on Instagram for a few years. It looked just as good if not better in real life.
The 16″ Buddy Club P1’s is something you wouldn’t expect but it works.
I love the smoked corner lights too, what a great car!
This looks like a nice place to be.
Looking at these pics, I’m reminded by the panic to capture as much as I could. It’s hard when you are obsessed with a chassis to try and think logically and skim over stuff to create content. I feel I’ve put as much as I could in both the video and the features that will end up on the site or Instagram or Facebook, as I know a fellow 86 enthusiast would appreciate the variety and thorough level of content from such an event.
Even cars like this, a completely stock Kouki Levin on TE37’s how could you pass it up? I loved the contrast between full-on race cars and clean simple examples, both of them had equal appeal.
I should have counted the number of Pandas at the event. It’s safe to say this paint scheme the most popular colour in Japan.
But you do still see a lot of personal looks on the chassis which is nice.
Out at the pit wall, you had insanity like this screaming past as you frantically try to capture everything.
How about this for a totally unexpected sight? An American delivered Corolla GTS, on Dori mesh with a full Kouki OEM exterior finished in full silver. I think we stopped to look at this car for about twenty minutes. So simple yet so damn good!
Toda had a full 16 valve on display with a system, they also had some coloured pulley wheels which I’ve never seen before.
I could have come home empty-handed if I started buying parts!
Lots and lots of rare goodies for sale.
Initial D machines, the roar of the 86s as a background soundtrack in the distance; once you’ve finished trying to digest the road cars, you floored all over again by the race cars in the paddocks. This was the famous one built by Carland 86 in Kyoto for the voice actor of Initial D, who took the piss out of my car on Japanese TV. Never thought id write a sentence like that in my life!
There was a decent selection of Tofu Delivery machines, it was like they were having their own show inside the event.
What a lineup!
Each variety of engine was on display with the Initial D gathering.
Accompanying the 86’s was a selection of FD RX7’s. This one caught my eye.
The event goes on and on; as sad as it sounded, if I had died that day, it wouldn’t have mattered. I wanted to see this event for many, many years and to experience it in real life. Finally, it was better than I could have ever imagined, and that doesn’t happen very often in life.
It felt like the trip peaked at the very start of the journey! Or so I thought, how could it get any better than this.