Toyota FT-86 concept: Welcome back Hachi-Roku!

If you're one of those who always wanted to be Takumi from the JapaneseImanga, then your car has arrived. To be fair, being Takumi was a more attainable goal, than say, being an F1 driver, and far more heroic.

Takumi drifted around the Japanese mountain passes in a modest Toyota Corolla, driving in the early hours before the tofu shops opened their doors, making deliveries to towns on the other side of the Gunma prefecture.

But what a Corolla it was; an AE86, or Hachi-Roku. The little ‘Rolla became legendary, and cemented the Hachi's status as one of the drift kings. Takuma regularly embarrassed Mitsu Evolutions, RX-7s and even Skylines. Sadly, most Hachi-Rokus have been mutilated for drifting, and very few remain in an unmolested, original state. (Tip of the week: if you ever find one, snap it up, they're definite future collectibles).

The bosses at the Japanese giant that is the world's biggest carmaker, Toyota, say its revival, the FT-86 concept, will focus on the fun-to-drive formula, something that's been missing from the company's line-up ever since the demise of the Supra, Celica and MR2.

What's more, the car seats five passengers, features a rear-wheel drive configuration, compact dimensions and a low centre of gravity plus lightweight construction. In fact, at 4,160mm in length, it's only 25mm longer than the out-of-production Honda S2000, and it's a smidgen wider, but it's lower.

Those measurements hint at something that just might handle even better than that nine-grand-revving Honda. And if you're worried that we may end up with a Corolla inline lump and a five-speed auto ‘box, think again, because Subaru has stepped into the ring to tag team with Toyota. The rally legend is lending engines to Toyota for the FT-86, which means 2.0-litre boxer fours are likely to be turbocharged just like in the Impreza STIs and will be mated to six-speed manual transmissions.

The colour chosen for the show car is called Flash Red, which mixes in some blue, while the cabin is typically concept-like with loads of LCD screens and an obsessive use of zippers.

That minor niggle aside, Hachi-Roku fans the world over may soon be able to live out their Takumi fantasies.

The power is courtesy of a Subaru four-cylinder unit, sending the horses to the rear wheels only