Future Classics?

[Soulboy63]

Reading a few Classic magazines this week, the thought crossed my mind about what will we think of the T Sport and Compressor in ten years time and beyond. We know what fantastic value the cars are for performance and affordability by reading the posts on here, but.....

Future Classic status guaranteed or just cars of the moment?...

Let battle commence... :D !!!!

[T600]

Yes and no. To those who've owned one, definitely yes. But the car is underrated by most people, so they'll never appreciate it fully.

IMHO the Celica has much more chance of becoming a classic, even though the Gen 7 doesn't have the rally pedigree of the earlier models.

[dwtg]

can see the gen 6 gt4 being a classic but i theink the tsport will be lost to the ages

[Jock Fran]

I can't really see any Toyotas becoming classics to be honest.

[stoneyfordni]

corolla ae86 over here are more thought of than jesus

[Fizz]

I can't really see any Toyotas becoming classics to be honest.

AE86

Supra

GT4

Mk1 MR2 SC

[Jock Fran]

I can't really see any Toyotas becoming classics to be honest.

AE86

Supra

GT4

Mk1 MR2 SC

They're hardly classics though are they.

They don't command high prices for their age in the way something like a mkI Golf GTI does.

Although I don't actually know what an AE86 or MR2 SC (supercharged?) are - so they can't really be "classics" if they're not that well known...

Edit:

Ahh the AE86 is that Corolla - very expensive, but not well know enough to be a classic IMO.

[T600]

Classic means different things to different people I guess.

To me, all those cars that Fizz listed are classics, but each to their own.

The SC (yes that's supercharged) is probably a classic because they're quite rare these days.

Most generations of Supra are still in good supply, though of course numbers are reducing so given time I expect them to become classics to many people, and certain models are already rare enough to be increasing in value.

[Jock Fran]

Hmmm.... I see classics as things like:

Mini

Beetle

Original Golf GTI

205 GTI

I've never thought of any Toyotas as classics, and doubt I ever will. The cars above were pioneers. Toyotas are just cars.

[Bos]

Surely a classic does not have to be super-charged, it just has to be a bit special and relatively RARE.

What about an original Toyota 1000. If you know what that is, or what it looks like ? ;) The model before the Starlet !!!!!

[farhanali89]

naaa i think its to unknown,type rs will, gtis defo, r32s, audis even clio sports but the toyota corolla t sport wont. To us yea but to others naa.

thats my opinion you hear tomuch gti gti golfbut to be honest the old ones were pretty solid.

[farhanali89]

In fairness however the t sport is a cracking car, but toyota have kept it economical, when people buy a hot hatch for the purpose of a hot hatch they want something small something super quick....

The t sport is 190bhp....a compressor 215...

youhave hot hatches much faster... look at all the new cars coming out they are rapid... you have 1.4 turbos throwing out 140bhp....

a stock 1.8 car at 190bhp doesnt sound special.

A type r is common but it is noticed to be rapid. people cando tons of work to push bhp up on em and make them faster because so much is available.

Thats wre t sports fall back.

You dont want economy so much...a hot hatch like a r32...that is not economy if you will buy one. and hell people still buy them

[cabcurtains]

In fairness however the t sport is a cracking car, but toyota have kept it economical, when people buy a hot hatch for the purpose of a hot hatch they want something small something super quick....

The t sport is 190bhp....a compressor 215...

youhave hot hatches much faster... look at all the new cars coming out they are rapid... you have 1.4 turbos throwing out 140bhp....

a stock 1.8 car at 190bhp doesnt sound special.

A type r is common but it is noticed to be rapid. people cando tons of work to push bhp up on em and make them faster because so much is available.

Thats wre t sports fall back.

You dont want economy so much...a hot hatch like a r32...that is not economy if you will buy one. and hell people still buy them

Can't agree with you, a 1.4 Turbo making 140BHP isn't special its common and easy, a normally aspirated engine producing over 100BHP per litre is special,try thinking of something that can match 100BHP per litre through normal aspiration for less than £40k new.

[T600]

Try thinking of something that can match 100BHP per litre through normal aspiration for less than £40k new.

Lots of motorbikes, Civic Type R ....

But I agree, 100bhp per litre NA is fairly rare in this sector of the market and was almost unheard of when the VVTLi was first developed.

I don't think that'll make it a classic though; engines are quite important of course, but they're only a part of the story.

[cabcurtains]

Try thinking of something that can match 100BHP per litre through normal aspiration for less than £40k new.

Lots of motorbikes, Civic Type R ....

But I agree, 100bhp per litre NA is fairly rare in this sector of the market and was almost unheard of when the VVTLi was first developed.

I don't think that'll make it a classic though; engines are quite important of course, but they're only a part of the story.

Come on whens a car a bike

CTR 98.5 BHP per litre, not over a 100, yes i am being a nerd! However i like the fact its a rare thing having over 105BHP per litre when standard.

I cant see a corolla being a classic though to be honest, being the worlds highest selling car it isnt going to be rare is it.

[UKDM323]

I say the AE86, after all its in the media more than alot of other Toyota's like a certain film..., although i would love the toyota altezza RS200 to be, excellent car & performance, i used to own one & loved it, not that im biased in regards to other cars like the CTR fast & im sure its gd handling & what have ya but thats about it but rather the ITR to be one

[T600]

You said 'anything' cab ;)

But yes, the Rolla deserves recognition for the volume sales. It's the biggest selling name ever, and the biggest seller of the worlds biggest car manufacturer. So it'll be a classic in that sense when there aren't many left, but not in any other sense.

ITR - yes I think so UKDM323.

With the possible exception of the Golf GTi not many hatchbacks from any maker are thought of as classics by most people are they?

[cabcurtains]

You said 'anything' cab ;)

Guilty as charged

[Fizz]

I can't really see any Toyotas becoming classics to be honest.

AE86

Supra

GT4

Mk1 MR2 SC

They're hardly classics though are they.

They don't command high prices for their age in the way something like a mkI Golf GTI does.

Although I don't actually know what an AE86 or MR2 SC (supercharged?) are - so they can't really be "classics" if they're not that well known...

Edit:

Ahh the AE86 is that Corolla - very expensive, but not well know enough to be a classic IMO.

They are future classics.. and the Mk1 MR2 SC is actually increasing in value for mint ones as they are rare as hell.

Heck... how old is the Mk1 GTi?

Also have you not heard of the Toyota 2000GT? And in your definition 'classic' needs to checked as a classic car does not need to be 'well known' to be a classic car.

[Jock Fran]

It really depends what classic means to you.

For what classic means to me, I don't think any Toyotas are classics.

Although the Prius might be one day!

[Soulboy63]

I'm well pleased that this topic is causing so much interest, but I'm going to have to disagree with those who say Toyota have not been makers of classics. If you read the classic media, you'll be pleased to hear that interest in Japanese cars as a whole is on the up and the reason is simple:

People in their late twenties and thirties are now of the generation in that they are interested in the cars their parents originally owned and what became increasingly popular in the 70's and 80's?...Japanese cars due to their high spec and value for money. Whether it was that Datsun 120Y (with the dustbin wheel trims) or something sportier like the early Celica, they all want to relive what they were being driven in as teenagers by their parents.

It happened with Japanese motorbikes (who all have thriving classic / enthusiasts clubs) and it IS happening with cars in the same way.

The way we think of the term "classic" is personal to the individual and you can be sure that interest in Japanese cars as a whole will continue to rise.

As an example, I've seen articles in fairly recent magazines on cars such as the Daihatsu Charade GTti, Datsun 180B SSS, Toyota 1000, Toyota Celica, Datsun 1800, Mazda RX3, Mazda RX7, Honda Prelude, Datsun Laurel, Colt Sapporo, Colt Celeste and yes, even early Corollas.

Surely food for thought?...