I’ve been thinking about this photo of a 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone Edition since St. Patrick’s Day. Its gorgeous paint is a deep, deep shade of green that’s a refreshing change from the standard whites and silvers that so many cars come off the production line as a default.
Picture Details:
- Car(s): 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone Edition
- Location: Angeles National Forest, CA
- Photog: Peter Nelson (IG + Twitter @16vPete)
- Camera: Canon 6D + EF 50mm 1.8
The name Hakone pays homage to the Hakone Turnpike in Japan, which is a beautiful, green, and very fun road. It’s often referred to as Japan’s Nurburgring.
A road in Japan and St. Patrick’s Day have nothing in common besides emphasis on color palette, it’s just a really nice shade of green.
A lot of the ways people celebrate St. Paddy’s has nothing to do with the original meaning. Where I come from, on this blessed day in Chicagoland, a lot of people get wasted on light beer and sneak in a viewing of The Boondock Saints at some point. Sometimes they watch it the following day while nursing a hangover. It’s hard to believe that people get hangovers from water, but hey, some just don’t have the minerals. Also, Blown Away is a better Irish pride film.
When it comes to utilizing symbolism to honor culture, I think Toyota’s approach with the 86 is a bit more rich. Take a car that’s at-home in the twisties and honor a remarkably fun road with it. Plus, its deep green suits the road’s lush, deep green, too. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to drive this road myself, but I can attest to the 86’s brilliance on other fun roads. Excellent inputs, excellent suspension and grip, fun flat-four sounds, what’s not to like? Torque dip be damned; learn how to keep the revs up.
Here’s the image in 1080p:
