The Electric AE86 with a Stick Shift with Kenji Arai, Chief Engineer from The InEVitable

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The Electric AE86 with a Stick Shift with Kenji Arai, Chief Engineer

46 minutes Posted Oct 17, 2025 at 1:00 pm.

Cold Open

Welcome to *The InEVitable* Podcast, Ep.117

Setting the scene: filming at Bowls in Little Tokyo

The AE86 Levin BEV — heritage meets high voltage

Why electrify a drifting legend?

What “Levin” really means (and the Easter egg, EV in the logo)

Engineering deep dive: Tundra hybrid motor, Lexus NX battery

Specs and performance — similar power-to-weight as the original

The magic of keeping it light and analog

Why this EV conversion actually works

Meet the guests: Kenji Arai and Toshi Hayama

Why Lexus is preserving the AE86 for the electric era

Using electrification to keep classics alive

Why the AE86, not a Lexus SC or Supra?

Preserving “dialogue” between driver and car

Why the manual transmission had to stay

Simulating the 4A-GE engine sound and vibration

Real shifting, not fake “simulated” gears

Why they chose this motor and battery combo

Could a modern electric 86 follow?

Hot-swappable battery concept for motorsports

Biggest challenge: preserving the feel, not just the function

Could DIY tuners replicate this?

Future possibility: official retrofit kits

Testing, drifting, and top speed runs

Lexus’ manual EV experiments began in 2021

Akio Toyoda’s thumbs-up

Why bring the AE86 BEV to America

Crafting fun, analog-feeling EVs

Recreating the 4A-GE’s sound by throttle position

Why sound and vibration are key to driving emotion

Could future Lexus EVs have manuals?

Why this system feels *real*, not gimmicky

Weight balance and battery placement

Solid-state hopes and future battery breakthroughs

Reusing components to keep costs down

How much did it cost? (Spoiler: a lot)

Team spirit: Lexus engineers who love 86s

The “crazy” idea that worked

Kenji Arai’s 40-year career in powertrain engineering

JDM favorites that should come to America

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Show notes

In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman go hands-on with one of the most surprising EV conversions ever attempted — the Toyota AE86 Levin BEV, an electric restomod created by Lexus Electrified Development Division. Joining them are Kenji Arai, Chief Engineer at Lexus Electrified, and Toshi Hayama, JDM legend and translator, to discuss why Lexus chose to electrify one of Japan’s most iconic lightweight sports cars and what it means for the future of driving fun. This isn’t a gimmick — it’s an EV with a *manual transmission*, real gear shifts, simulated 4A-GE engine sound, and the soul of the 1980s drifting icon. From the technical challenges of reusing Lexus hybrid parts to how feedback from this prototype could inform future BEV sports cars, this is an inside look at Toyota and Lexus’ electrified philosophy for enthusiasts.

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