My list of the most desirable Japanese cars starts as follows: 1: Lexus LFA. 2: Toyota Corolla AE86. 3: Nothing else, really.
Of the two cars I’ve selected, one is a high-quality masterpiece of Japanese engineering and a high-performance icon. The other? Well, it’s a Lexus.
Yes, of course, the two are worlds apart. Even trying to compare would be like comparing apples to… a Michelin-starred apple pie. The AE86, in all its raw, unrefined glory, stands in stark contrast to the pinnacle of Lexus engineering power.
Toyota’s humble rear-drive hero of the 1980s is, in itself, more famous than the howling V10 LFA. In fact, the AE86 may have done more for tuning culture than any other car… never.
When I think of the AE86, a few examples come to mind: the Fujiwara Tofu Shop Trueno, Keiichi Tuchiya’s TEC-Art road car, and Darren MacNamara’s car. NFS/Speedhunters Competition drift machine. These cars – and their drivers – represent a soul Hashiroku In all its extra glory.
The noisier, the better. Especially when you are ready for motorsport. I couldn’t get enough of the D-Mac’s AE86 Need for Speed: Transformation As a child. After all, the Corolla’s motorsport and rally pedigree are legendary.
So when Jimmy McToldridge – yeah,Jay players’- He decided to build a time attack vehicle, what did he choose? AE86 Corolla Levin, of course. As with all his builds, no half measures are taken.
The car was stripped to its bare chassis and then prepared for competition from the ground up. Any unnecessary brackets in the interior and engine compartment were removed, and most of the interior was gutted.
The windshield remains glass, but the side and rear windows have been replaced with weight-saving Lexan equivalents.
The Andy Robinson 6-point cage was welded on, and the entire interior was sprayed satin silver. The only things left inside are the upper dash, one Cobra bucket seat, and a Tilton pedal box. No passenger rolls here, thank you.
The suspension pickup points have been welded for added rigidity, and the suspension setup has been completely upgraded. Valved and rated for track use, two-way KW Competition coilovers are featured at all four corners, paired with anti-roll bars and Hardrace tension rods.
Front and rear ball bearing drop links are paired with rose-hinge pivot links, while the front is also fitted with a pair of aluminum wheel hubs and a top bracket.
At the ends of those hubs you’ll find Forge Motorsport front brakes and OEM rear discs behind a set of Motegi Forged MR171 wheels.
Wrapped in 224/40R15 Nankang CSR semi-slick tires, these 15×9-inch wheels fit perfectly under the TRD N2-inspired wheel arches and add a nice touch of old JDM style with serious dish and lightweight construction.
As far as race cars go, this one is amazing. I’ve always been a fan of the AE86’s clean lines, and the N2 wide arcs were my favorite look of the AE86 Hashiroku For as long as I can remember.
Painted in Porsche Fashion Grey, with a carbon fiber hood and tailgate, Jay’s Corolla is bursting with character – and the stickers scattered around the car help with that, too.
A custom diffuser and front splitter complete the exterior look – both functional aerodynamic devices with track-proven performance gains.
The base engine – the 20-valve 4A-GE from the AE111 – is a great starting point for a responsive, rev-happy build. Its OEM pistons and rods remain—the engine remains unavailable—but the block and cylinder head have been machined, rounded and polished and fitted with a pair of Toda Racing camshafts. ARP devices keep everything tightly together.
The engine is fueled by 45mm Jenvey throttle bodies, a custom intake manifold, and a 4-to-1 exhaust manifold, resulting in a custom exhaust.
A Setrab oil cooler, upgraded oil pump and Forge Motorsport race cooler keep temperatures under control, while coil-over conversions on the plug and crank enhance reliability.
At the rear, an ATL fuel cell marks the updated fueling system, with a Facet lift pump, Sytec high-pressure pump, Bosch regulator, and BMRS fuel lines. Everything is managed by an Ecumaster Black ECU, with CAN-bus and GPS, along with a custom wiring loom from OBD Works.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via the original T50 5-speed gearbox, fitted with a lightweight flywheel and a custom Helix clutch. The rear axle has been rebuilt, and now houses a Cosco limited-slip differential.
Although it still has license plates, this is about as far from a road car as you can get in the UK while still being road legal. It may be a bit of a stretch for a backroad explosion, but when I asked Jay what it was like at the first Time Attack Series event of the year, he simply sent me a photo of his fastest lap trophy.
Jay has built a reputation for building some of the most iconic cars in Europe, especially in the Volkswagen scene, but this AE86 feels like a breath of fresh air. After all, lap after lap of the track should be a welcome change from the Volkswagen Golf’s brawling around the parade field.
Mario Christo
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