Outside of the 1980s rear-drive versions popular in import tuner circles, the Toyota Corolla is one of the least-likely options out there for a race car. They were built to be commuter cars and were built well for the task: low-cost without being too cheap, economical, and produced by the millions. They do the job well, but that’s usually that…nobody looks at a 2000s era Corolla with envy and lust. At best, it’s a “solid commuter car” and at worst, it’s that thing parked in the lot of a college with a “FOR SALE” sign in the window because someone has made the call to just use a ride-sharing system instead of paying for insurance and fuel.
So what could you do with one of these cars, besides drive it into the ground on the daily grind? Well, you could go full-on track day mode with it like this guy did. Gut what little weight remained out of the car, stick a blower onto the four-banger, and get to work on suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. At first glance, you might scream out, “Ricer!”, but look at it as having a daily that isn’t as dull as dishwater. For most of the time it’s still a Toyota Corolla…but when you get a wild hair and want to nail an on-ramp or have a winding road on your way home, drop down a gear, make that limited-slip differential work for it’s keep, and get to warming those tires up!
