Why is the Toyota Corolla’s legacy momentous?
- It was the underground automotive cult icon turned automotive pop idol
- It is the drift king’s weapon of choice
- It is dubbed as the giant slayer
When you talk about the Toyota Corolla, you associate the car with reliability, comfort, and a perfect daily driver that will give you no headaches at all. Never will the thought of performance and a spirited drive come to mind when you think about the Toyota Corolla. Brand new Toyota cars for sale in the Philippines are known to be formidable work horses with unspoiled character and unmatched reliability.
Though it’s great on the street, you barely hear of people taking their brand new vehicles from Toyota Motors Philippines out for some motor sport action.
Underground Automotive Cult Icon to Automotive Pop Idol
Back in the day, the story was different. In 1983, Toyota introduced the Corolla AE86 to the world. It was your typical Japanese coupe or sedan; reliable, bland, and cheap. When it hit the shores of many countries, no one knew that this little Japanese car would be an automotive icon. In terms of power figures, the AE86 makes an unimpressive 112 horsepower at 97 foot-pounds of torque.
It doesn’t sound like much, but when you realize that this car only weighs 1089 kilograms, then everything changes. Automotive enthusiasts, race car drivers, and tuners all took notice of the AE86’s potential. Taking the car to the limit, drivers adored the punchy little Corolla’s quick engine response and amazing handling.
The Drift King’s Weapon of Choice
The AE86 has participated in different forms of racing events, the BTCC, 86 one make races, and rally racing. But there is one sport where this car truly stands out. Drifting. In the 70s, a Japanese driver, tuner, and street racer, named Keiichi Tsuchiya would take his AE86 around the mountains of Japan. He wouldn’t just go out for a spirited drive, he would slide his car through the twisty roads of Japan’s mountains to master his car control and driving skills.
People then took notice of his skills and invited him to race professionally. He would dominate the Japanese racing scene with his drift-style driving and later on pioneered the Japan’s professional drift event the D1 Grand Prix. Mastering the art of driving sideways with his AE86, the man was known throughout the world as the Drift King. Until today, his car of choice is still the classic Toyota Corolla AE86.
The Giant Slayer
The Toyota AE86’s incredible chassis, light-weight body, and front-engine rear-wheel drive layout made it an optimal choice for many race car drivers. This Corolla competed in numerous world-class events. It won the British Touring Car Championship twice, in 1986 and 1987. In 1988, it dominated and was crowned champion of the European Touring Car Championship.
It was a rocket ship group A rally car and also competed in Japanese AE86 one-make races. It took on the likes of the BMW M6, Mazda 929, Holden Commodore, Alfa Romeo 75, and the famous Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 evolution II.
Key Takeaway
The Toyota Corolla AE86 is truly one of the world’s greatest cars. It would be the last of the rear-wheel drive Corollas. The Toyota AE86 has left its legacy in the automotive world as one of the greatest cars Toyota has ever built. To this day, Toyota Motors Philippines has released a successor to the AE86. Named the Toyota 86, this brand New Toyota Car for Sale in the Philippines took the nation by storm as it is a tribute to the great AE86.
