Looks can be deceiving-this AE86 houses a hybrid of a motor: an AE86 cylinder head on an AE92 bottom.
Japan vs. America
Why the U.S. still receives the more "economical" production cars from major manufacturers will always remain a mystery to us. No Type Rs, no Skylines, and no Lancer Evolutions. Why? What did we do to deserve this? The '85-'87 versions of the Corolla are no exception-we couldn't even muster a close-to-Japanese version. Here's what you won't find in the U.S.: the Levin and Trueno AE86 Corollas. The Levin came with flush headlamps, different taillight assemblies, and was offered in both hatchback and coupe form. The Trueno came with the same retractable headlights as the U.S. model, but featured different taillights and also came as a hatchback or coupe. Both models share the same chassis.
Fast Facts
Owner: Steve Nakamura
Ride: '85 Toyota Corolla GT-S
Hometown: San Gabriel, California
Daily Grind: Travel agent
Under The Hood: 4A-GE, 16-valve engine; HKS camshafts and air filter; AE92 bottom end, AE86 milled cylinder head, TRD head gasket, clutch, and spark plug wires; Cusco oil catch can, Fujitsubo exhaust, custom electric fan, lightened flywheel, Kaaz two-way limited-slip differential
Stiff Stuff: Revolver coilover set (front) and roll center adapters; AE92 front shocks, GAB Gymkhana five-way adjustable rear shocks, TRD rear springs and bushings; Cusco front and rear strut bars
Rollers: 14x6 RS Watanabe wheels, Yokohama 185/60R14 Avid H4 tires
By changing out the U.S. spec bumper for a Japanese version, you can create your own Trueno front end. But not without a genuine emblem. |  |
Cusco's upper pillow mounts and strut bar combination result in a deadly handling situation. | |
Stoppers: Endless Type NA brake pads
Inside: Keiichi Tsuchiya steering wheel, TRD shift knob
Outside: Japanese OEM front bumper and taillights; Japanese Toyota optional door window visors, J's Racing carbon-fiber hood, tacky Toufu shop sticker
Ice: Sony Xplod head unit, Kenwood speakers
Props: Aerodyne Industries, Dynamic Autosports, Pacific Rim, Mitsu's Garage, V-Spec, Endless USA, Sileightymania.com, Driftmania.com, Cipher, Kyosho Racing, and AMS