Thirty years ago, a short film from then-street racer Keiichi Tsuchiya accurately documented what touge racing was truly about. The film, titled Pluspy, showed the young driver thrashing his modified AE86 on Japanese backroads, and in some ways, helped establish the dinky Toyota hatchback as one of the better budget sportscars available for the time. Since the early 1990s, largely in thanks to this short film, the AE86 has been a cult icon and is still raced or drifted in various categories. However, it’s difficult to keep something relevant in the fast-paced world of motorsports, so Tsuchiya’s made a few improvements to bring his AE86 up to date.

The 1.6-liter 4AGE which blessed the original Hachiroku never made a great deal of power, but subsequent, revised versions of the engine and a wide aftermarket bumped power and response to a level that was adequate. Despite this, the Hachi always benefited most from its compact body and low weight, which in some ways helped mask the anemic engine.

With the carbon hood dyed Tsuchiya’s signature green, the car is unmistakably his.

Though by 2012, even the strongest 1.6-liter mill is going to seem a bit sluggish, especially against the turbo monsters that regularly dominate the Touge Showdown series. To bring the aging Corolla into the 2010s, Tsuchiya’s personal car received a custom engine from tuner Tec-Art. This Frankenstein motor uses the larger, 1.8-liter bottom end from the Toyota Carina, and is matched to a 20V head from a later edition of the 4AGE. With custom rods and pistons, a MOTEC ECU and The combination produces 200 horsepower and an impressive 150 lb/ft at 4500 rpm.

A set of wonderfu-sounding ITBs garnish the understated engine bay.

Mated to a tightly-packed set of gears, a lightened chassis and sticky tires, this car accelerates quickly for a something that, by today’s lofty standards, is still underpowered. However, the onboard footage illustrates that, while still a car that thrives on revs, this AE86 accelerates from the mid range with an urgency not typically seen from these cars. As ever, the Touge Showdown series gives us a comprehensive understanding of how specific modifications affect the performance of a sports car on a narrow, daunting backroad. With plenty of countersteering through the corner and intake trumpets blaring, the sights and sounds on offer here should thrill any AE86 fan.