If Keiichi Tsuchiya is known for three things, they’re his ability to control an oversteering car, his popularization of the AE86 Corolla, and his flawless, balletic footwork. Combining all three of these astounding traits on a hot lap, he shows us precisely why he’s garnered the following he has in this searing hotlap around Tsukuba circuit in one of the quickest AE86s around.

Prepped by TRD, this hot-blooded Corolla uses massive, 265-section slicks, a Formula Atlantic-spec engine, significant weight reduction from an already-featherweight car, and, to the delight of all racing geeks out there, a set of jittery Stack gauges. The motor benefits from a heavily modified cylinder head, TRD high-lift cams, strengthened pistons, and a billet crankshaft among other additions. This puts power into the 200 whp-range, which isn’t a ton, but matched with those sticky tires, it allows the car to pull some pretty interesting moves.

Sitting by his friend’s side, Tsuchiya’s wild style complements the AE86 N2.

Tsuchiya’s been quoted as saying “I drift not because it is a quicker way around a corner, but it is the most exciting way.” Here, that ethos comes through clearly, but it seems that a lack of overall power allows the car to be pitched sideways without scrubbing too much speed. As the astute observer will notice, Tsuchiya prods the throttle just after corner entry and well before the apex.

That aggressive throttle application combined with a setup to suit allows the man to rotate the car mid-corner with the throttle. Since there’s not a ton of power available, this never turns into a time-sapping slide and it helps the car into it’s ideal rev-range come corner exit. Wild, exciting, and in this case; effective, Tsuchiya shows us just how to pilot an old-school FR monster with style and speed.