Known around automotive circles as the AE86, the 1986 Toyota Corolla has become legendary among tuners and is something of a symbol of the Japanese drift scene, mainly because of the popularity it gained from being a prominently featured car in the Initial D comic/anime/video game series. Brothers Walter, Billy and Miguel each have one of their own, and every car features an individual style and passion. Walter’s design approach was to keep the classic look while making small enhancements to it. Billy’s is wild with a raw power to match, and Miguel’s is sleek with careful and deliberate design and modification choices. All three vehicles were modded at NTO motorsports, an auto shop that the brothers run in their hometown of Beltsville, Maryland.
Located about 28 miles southwest of Baltimore, Beltsville is an unlikely hotbed for classic Toyotas, but thanks to the Escotos and their shop, they’ve transformed the sleepy town into a hub of activity for lovers of the Japanese marquee. NTO Motorsports is a Toyota specialty shop, so the brothers have seen their fair share of AE86s and other classic Toyotas come through. Between the three of them, they’ve owned and modded dozens of Toyotas just in their spare time. So if you’re ever in the area and you have even a passing interest in Toyotas, be sure to give them a shout. Their passion and knowledge for the brand is almost unparalleled in the United States, and just for showing up you'll almost surely be treated to the sight of some very cool cars.
Paladin (Silver AE86): Walter Escoto's AE86 has the most classic look and feel, and every modification done was made to enhance what the AE86 already brings to the table. Beginning with the exterior, it doesn't appear that drastic additions were made to the body, but a closer look shows a new Vertex front and rear bumper, RunFree side skirts and CBY wheel flares. Even the paint job doesn't really scream out at you. Silver usually stands out quite a bit, but instead the car almost looks white. The shade actually glows in the sun, it's like the car is radiating an aura of some kind. Coupled with the subtle body enhancements, Walter's AE86 reminds us of a paladin, or a holy knight ready for battle. As for other modifications, the wheels standing out from the flares are 17-inch LM5s from Complete Custom Wheels wrapped around Yokohama S.drive tires.
Sending power to these wheels is a 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE that came from a 1992 Lexus LS 400. It is outfitted with an HKS GT2835R twin turbo, an Aeromotive fuel press regulator, twin Tial 50 mm blow-off valves, a Walbro fuel pump and a Godspeed intercooler, all of which amounts to 370 horsepower. With all this power beneath the hood, the car is kept stable with QA1 coil-overs and springs, a Cusco front strut bar and tension rods, an aluminum four link and camber plates from T3.
The interior is kept bare bones, but features custom door and rear panels in addition to Sparco Sprint seats and a Nardi racing wheel.Walter’s AE86 looks like it’s simple, but a closer look by anyone who knows shows its true beauty.
This is a good lesson to aspiring do-it-yourselfers, because it’s an excellent example that you can have a fantastic result without going too flashy.
Photography by Kevin Choi
ESSENTIALS
Model: 1986 Toyota Corolla (AE86)
Built by: Walter Escoto
Location: Beltsville, MD
Engine: 4.0L 1UZ-FE
Horsepower: 370 hp
ENGINE / PERFORMANCE
- HKS GT2835R twin turbocharged
- Aeromotive fuel press regulator
- Walbro fuel pump
- Toyota ignition wires
EXHAUST
- NTO Motorsports custom (turbo manifolds, down pipe, aluminum exhaust)
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
- QA1 (coil-overs, springs)
- Cusco front strut bar
- T3 (tension rods, aluminum four link, panhard bar, camber plates, tie rods)
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
- Complete Custom Wheels LM5 – 17x18.5 (f), 17x10.5 (r)
- Yokohama S.drive tires – 215/40 R17 (f), 245/40 R17 (r)
- Aerospace Components (four-piston calipers (f/r)
- 2-pc. drilled rotors (f/r)
- Custom braided brake lines
EXTERIOR
- Vertex (front and rear bumper)
- RunFree side skirts
- CBY wheel flares
- JDM (Levin headlights, Redline tail lights)
INTERIOR
- Nardi steering wheel
- Sparco sprint seats
Wildfire (Orange AE86): Billy’s AE86 can be best described as a wildfire, not just for its exotic orange paint, but also because of its whopping 542 horsepower. This is a vehicle that can really burn up the streets.
The stock engine has been swapped with the legendary 2JZ-GTE and a PT6776 ball bearing Precision turbocharger to give the car even more power. A Ross Racing fuel rail, 1,200 cc fuel injectors, Bosch 044 fuel pump and an Aeromotive fuel press regulator ensure the thirsty engine stays well hydrated, while the Treadstone intercooler keeps things cool. When dealing with this much power under the hood, a proper exhaust system is just as important. That’s probably why Billy went custom, with a kit made at his NTO Motorsports shop. That is paired with a Drewgo turbo manifold and Megan Racing muffler.
To keep himself safe, Billy added a number of suspension upgrades, such as Tokico front struts, QA1 springs and coil-overs, and custom sub-frame connectors to keep the body sturdy. As far as the exterior goes, the eye-catching hot lava paint job perfectly matches the wild fire that’s waiting to erupt underneath the hood. The design and color scheme of the J Line wheels compliment the paint as well as the Wilwood four-piston brake kit, which do more than their job of bringing 542 horses to a halt.
When you open the doors, you’re greeted to a sight similar to Walter’s AE86. A Nardi steering wheel is prominently featured, along with Sparco racing seats.
A big difference between the two interiors however, is the Kenwood head unit, JL Audio amps and Infinity Kappa speakers that Billy installed. Of the three AE86s in this feature, Billy’s is the most powerful and is a great reflection of how incredibly versatile the platform can be as for tuning.
Photography by Kevin Choi
ESSENTIALS
Model: 1986 Toyota Corolla GTS (AE86)
Built by: Billy Escoto
Location: Beltsville, MD
Engine: 3.0L 2JZ-GTE
Horsepower: 542 hp
ENGINE / PERFORMANCE
- Racing Engine Valve valve train kit
- Precision PT6776 ball bearing turbocharger
- K&N air filter
- Ross Racing fuel rail
- Aeromotive fuel press regulator
- Bosch 044 fuel pump
- Kelford cams
- Fidanza cam gears
- Treadstone intercooler
- Tial (50 mm blow-off valve, 44 mm waste gate)
- 1,200 cc fuel injectors
- MSD custom ignition wires
- LS2 truck coils
- ARP bolts
EXHAUST
- NTO Motorsports custom (stainless steel down pipe, 3-in. aluminum exhaust)
- Drewgo turbo manifold
- Megan Racing muffler
DRIVETRAIN
- GM TH350 automatic transmission
- Detroit TruTrac LSD
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
- Tokico front struts
- QA1 (front springs, rear coil-overs and springs)
- Custom sub-frame connectors
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
- J Line wheels – 18x8 (f), 18x10 (r)
- BFGoodrich g-Force T/A tires – 205/40 R18 (f), 255/35 R18 (r)
- Wilwood (four-piston brake calipers (f/r)
- 2-pc. slotted and drilled rotors (f/r)
- Stainless braided brake lines
EXTERIOR
- MIPA (hot lava paint, CC6 high solid clear)
- Levin (grill, fenders, headlights)
INTERIOR
- Nardi deep dish steering wheel
- Sparco racing seats
AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
- Kenwood head unit
- JL Audio (mid bass amps, mid range amps, high frequency amps, 12-in. subwoofers (2))
- Infinity Kappa components (mid bass, mid range, tweeters)
The Professional (Black AE86): Miguel’s AE86 is the last, but definitely not least car included in this list. The work he’s put into his version is more like what you’d see from a professional show car. Miguel managed to keep the spirit and feel of Toyota’s iconic Corolla, but in a way that only a few signature Toyota hallmarks let you know it is an AE86. The most notable change is what’s been done to the body. A RunFree front bumper and fiberglass fenders and Vertex side skirts and rear bumper completely change the way the AE86 looks. The front bumper in particular, gives the car a mean-looking face that’s all the more accented because, unlike his brothers’ AE86s, Miguel’s is a Trueno with the trademark flip-up headlights.
The jet black paint job exudes a sense of professionalism in the sense that you know it could wow show judges but wouldn’t be something out of place in any mall parking lot. It gives the car the rare distinction of being great, both as a daily driver and a kick-ass show vehicle. But when you pop the hood, it’s evident that Miguel’s AE86 isn’t just some daily driver.
The car features a 1JZ-GTE engine that can pump out 522 horsepower thanks to modifications including Ferrea oversized valves, HKS 272 cams, Titan Motorsports cam gears, a Tial 50 mm blow-off valve, 800 cc fuel injectors and a Haltech Platinum Sport 1000 ECU. Miguel also ensured that his exhaust performance matches his engine, with a similar custom stainless steel exhaust made to Billy’s, paired with an NTO Motorsports down pipe and a Megan Racing carbon muffler. The car uses an automatic transmission but does feature a one-piece custom driveshaft along with a Detroit TruTrac LSD.
On the performance front, suspension upgrades were made to the front and rear struts and springs using QA1 parts and a Techno Toy Tuning aluminum four link and panhard bar. For Miguel’s aesthetic choices, customized J Line 16RL3 wheels in BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDW tires give the car a visual enhancement that matches the cars seething demeanor.
>A quick glance inside and the distinct black and green color scheme reminds you of the Degeneration X WWE wrestling team from the mid-90s. Specifically, re-upholstered black leather Sparco racing seats, green Takata harnesses, and a green roll cage really stand out. Adding to the DX feel, the engine bay is painted the same candy green as the roll cage.
Miguel’s AE86 is the most design-focused project, but all three cars have a definite charm and each bring something different to the table.
These three different takes also show just how beloved the classic AE86 is. There’s near-limitless potential if they are treated with the same amount of passion that the Escoto brothers have for Toyotas.
Photography by Kevin Choi
ESSENTIALS
Model: 1986 Toyota Corolla (AE86)
Built by: Miguel Escoto
Location: Beltsville, MD
Engine: 3.0L 1JZ-GTE
Horsepower: 522 hp
ENGINE / PERFORMANCE
- Ferrea oversized valves
- Titanium retainers and keepers
- K&N air filter
- MVP Motorsports fuel rail
- Aeromotive fuel press regulator
- Walbro internal fuel pump
- Bosch 044 external fuel pump
- HKS 272 cams
- Titan Motorsports cam gears
- Treadstone intercooler
- Tial (50 mm blow-off valve, 44 mm waste gate
- Haltech Platinum Sport 1000 ECU
- 800 cc fuel injectors
- NGK spark plugs
- Lexus IS 300 ignition wires
- Toyota twin turbo head gasket
- ARP head studs
EXHAUST
- Drewgo turbo manifold
- NTO Motorsports (custom 3-in. stainless steel exhaust, down pipe)
- Megan Racing carbon fiber muffler
DRIVETRAIN
- >Custom 1-pc. driveshaft
- Detroit TruTrac LSD
- Moser Engineering axles
- ARP flywheel bolts
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
- QA1 (front and rear struts, front and rear springs)
- Techno Toy Tuning (aluminum four link, panhard bar)
- Sub-frame connectors
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
- Custom J Line 16RL3 3-pc. wheels – 18x8.5 (f), 18x10.5 (r)
- BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW tires – 215/35 R18 (f), 255/35 R18 (r)
- Aerospace Components (four-piston brake calipers (f))
- 1-pc. slotted front rotors
EXTERIOR
- MIPA paint (black, clear)
- Vertex (side skirts, rear bumper)
- RunFree (front bumper, fiberglass fenders)
- CBY rear wheel flares
- Koito HID headlights
- JDM Redline tail lights
- LED corner lights
INTERIOR
- Autometer (boost gauge, mini shift light)
- World Motorsports boost controller
- NGK wideband kit
- Sparco Sprint seats
- Takata four-point harnesses
- Re-upholstered black leather seats
- Cusco roll cage (painted candy green)
AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
- Kenwood head unit
