Say hello! Haichi-Roku is back as the Drift Demo Corolla Hatchback

ABU DHABI: Remember Takumi Fujiwara? The protagonist from the Japanese manga-anime, Initial D who used the Haichi-Roku in the series. We all know that there’re two sides of a coin, and the same applies to Toyota. The familiar side of the Japanese automaker is the sedans it produces for us. On the flip side, there’s a beast mode. Where Toyota produces things like the Demo Drift Corolla.

But with the time, also passed the legacy of the sporty Corolla. And the Haichi-Roku went missing somewhere. However, Toyota wasn’t done yet, and they didn’t forget the Haichi-Roku at all. After all the years, here comes the newest Demo Drift Corolla Hatchback. The drift beast can slide through corners on the race track and even through the valleys. And for the Formula Drift, Toyota has released a heavily modified Corolla.

To provide the Corolla with enough juice and make it drift friendly, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) has worked in tandem with Papadakis Racing. The Corolla hatchback has also been converted to a rear wheel drive from a front wheel. The rear subframe had to be modified in the quest of fitting the rear differential. Along with that, the middle section of the frame also went through cutting and grinding to provide a transmission tunnel and make way for a drive shaft. The suspension in the drift machine is now all aluminium.

Ed Laukes, the group vice president at Toyota Division Marketing said, “The all-new 2019 Corolla Hatchback is one of the most dynamic, most technically advanced Corollas in the platform’s more than 50 years of production. What better way to showcase its performance potential than prepping it for all-out racing competition?”.

The folks at Papadakis Racing designed the all-new quarter panels and fender flares. The designs were then brought to life by the Toyota Racing Development and were hand moulded in carbon fibre. The wheels have been provided by Motegi Racing, which are then wrapped inside the Nexen N’Fera SUR4 tyres.

Powering the reborn Haichi-Roku is a 2AR-FE 2.5-litre 4-pot mill which is given a boost by nitrous-oxide. 860 PS, yes that’s not a typo. 860 PS is the maximum power produced the N2O assisted motor. Braking duties are handled by Stoptech brakes.

Fredric Asabo, the Papadakis Racing team driver added, “It’s the stuff dreams are made of. You build something in the off-season, work out the kinks at the first race, and it pays off with a win”.