OH, WHAT A FEELING!

THIS 1700HP BARRA-POWERED COROLLA IS HEADING FOR BOTTOM SEVENS

- MARK ARBLASTER

HISTORICALLY, Toyota's legendary Corolla has not exactly been a model that conjures up images of brute horsepower. It hasn't been until the past few years that these former granny-packs or inner-city commuters have found their way into performance circles, as stock of more desirable muscle car platforms dries up.

Burnout stalwart Andrew Lynch has certainly upped the model's reputation for insanity with his tip-ins on the pad, but for sheer driving madness, the little KE20 Corolla of Queensland's Guy King gives Lynchy a run for his money.

The old Toyota catchcry of 'Oh, what a feeling!' has never been more appropriate. Stuffed with 1700 horses worth of nitrous-injected Barra badness, Guy's Corolla weighs four-fifths of bugger-all. It's a recipe for quick ETS.

Guy's been partial to 'Rollas ever since piloting a KE55 as his first set of wheels. I've always loved them, and when I came across this 1974-model KE20 for sale in Melbourne with an RB30, I had to have it, he says.

It came with problems, and lots of them. Mechanically it was a wreck. It had a hurt engine, and I had to change out the ECU and upgrade the fuel system.