SEMA-Built AWD Corolla Heads to the Brutal Mint 400

11 hours agoLast Updated: 08/03/2026

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The Mint 400 is known as one of the toughest off-road races in the United States, and most people wouldn’t expect a late-1980s Toyota Corolla AE92 to be part of the action. Yet that’s exactly what happened with this unusual build.

Originally, the Corolla GT-S was just a modest front-wheel-drive daily driver from the late ’80s. While earlier models like the Toyota Corolla AE86 gained cult status thanks to drifting culture and pop media, later front-drive versions rarely got the same attention.

That changed for Randy Wimenta, an employee at KC HiLiTES. After seeing a desert-runner concept illustration inspired by legendary off-road racer Ivan Stewart, he decided to turn the idea into reality.

The project started with a worn-out Corolla wagon equipped with Toyota’s All-Trac all-wheel-drive system. By combining that drivetrain with the AE92 coupe platform, Wimenta created a small but capable off-road machine. The finished car wears classic Toyota racing colors and looks ready to tackle rough desert terrain.

The Toyota Corolla AE86 GT-S is loved for its classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and slide-happy personality. Later Corolla models switched to a front-wheel-drive setup, but that also made it possible to experiment with all-wheel drive using parts from the Toyota Corolla All‑Trac wagons. Randy Wimenta found one in rough shape and used it as the foundation for his project.

Building the car took serious work. The finished machine features upgraded suspension with Bilstein and Eibach components, Raceline wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich KO2 tires, and a rack carrying spare tires. As an employee of KC HiLiTES, Wimenta also fitted the Corolla with a full array of auxiliary lights for night racing.

The car, nicknamed AWDROLA, even appeared at SEMA Show before heading to the desert to compete in the legendary Mint 400 near Las Vegas. Entered in the Gambler/Hooptie-X Modified class, it faces 400 miles of rough sand, rocks, and dunes—far from the mountain roads where most AE86s made their name.