A Japanese tuning house has already taken the engine from a GR Yaris and dropped it into an AE86, creating an epic drift machine with insane attention to detail.
Daddy Motor Works opened in 2013 and has since been a hub for the customization of hard-to-find vehicles. Owned by Kunihiro Oto, the latest project is a drift machine powered by the engine from the new GR Yaris.
The recipient of the motor is a 1980s AE86 Levin hatchback, a close sibling to the AE86 “Trueno” that every Initial D fan goes crazy over. The Yaris’ G19 engine produces 257 hp from its 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder, but you can bet that Oto has upped that number by adding more boost.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission sourced from a Toyota GT86. Oto built a custom adapter plate to make the G19 engine fit a Nissan L-series bell housing, which was then adapted to the transmission.
To make the engine fit, the steering rack had to be moved forward, which required a custom set of spindles to be made. The engine looks tiny in the engine bay of the AE86, even though the car itself isn’t very big. In lieu of a full exhaust system, a pipe goes straight through the hood
Read More: This AE86 Toyota Corolla Levin Is Getting A GR Yaris Engine Transplant Under Its Hood
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The interior is also fully caged for safety and added stiffness. It’s finished in an exclusive matte gray color from the Toyota Supra, and the sticker scheme is a reference to the GR Supra race car, with black and chrome stripes extending backward from the headlights.
Although the vehicle looks very professionally finished, a lot of the pieces are cheap parts that were made to fit with the body of the AE86, such as the side mirrors, fender flares, and even the rear axle – which comes from a Toyota Crown.
The front brakes are sourced from an R32 Skyline GT-R and feature 300mm rotors for good stopping power. Custom brackets had to be made for the brakes to be installed on the AE86 body. A set of “Chevlon” 6 spoke wheels complete the look, in staggered sizes of 16×9 in the front and 16×10 in the rear.
Daddy Motor Works is building two AE86 drift cars currently, and owner Oto says that one will be used for practice, while the G19-powered model will be used for competition. Oto also explains that he would like to try drag racing the gray AE86, and has specifically installed a launch control feature.
