--- title: "‘AWDROLA’ Races For Real: That SEMA-Built ’89 Corolla Is Running the Mint 400" description: "This old Toyota Corolla with an AWD powertrain used to be a show car, but now it's going racing for real at a serious event." date: "2026-03-03" modified: "2026-03-03" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-awesome-all-wheel-drive-1989-corolla-is-racing-the-mint-400" categories: - "Builds" - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Racing" - "Toyota News" tags: - "Toyota" --- # ‘AWDROLA’ Races For Real: That SEMA-Built ’89 Corolla Is Running the Mint 400 ![AWDROLA goes desert driving.]() *\Alejandra Valencia (@avathecreative.visuals)\* This 1989 [Toyota]() Corolla GT-S (AE92) with old-school 'Yoter-style desert racing stripes might have already popped up on your feed at some point—it's made the rounds at big shows like SEMA and the Off-Road Expo. But it's one thing to post up in a convention center, another to actually attack an event as hardcore as the Mint 400. After a lot more work and heavy-duty upgrades, the "AWDROLA" (pronounced "odd-rola") is taking the rare career path from show car to racer. It's like *Initial D*, but, the D stands for Desert instead of Drift! The car will be driven by Randy Wimenta and co-driver Will Wimenta in the 2026 Mint 400 Gambler/Hooptie-X Modified class under American Off-Road Racing (UNLTD Off-Road Racing & BITD Partnership). I've had some comms with Randy in his capacity as Marketing Partnerships & Community Manager for KC HiLites; he shared some details and a bunch of great images with me last weekend over email. ![AWD Corolla racing off-road.]() *AVAtheCREATIVE* ![AWD Corolla racing off-road.]() *AVAtheCREATIVE* ![Wimenta boys with their Corolla.]() *AVAtheCREATIVE* "This project started as a creative build paying homage to Toyota’s rally and desert off-road racing heritage,” Randy wrote. “We want to prove that a rebuilt 1989 Toyota platform can still run hard in the desert.” Yeah, I don't think anybody's ever questioned if an '89 Land Cruiser or Toyota pickup could handle the desert, but this is definitely uncharted territory for a two-door Corolla. What you're looking at is an AE92 Corolla chassis with an AE95 All-Trac drivetrain. Some suspension and steering were reinforced for the Mint, and here's a punchlist of things that have been done to it: - **Custom Barnes 4WD** 4-link rear suspension system - **Eibach Dual-Spring Setup:** Front and Rear - **Custom Streetwise/Bilstein** Strut System (Front) - **Bilstein 8125 Coilovers** with Reservoir (Rear) - **Custom Dana Spicer** front CV axles - **Lighting:** KC HiLites Gravity Titan Lightbar, FLEX ERA 4 Bumper Lights, Cyclone accessory lights - **Chassis:** Dempsey Fabrication roll cage, subframe, structural integration - **Shoes:** Raceline 16x8 wheels with BFGoodrich KO2 tires - Full safety and recovery systems for competition use ![]() *AVAtheCREATIVE* ![]() *AVAtheCREATIVE* ![]() *AVAtheCREATIVE* The project got some props from KC HiLites CEO Alan Wang, too: “At KC, we’ve always believed that legacy is built by people willing to dream beyond the render. When Randy joined us nearly a decade ago, he carried a deep respect for heritage, culture, and the emotional power of cars and motorsport. Watching this project move from a concept parked on Instagram to competing in the Mint 400 is a full-circle moment. It reminds all of us that when passion is anchored to purpose, ideas can move from spark to flame and from imagination to action." "We had a long weekend and typical 11th-hour stuff—like not anticipating fabricating custom control arms and tie-rods would take 4 days," Randy told me over email when he shared his plans to go racing. Here are some pictures from that last-minute wrenching weekend, shot by Alejandra Valencia ([@avathecreative.visuals]()): - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() [][][] This plucky little car obviously won't be keeping up with trophy trucks, but I love its uniqueness and sense of humor. The Wimentas are in for a serious challenge keeping this little 'Rola from getting high-centered in deep ruts or run over by a competitor's 40-inch tire, but you've got to love seeing something fun and funky like this in the field. *Know any other wacky cars going racing at serious events? Let me know about it! Email me at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()