After Jeff Zwart laid down a blistering 1:54.12 in Episode 1 behind the wheel of a 450hp Porsche GT3 Cup car, you’d think the bar couldn’t be any higher. But Hoonigan flipped the script, setting up an epic underdog showdown with drift racer Faruk Kugay piloting a 1980 Toyota Corolla TE72 in the second episode. Yes, you heard that right. A vintage, rear-wheel-drive Corolla, built for rallying but a far cry from the Porsche’s engineering masterpiece, put itself on the line against a modern racing machine.
The contrast couldn’t have been sharper. On one side, you have the Porsche GT3 Cup car, a purpose-built track weapon with 450 horsepower, aerodynamic finesse, and state-of-the-art engineering. On the other? A scrappy little Toyota Corolla rally machine, naturally aspirated, with a modest four-cylinder engine punching out just 130 horsepower. While the Corolla had been stripped of every nonessential item and upfitted with racing gear, it remained fundamentally a relic of the past. Rear-wheel drive, a manual transmission, and decades-old tech stood no chance of making this a fair fight—but fairness isn’t the point at Hoonigan. Harkening back to their mantra, “Run what ya bring,” this round was all about putting passion over perfection. Kugay wasn’t just bringing a car; he was bringing heart, grit, and plenty of sideways action to the course.
The Corolla faced a barrage of challenges right out of the gate. During practice runs, deep sand and loose gravel pushed the car’s drivetrain to its limits, while a loose gear shift lever added an extra layer of complexity to the already demanding course. Suffice it to say, Kugay’s skills as a drift driver were tested at every turn. Despite these obstacles, Kugay unleashed maximum aggression in his hot laps, flinging the old Toyota around the track with precision and flair. The exuberant laughter and hollers coming from the car, paired with trackside commentary like, “Toyota power baby, it’s not fast, but it’s probably fun as hell, dude,” perfectly captured the spirit of the challenge. This wasn’t just about chasing split times; it was about the joy of racing itself.
One of the standout twists in the Rally Speedrun Championship is its focus on more than just lap times. Driver biometrics add another layer of storytelling, and here, Kugay might have taken the edge. While Zwart’s heart rate hovered at a steady 134 beats per minute during his Porsche runs, Kugay’s soared to 151 bpm, highlighting the intensity of muscling the feisty Corolla through the brutal course.