Ryan Tuerck's New Rally Car Is A 1990s JDM Toyota Throwback

Ryan Tuerck's latest racing machine is a 1990s throwback. Though, really, it's more of a continuation than anything. Toyota has a thing for all-wheel drive rally-bred hatchbacks. Thirty-odd years ago, it was the brand's Celica GT-Four at the forefront of the rally scene. In 2026, the GR Corolla has stepped in to fill the niche. Tuerck elected to combine the two, transplanting the GR Corolla's modern three-cylinder engine into the Celica, turning it into a 600-horsepower off-road racer. It just scored its first podium.

Tuerck calls the mishmash of Toyota rally machines the GT411. The goal, in his words, was to take the Celica to the next level and transform it into a "psycho rally car" as an homage to the Celica GT-Four rally car of the 1990s. The driver is dedicated to the platform: one of his personal road cars is also a Celica GT-Four.

As for the rally-spec racer, the whole thing is built off a road-going GT-Four, stripped back to the bare metal. Tuerck has several videos on his YouTube channel documenting the process. Several changes had to be made, including turning the front-drive street car into one that could accommodate the car's all-wheel drive system (practically a necessity in modern rally racing). The floorpan was cut, a new subframe fitted, and finally, a new driveline and gearbox were mounted. Inside, a roll cage and a handful of new carbon fiber body panels help keep the car both light on its feet and strong enough to meet the safety demands of off-road racing.

The GR Corolla's engine is the real star, though. Under ordinary circumstances, the 1.6-liter engine makes 300 horsepower. However, after much revising and tuning, power output now sits at a minimum of 500 horsepower, with a high-boost setting unlocking 600 horsepower. Changes include Nitto Performance Engineering forged pistons and rods, Kelford Stage 2 camshafts, and a Supertech valvetrain. The turbocharging system received updates, too, courtesy of a new turbo and exhaust.

At the FAT Ice Race in Montana, Tuerck managed to finish second in the car's inagural event. It was quite a race, and well worth seeing at least in part below.