Living The 86 Life

What happens when your passion bleeds into your day job? For Antonio Alvendia, the choice of this particular Toyota coupe says a lot about who he is—both on and off the clock. “Back in those days, Toyota was just trying to develop more sporting, economical, affordable cars that people could have fun with,” says Alvendia, owner of these two “AE86” Toyota Corolla GT-S. One is a 1985, the other a 1986. “These cars came with a factory LSD, live axle rear end with panhard rod, MacPherson fromt suspension; in the U.S. they came standard with oil coolers […] You get a lot of value out of that,” he says. “I don’t have two of the same car, I have five of the same car… I’m just kind of a victim of a good deal,” he says. But for someone whose career involved covering the early days of drifting, the car is the perfect fit. Since, he’s written Drifting: Sideways from Japan to America and been a consultant for the Need For Speed franchise. His day job is as the Editor-In-Chief and Creative Director of MotorMavens.com, a role that suits him perfectly. “From car culture, I naturally found a calling, and a passion, and a career,” he says. Drive Tastefully® http://Petrolicious.com   / petrolicious