The most interesting man in the world may prefer Dos Equis, but more interesting is today's Corona. It comes with a six pack of a motor, but will its price make you interested?

You can usually get a good deal by buying your crap off the mark-down table, and who knew Hemmings had such a bargain bin? Yesterday's was once molto bella but is now kind of molto rotto, resulting in a near 50/50 split over whether it was worth salvaging, even at its discount price.

The number of Italian V8-powered executive sedans can pretty much be counted on one hand, and most…

Bringing that big Italian back to its former glory would be not only a labor of love, but of blood sweat and tears as well. And, as losing all those fluids can throw off your electrolytes, it's important to maintain a regimen of replacement - that's why beer was invented. Today's contender shares its name with one of the world's best selling beers, and while may be a refreshing repast, this comes with some extras that may be just as refreshing.

The Corona represented Toyota's mid-sizer for a bunch of years, nominally being replaced by the Camry when Toyota decided the older car's owners were no longer returning them for the deposit. Plain and nondescript in the way of a stereotypical librarian, this one is ready to let its hair down and rock your world. There's a little preview of the under hood mayhem in the custom AE86 front bumper and fat-tired stance, but what's claimed to be a carbon fiber hood is hidden under a coat of beige, and to the unsuspecting, this could be just another slushbox sedan with delusions of grandeur.

Only it's not.

First off, resting between the JDM BRIDE seats isn't a T-handle, but a five-speed row your own. And that R154 cog set is paired with what the seller says is a squeal of joy-inducing 1JZ-GTE out of a Land of the Rising Sun-tach Supra. In case you don't speak drifter, that means it's a double overhead cam straight six of the twin turbo variety. At 2.5-litres the short stroke six loves the revs like a fat kid grooves cake, and while he doesn't say which gen this motor is exactly, it's safe to say the car now rocks more power than it did when its 22R was resident under the hood. It's a switch that Charlie Sheen would describe as duh, winning!

As I noted, the front seats have been ditched for high-bolstered buckets, in a darker shade of brown than that of the rest of the plastic-heavy interior. Out in back seat land, however, there's still the crushed velour bench that looks as comfortable and inviting as Mr. Snuffleupagus' cosseting nether regions. As you might expect, the dash has been accessorized like a tween girl on a mall bender, and now sports extra gauges, some craptacular pedal covers, and a three-spoke wheel to make you one with that JZ.

The macpherson strut suspension hasn't been left out of the upgrades, and gets KYB struts wrapped in TRD springs. Also under there, a turbo-back exhaust system upgrade makes 3 inches sound impressive. All in all, the car is set up to be a drifter, and that's exactly what teh seller says it is. Going sideways, smoking tires, pissing off the old folk, that's what drifting is all about. Well, that and solving the crisis in Darfur.

As it's an old drifter, it's quite possible that this Corona may be skunky, and you also will have to take into account parts availability for all the JDM, which won't be impossible, but also won't be Pep Boys. And even though it's more than 25 years old, it's still not a pre-'75 so while it appears to be currently living in the Bay Area, a Cali title transfer may be harder than dating Siamese twins without each of them finding out about the other.

And all that's why this Corona's $6,000 price tag might - like Bryn Mawr girls - go both ways. What's your take on this Corona, is $6,000 a price that would have you saying I'll drink to that? Or, is this a Corona that's more AA than AAA?

You decide!

or go if the ad disappears. H/T to MaximumBobLutz for the Tiger's Blood!

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