Japanese cars arguably make excellent tuning material, but the Toyota Conquest isn’t exactly a favorite among them – the domestic hatchback from the ‘90s had nothing exceptional to offer in terms of looks or performance. SAR-based tuner Boris set out to change that.
He brushed up the exterior slightly and completely replaced the drivetrain, slotting in a fourth-gen Toyota Celica engine along with its own transmission, AWD system, differential and other internals. The Celica Mk4 was also made in the nineties, but its peak output of 245 PS (252 hp / 180 kW) was nearly twice as good as that of the Conquest.
Having said that, it was still not enough for Boris, who rebuilt the engine to run on ethanol. As a result, the mill sends around 400 PS (394 hp / 294 kW) to all four wheels. Switching to regular pump gas drops the number to around 300 PS (296 hp / 221 kW), which is still rather solid even by modern standards. The transmission is stock Celica, but the clutch has been upgraded to twin plates from just one.
The interior is tastefully minimalist with no rear bench, Subaru WRX STI seats and a Momo steering wheel. Boris says further modifications could follow, as the seats in particular don’t fit that well.
Check out the video for a review.
