Reputation; one lives and dies by it. Never mind that Toyota has built several fun vehicles over the decades, “dull” has stuck to the carmaker’s products in ways that no race-prepped 1.5G achieving AE86 has been able to shake away. Not that being associated with dependable “get me there” appliances has been much of a liability for Toyota, indeed, likely the opposite. But still, the point is that beyond twin-turbo Supras and mid-engine MR2s, there’s been fun stuff from the carmaker that has gone mostly under the radar. Today’s is such a case; the humble Corolla FX16 hatchback, tuned for fun, and powered by the same 4A-GE four-valve, DOHC 1.6L found in the original MR2 and AE86 Corolla GT-S.
Of course, no blame on you if you can’t tell there’s something special about this very 1980s looking hatchback. Talk about a pocket rocket in a homely disguise; if one doesn’t stop to look at its modest aerodynamic package, the FX16 GT-S can easily go unnoticed, looking very much the low-cost subcompact that was the FX’s original mission. But if you’re a Toyota fan, this is about the cheapest way to get into high-revving DOHC 4A-GE fun, though FWD powered in this case.
Paul has covered the FX16 previously, but in short, the FX hatchback arrived when lots was happening in Toyota’s Corolla range. Most importantly, the carmaker was transitioning away from RWD, and the 1984 E80 Corolla arrived with a transverse FWD layout in 4-door sedans, and 5-door liftbacks…
… while retaining the model’s traditional RWD format on 2-door coupés and 3-door liftbacks (the AE86 models). Some find this technology split curious, but the move addressed various concerns; mainly, to make sure the transition wouldn’t affect Toyota’s reputation for reliability by taking more than it could handle at once. This approach meant that factory and assembly renovations wouldn’t be frantically rushed, while the resulting compromises didn’t affect product functionality;
the 4-door sedans and 5-door liftbacks would use the space-efficient FWD format,
while the RWD 2-door and 3-doors would be efficient enough for buyers accustomed to that body style’s limitations.
But that was not all. Hatchbacks had been a hot thing in the early eighties, and based on the FWD AE80 platform, the AE82 body style debuted in the Corolla range as the FX (meanwhile, the wagon body was curiously ditched); it would be presented as the Corolla’s main model in Europe and Oceania.
Oddly, the AE82 FX didn’t reach the US until the 1987 model year, coming just a bit after “the low-cost hatchback” era had peaked in the US. One can only wonder how much love Toyota’s US operations really had for the model when it barely got a mention in that year’s brochure (See it above, in the upper left corner?)
To be fair, the FX did get its own US brochure, mostly highlighting the hotter DOHC 4A-GE version. Still, its arrival way late in the AE80’s run is a bit peculiar; a period Car and Driver review does hint that the model’s US NUMMI assembly was probably part of the reasoning behind it. With the model heavily based on the AE80’s Chevy Nova spinoff already in production at the plant, adding the AE82 was a rational move under the import quota system at the time.
Also, the hotter FX16 must have seemed a good move after VW’s GTI had made “hot-hatch” a bit of a thing in the US after its 1983 arrival. Meanwhile, the plain FX would cater to low-cost buyers, being the Corolla’s cheapest offering, just when Yugo and Hyundai had joined the US market (though that was really the Tercel EZ’s job).
Overall, the FX kept a strong styling family resemblance with the AE80 models, though no exterior panels are really interchangeable between them. Styling was origami-boxy-clean, and the model’s severe rear cut-off profile seemed to say, “Ever wondered what a really modern, space-efficient Gremlin would’ve been like?”
The model came in FX, FX16, and FX16 GT-S trims. As for the plain FX, it was low-cost Japanese hatchback fare for the time, with a well-laid out, basic plasticky cabin, decent ergonomics, and a carbureted OHV 4A-C 1.6L inline four offering 74HP. With a 3-speed automatic, the FX was as exciting as a fridge, and while that may seem harsh, I’m talking from experience. My then girlfriend owned one in the early 2000s, and I have yet to recover from the monotony of those dull drives.
Yet, it’s been the most reliable car I’ve ever been involved with… Lose some, gain some.
Then, the FX16 and GT-S packages; both with the high-revving DOHC 4A-GE. Car and Driver called it a “sixteen-valve pocket rocket” that’s a treat and that “…Begs to be Redlined.”
In the FX16, the 1.6L twin-cam offered 108HP at 6000RPM (slightly less than on the MR2, which had 112HP in ’87 and 115HP in ’88), with a 7500RPM redline; heady stuff for the day. Ideal for these, Toyota’s 5-speed manual, which as usual, got praises in period reviews for its slick-shifting.
Above, the DOHC 4A-GE, still rolling in 2026 in an FX16, though with some minor updates on its accessories. And don’t get any ideas; those strut braces come from the factory and ain’t there just for show.
About the FX16’s suspension, I’ll borrow again from the Car and Driver review, “The front suspension consists of strut units, stamped-steel control arms, and a 23mm anti-roll bar. The rear has struts, dual transverse links, trailing links for longitudinal location, and a 16mm anti-roll bar. A transverse brace is bolted across the top of the front strut towers to minimize chassis flex during heavy side loadings.”
None of that, as they point out, was groundbreaking. But what mattered was how it was tuned. So, what did it all mean under driving?
The FX16 offered “excellent directional stability, a good on-center feel, a comfortable ride, and decent bump absorption.” The powerplant was a revver, with not much happening until the 4500RPM mark was reached. But if that’s your cup of tea, in “fast sweepers the car’s behavior is excellent, telegraphing every twitch of its tail and giving the driver plenty of early warning to make all the right body moves and facial gestures of truly fast motoring.”
Not all was fun, of course, with the uphills being “frustrating”; terrain where the FX16 was left wanting and in need of more torque. In all, nothing that will ever worry a highly tuned 1970s Muscle Car on a straight line, and are expected limitations for subcompacts of the era. But if pocket rockets are your thing, the 1987-1988 FX16 is a nice, less obvious variant of the bunch. And well, generally easy to live with and use in daily life.
No FX16 arrived in El Salvador back in the day, so all the ones found around me come from the NUMMI plant. This one is a GT-S, a trim mostly distinguished by its ground-effects aero-package. And about the GT and TRD emblems on this survivor, that’s the usual BCS (Badge Compulsion Syndrome) seen on several of my San Salvador finds.
The blunt, flat rear door, with 1980s graphics, is a bit of an acquired taste. But boxy was the thing then.
Also, this survivor has the usual Toyota-TRD fan enhancements locals love; newer, bigger rims, larger exhaust and updated mirrors. Still, it’s mostly intact; either a sign that this owner was not ready to go full “Fast and the Furious” crazy, or that the somewhat obscure nature of the FX16 is not particularly encouraging to such practices.
Unsurprisingly, the FX sold poorly in the US and disappeared after a short two-year run. Curiously, Toyota released a new Corolla FX trim in 2024, available in hatchback body since 2025. So far, I’ve seen commentary on that new FX not being a good follow-up to the original, and others saying that it makes for a “decent cosplay.”
I won’t get into that argument (yet); but isn’t it fun how a somewhat obscure small hatch from the 1980s can still feed such discussions? Not bad for a company generally known for its “dull” products and image.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1987 Toyota Corolla FX16 – When Corollas Still Induced Lust, Not Sleep
COAL: 1987 Toyota Corolla FX – Certainty In Uncertain Times
Too quick a blip on the radar for me to take advantage, would’ve craved something like this. During my late-80s college days my friends had an MR2, a 300ZX, a CRX, a couple 914s he was hoping to turn into one that worked. Then there was me with my own apartment but driving a Pontiac 6000, generally acting as designated driver.
I think I’ve been trying to make up for that ever since.
I liked the line “Ever wondered what a really modern, space-efficient Gremlin would’ve been like?” Pretty well sums up the FX.
I do not remember the FX16 GT-S at all, which I guess proves the point that they flew under the radar in public image and sales. In my mind, Toyota definitely had their sporty side with specialty cars (Supra, Celica, MR2), but kept that image separate from their mainstream models. If I knew about this model, I forgot it, but it looks like a reasonable sporty hatch option.
It bears an incredible resemblance to the Renault 5!.
I miss cars like this.
+1
In 1997, I was working at an ESL school in rural Japan. Said school had classes all over the préfecture, meaning I had to drive a lot. The car given to me was exactly like the featured car. It was an automatic, but it would wind out to like 7000 RPM. It was a total gas to drive and not bad on fuel.
I didn’t stay at that school for long. Japan was a giant dead end for ESL teachers. I left for greener pastures in South Korea. I didn’t take me long to hit the glass ceiling there, either.
This was a brilliant ride in the FX16 form. Super fun and an attractive 1980s era box. Rear end had problems grabbing corners at high speeds. Too front heavy.
I loved them, but couldn’t sell them. They were too pricey for a Corolla, pert near MR2 territory. Buyers came in for the FWD Corolla, but not these. By 1984, the RWD Corollas weren’t selling.
We had problems selling the MR2 and the FX16 in Wichita. What saved us was the FWD Corolla and the hot selling Camry.
It wasn’t that they were too front-heavy, but that the GT-S had an overabundance of rear roll stiffness, making it highly prone to trailing-throttle oversteer. Not an uncommon problem with FWD hot hatches of the ’80s; I once watched a whole video compilation of people spinning out or getting sideways in the Peugeot 205 GTi, which had similar characteristics.
I remember those, or at least reading about them. The magazines seemed to love them, CD/RT. But I never saw many on the road even here in Calif. I was of an age where I was the market, but my finances were not. Like the Dodge Colt Hatchback, the 8 speed, which I did have one of, used and cheap, it seemed like a car for me when it was 10 years old. Fun, but not worth going into debt to buy new, for me at least.