The Toyota Corolla Axio is a good car. It's good in the same way a tomato is good for you. A tomato isn't offensive to look at, has the right kind of stuff that is good for health and everyone can have one. That's an Axio. Unfortunately, that doesn't make it exciting.

Then there appears these crazy people with madness glinting in their eyes. They have an idea that even a tomato can become an Italian dish lusted after by master chefs. One such person is Kazi Hamidur Rahman Russell. That's a man with a long name and a long list of car history. I met him ages ago studying biology as kids. Years later he turned up in a car forum, surprisingly not as a biologist of any kind. He's a banker and he loves cars. And he's had a series of projects turning tomatoes into delish-dishes.

So what did he do to an Axio? I'll let that spill over in his words later. As for what the Axio became? Let's start with what it was. As a base car it's nothing that'll set your loins on fire. The car had adequate power from a 1.5 mated to a fuel efficient CVT transmission. The original car had good ground clearance and soft, comfy suspension to carry four moderately wide people.

What it became is a proper sleeper. You look at it and you might think it is a slightly visually tweaked family sedan. Wrong. It's got a heart transplant that now provides tons of magical horses to gallop forward. 200 plus snorting galloping beasts. The 6-speed manual transmission means power is on demand. More redlining, more brap-brap exhaust snorts upon acceleration. We didn't do any 0-180 km/h timings. Not while writing this article anyway. But this thing surprises way too many other cars on the road when it pulls out ahead. THey look at it, they see it rolling past and they be hating. A little efficiency is lost but then, this car isn't really killing polar bears.

It rides a little hard cause of the stiffer suspension and the whole plethora of body tightening braces front and rear. It's also low. Was that necessary? Not a hundred percent but then a car also has to look right and riding a foot above ground isn't really cool. It makes it a little more of an emotional experience to drive. Every speed breaker is a threat, and you care how you pass that bump. But then it's also a more involving ride. You worry, you anticipate and you care. You Basically, the car is no longer a toaster or other such boring white home appliance.

And all that go isn't complete if you can't stop. The stock front brakes are good but it needed a full on disc conversion for the rear. This is the complete package and you can't go wrong with that. Modern car, modern safety features, plenty of power for such a light chassis and the complementary stopping power. This is how you turn an everyday tomato into something much more exciting: an Italian pizza, peppered with glazed tomatoes and delivered by Charlize Theron.

Our car-tastic chat with the owner:

Part-time banker, full-time car nut

Why an Axio?