The Magic Altezza (Part 1)

The Toyota Altezza is highly appreciated not only by amateur drifters, but also professional representatives of this extreme sport. In the United States and Europe this car is known as the Lexus IS of the first generation and only experts in JDM culture are aware that in Japan this car is sold under the brand name of Toyota. The brand name, however, is not the sole distinguishing feature of the cars and technically these two are quite different vehicles.

During the years of the sale, the Altezza was offered with a large selection of power units, but mainly with mechanical transmission. Distinguished for its sporty behavior, the most notable engine is the 3S-GE. In this article, I will introduce an Altezza exactly with this engine.
So, what’s the “magic” of the 3S-GE?
The truth of the matter is that the engineers of Toyota collaborated with specialists from Yamaha when developing this 2.0L 4-cylinder in-line engine. That’s why this engine turned to be so revving, powerful, and roars like a motorcycle. This car is equipped with a Yamaha engine paired with 6-speed manual transmission. It was released in June 1999 and came out from the plant in white color.

Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about the tuning chronology and how many owners has had this car. The fact is, at the sale in a Japanese auction in September 2015, this Altezza had already undergone serious tuning and the body had a two-tone golden purple color. The original lot executed in a gangster style was sold to a client from Armenia. In January 2016, the car was already in Yerevan. A detailed inspection showed that the car has a modified suspension with controlled pneumatic elements.
To be continued...