Is the Toyota Altezza a luxury car?

… The Toyota Altezza, also known as the Lexus IS outside of Japan, is a sporty compact sedan and an entry-level luxury car. The word Altezza is the Italian word for “highness”. The first-generation Altezza (codename XE10) was launched in Japan in October 1998 as an entry-level sport model.

What happened to the Altezza motor?

This grizzly scene of metallurgic murder was the result of the owner’s home-brewed attempt at turbocharging the original Altezza motor with a Greddy kit. Too much boost and one heavy right foot later and the result was a hole in the side of the block and pistons on the outside that should have most definitely been on the inside.

What makes the Thor Racing Altezza so special?

Proving the old theory that ‘There ain’t no replacement for displacement’ THOR Racing’s V8 engined Altezza development ‘mule’ offers a sublime eight cylinder soundtrack and four litres of tarmac thumping goodness. Oversteer anyone? There are definitely two tuning camps in this vast and varied industry of ours.

When did the Lexus Altezza get discontinued in Japan?

Although the Lexus IS still lives on to this day, the Altezza was only sold in Japan from 1998 to 2005 and discontinued after just one generation in favor of its more luxurious brother. It was a mid size sedan designed to take on the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Nissan Skyline/Maxima, Mercedes Benz C-class, and so on.

What kind of Toyota Altezza does Akiyama drive?

Nobuhiko Akiyama drives a 2000 Silver Metallic Toyota Altezza RS200 Z Edition SXE10, which he uses as leader of the Northern Saitama Alliance. Two racers in Extra Stage 2 drive a Black Toyota Altezza.

When did the Altezza hatchback come out in Japan?

The cutting-edge design of the Altezza received the prestigious “car of the year” award in Japan in 1998-1999. In July 2000, a hatchback version of the Altezza was unveiled to the market with the 2JZ engine and automatic transmission option only.