Lemon Zest

Recipe: Take one midsize Japanese saloon, add one Beams engine, mix until rear wheel drive and garnish with TRD dressing. Quite the recipe for Lemon Zest? 

I kid. The result of the above combination is not a zesty food flavor but a rear wheel drive, high revving four door saloon that appeals to all the senses.

The Altezza was Toyota's answer to the formidable BMW 3 Series. Also known as the Lexus IS200 (Altezza for the Japanese domestic market) it showed the world that Japan too could make quite the perfect executive saloon. This very same car sparked another trend, and that was clear tail lamps!

The car was quite the fashion statement. Handsomely styled, beautifully built and an instrument cluster straight out of a horologist's favorite catalog!

Toyota's Altezza may have not beaten Bavaria's finest, but gave it a good run for its money and it has managed to gain quite the iconic status among petrol heads the world over. 

Yes, it might have been stylish, built well and great in the bendy bits, but people fell for its beating heart. It was Yamaha's screaming Beams ( Breakthrough Engine with Advanced Mechanism System) engine that attracted the crowds attention.

It was also offered with a 2,0 and 3.0 naturally aspirated straight 6 as well. But the 2 liter inline 4 with the magical Dual VVTI technology has managed to win over many hearts. Managing to find itself in more engine bays of cars that Toyota originally didn't intend it to go into! Sometimes even in cars that didn't originate from Aichi headquarters!  

But lets put a stop to all this talk about the model itself and concentrate on this particular car. This is no ordinary Altezza (If ever such a thing existed). This is the only TRD specified Tezza in Sri Lanka. 

The TRD version only came in yellow, produced between the year 2000 and 2001 in limited numbers and came with factory fit goodies that are a mixture of embellishments and chassis improvements. The TRD styling package (an option on other models) was fitted as standard and so was the sunroof! The faux carbon grille was another addition.  

 This TRD steering wheel is quite exclusive, considering the fact that it is color coded to the car! 

The body color tail lamp covers are a TRD item as well. Don't ask me how it improves performance but it sure does change the overall appearance! The front headlamps too were blacked out, an option offered only on later model year Tezza's. 

The TRD exhaust and drop in panel air filter though contributes to the performance department! Factory speed limiter was increased to 200 kph from 180 kph and the rev counter went up to 10,000 revolutions per minute! 

The standard Altezza wheels have been swapped out for these aftermarket items.  

And a Cusco strut brace replaces the factory fitted TRD item. Quite a nifty looking piece of kit too! 

The big changes were underneath with immense amounts of bracing, transforming the car to a more focused machine. Dampers and springs were left untouched though, 

Manula (The owner) has some TOM's coil overs ready and waiting as well just in case he decides he wants more low, and a back ache!

The Altezza  with the Yamaha power plant is an utterly desirable automobile. This TRD model makes the prospect even more mouthwatering. Toyota released quite a few special editions during its 7 year production run. This was when Toyota built great cars and sadly we dont see cars of such caliber from them anymore. The Highness (Worth mentioning that Altezza in Italian means Highness) has definitely etched itself in the automotive history books and will be remembered for many generations to come. 

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Thank you to Manula and Prasanjith 

By Charith Kulasiri