1999 Toyota Altezza

The 1998 Toyota Altezza RS200 stands as an icon of the late 1990s automotive era, offering iconic looks, dynamic performance, and its appeal as a true drivers car. While the US market has been provided the similar and widely known Lexus IS300 equipped with a NA 2JZ-GE, the Altezza RS200 features a new beast, the 3S-GE Beams.

This 3S-GE Beams engine, was given its name due to Toyotas latest tech Breakthrough Engine with Advanced Mechanism System. This featured a new dual VVTI system that operated on both the exhaust and intake cams allowing this engine to still pump out 207 HP despite the use of no forced induction. This power is sent through a 6 speed manual transmission that rows through all gears effortlessly.

The previous owner took great care of this example, as can be seen by the overall condition, and quality modifications that are installed. The cloth seats have plenty of bolster left in them, and no tears or pulls in the stitching, and the interior plastics are all in great condition with no lifting or cracking. The exterior is also in great shape with no major imperfections to be noted. The Blue Mica Pearl paint accents the cars body lines and aftermarket body kit, giving it a uniquely aggressive look. The previous owner also installed a set of adjustable dampening Blitz Coilovers that can be utilized for anything from track to daily driving. The Apexi Exhaust has an incredible tone that does not drone at highway speeds and offers a great sound at all RPMs to further compliment the simple build the previous owner was going for.

The Altezza was only sold in Japan, and like many cars of this era it is inherently better than the alternative offered in the United States. Toyota and Lexus have to comply with a lot of regulations when manufacturing a car for the United States, and this means modifying some components, which ultimately leads to a decrease in performance. This is not the case for the Altezza, since it was only available for the Japanese Domestic Market. The BEAMS Blacktop 3S-GE motor was only offered in the Toyota Altezza RS200 and is the highest performing engine in its category.

If youre in the market an iconic JDM sports car that can used for daily driving purposes or tearing up the track on the weekend look no further. This nimble, high revving Altezza stands as a testament to Toyotas commitment to performance oriented sedans.