Toyota · Altezza

Toyota Altezza 1st generation (XE10)

Years
1998–2005
Chassis
XE10
Drivetrain
FR / 4WD
Toyota Altezza 1st generation (XE10)

Image: Toyota_Altezza.JPG: Kuha455405 derivative work: Altair78 (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Story

A rear-wheel-drive sedan sold through Netz stores. Right after launch the manual RS200 was the best seller, mainly among young buyers, but the automatic AS200 bought by users in their 40s and older later became the core of sales.

Stories

01

Shouting matches, but in earnest

As a front-engine, rear-drive sports car after a long absence, the Altezza carried high expectations from the company, the media and fans. Development lead Katayama was a passionate man with experience of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and he often got into shouting matches with those he developed the car with, but these were honest clashes, not attempts to talk the other side down.

Chassis

Length 4,400-4,505 mmWB 2,670 mm1,410-1,435 mmHeightWidth 1,720-1,725 mm
Curb weight
1,300-1,540kg

Production plants

US import eligibility

Earliest cars
Eligible since October 202325 years after sales began in October 1998
Last cars
Eligible during 203025 years after sales ended in 2005 (month not recorded)

Eligibility depends on each car's month of manufacture on its build plate, not on the sale dates shown here (NHTSA).

Japanese cars reaching 25 years in 2023 →

Engineers

Nobuaki Katayama

Nobuaki Katayama

Led the overall design of the Altezza.