Remembering Japanese cars from the past

Tag: trd comfort gtz

Top Gear missed it’s chance with the Toyota Comfort GT-Z!

Today I watched the second episode of the new Top Gear season (season 20 already!) where Hammond organized a Taxi race. In this race he featured taxis from various countries like Russia, India, South Africa but for some reason he left out Japan. Now this is a missed chance as Japan would have an adequate contentder:
Toyota Comfort GT-Z Supercharged SXS10
Okay, the supercharged 3S-FE may not be the most powerful of the whole bunch, but with its tweaked suspension it probably would have beaten the competition in half a lap… Or could it be that they were actually frightened?

See the full video of the Comfort GT-Z here: Continue reading

It can be yours: Toyota Comfort GT-Z

Some time ago I wrote about the Toyota Comfort GT-Z being an ideal family car. Also Mike Garrett wrote about the Toyota Comfort GT-Z on Speedhunters last week. Well, it can be yours because there are two for sale on Goo-Net!

Toyota Comfort GT-Z on Goo-net
Toyota Comfort GT-Z on Goo-net

For only 12500 euros this baby is yours! May sound like much, but this GT-Z only drove customers (if it has seen customers at all!) 43000 kilometers, so that’s practically nothing! And it is one of 59! Absolutely unique! :)

However… Unique? What about this then?
Toyota Comfort GT-Z on Goo-net
Toyota Comfort GT-Z on Goo-net

Another GT-Z for sale??
And it is cheaper than the other one: only 11800 euros for a car that only drove 46000 kilometers! Sounds like a bargain! :)

Both cars have the same color (navy), still have the stock bodykit and RS Wantanabes and imagine: both can be obtained for the same amount of money as you would normally spend on a Toyota Corolla AE86 in the same state with the same mileage! Think about it: this car has serious potential (3SGTE anybody?) and there is nothing like it anywhere in the world! Except Japan of course…

You can find the cars here:
Toyota Comfort GT-Z #1
Toyota Comfort GT-Z #2

Ideal family car: Toyota Comfort GT-Z?

Some days ago I mentioned that I would not buy a Carina after this one. What would be my successor for the Carina then? Well, I don’t know that either but time will tell, maybe an Lexus IS300 (Altezza) or perhaps another car. At least I’m always looking around for fun cars and I found another one: the Toyota Comfort! :)
Toyota Comfort standard trim
Toyota Comfort in standard trim

The Toyota Comfort was designed in 1988 with only purpose to serve as a taxi. More or less something like the Austin FX4 you saw around the UK up till five years ago. The current model is based upon the Crown S130 platform, but with a shortened floorpan to make it more agile. The Comfort features a 3Y-PE engine on LPG or a 3C diesel.

TRD Comfort GT-Z in black
Very good looking supercharged TRD Comfort GT-Z in black

But the more fun is the limited (59 vehicles) TRD Comfort GT-Z. This car features a supercharged 3S-FE and has, of course, a TRD suspension which is much stiffer than the standard Comfort. The supercharged 3S-FE outputs 160HP which should move this car happily around every corner. ;)

Enginebay of the supercharged TRD Comfort GTZ
Enginebay of the supercharged TRD Comfort GTZ

And if that is not enough: there is also a TRD Comfort GTZ which runs on the track. It’s got the supercharger replaced for a turbo. I suspect it is mainly being used for drifting seeing the D1 sticker.

TRD Comfort GTZ racecar with Turbo-ed 3S-FE
TRD Comfort GTZ racecar with Turbo-ed 3S-FE

Just imagine what the movie trilogy Taxi would have looked like if it had featured this car instead of the 406. ;)

TRD Comfort GTZ racecar with Turbo-ed 3S-FE
TRD Comfort GTZ racecar with Turbo-ed 3S-FE

Sounds like an ideal family car if I would live in a RHD country. Nobody expects something as boring a taxi to be used as a normal car and actually be a wolf in sheepsclothing. And what I would do is probably take out the 3S-FE and replace it with a Beams 3S-GE. That would make much more sense than supercharging or turbo-ing the 3S-FE. ;)

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