A recipe for success starts with Toyota's best rear-wheel drive platform and a 232 kilowatt six
Making this one even more special is a rare and exquisite colour
The 2008 Toyota Crown Athlete, also known as the ‘GRS204,’ is the automotive equivalent of a Swiss army knife.
It’s an extremely versatile vehicle, delivering plenty of power to the right (rear) wheels and boasting more features than your friend’s BMW or Mercedes-Benz. This one is finished in an extremely rare colour– ‘6V4 Spruce Green metallic– that was applied to only 82 of the 16,569 examples built.
Power comes from a 3.5-litre V6 engine with 232 kilowatts and 377 Nm of torque. Known as ‘2GR,’ this naturally aspirated engine finds its way into everything from high-end Lexus products to your grandmother’s Toyota Kluger.
Referred to as a workhorse, it demonstrates unwavering reliability and even propels a Toyota Tarago to a hilarious victory against a Porsche at Sydney Motorsport Park (watch here).
It’s plenty fast, and the six-speed auto shifts crisply, too. The front end utilises a double-wishbone setup for maximum control, whilst the rear end uses a precise multi-link rear suspension that puts American and Euro metal to shame.
You can’t argue against it, except for the fact that it slightly resembles a Toyota Camry.
The car pictured – 2008 Toyota Crown Athlete (GRS204)
This Toyota Crown Athlete was built in April 2008 and was purchased from JA Saitama (Japan) as a 4.0B grade vehicle.
Standard features include adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, electric front seats, soft-close doors, rear-view and side-view parking camera and automatic headlights. Its factory touchscreen infotainment system can be upgraded to support Apple CarPlay / Android Auto by our workshop.
The vehicle has been maintained well over its life and was also recently serviced by our workshop. Inside and out, it presents in above average condition.
The ‘2GR’ Toyota engine used in this vehicle was used in other local Australian Toyota models, so parts are readily available. We also keep a stock holding of genuine Toyota and aftermarket parts like oil/air filters, spark plugs + more.
Either way, our workshop can assist with maintenance and parts.
Quick facts
- 2008 Toyota Crown Athlete (GRS204)
- Rare Spruce green paint
- 107,205km
- 3.5-litre V6 with 232kW / 377Nm
- Rear-wheel drive
- Adaptive cruise control
- Electric front seats
- Keyless entry and start
- Rear view camera + side view camera
- Front + rear parking sensors
- Soft close doors
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Japanese de-registration paperwork and auction paperwork available.
- Price includes three months NSW registration
- Price includes Australian compliance
- Price includes a NSW roadworthy
The 13th-generation Crown retains the sense of poise and reliability that characterises the Crown series, which has earned a reputation as the leader among luxury vehicles in Japan for over more than half a century.Toyota Japan, launch of all-new Toyota Crown (2008)
