A recipe for success starts with Toyota's best rear-wheel drive platform and a 232 kilowatt six
As a top-spec G package, this one has all the fruit
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 example has heated and air-conditioned front seats, heated rear seats, electric front seats with two-position memory, electric rear seats, a rear electric sun blind, climate control air conditioning and a rear-view camera.
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.
With its snappy six-speed auto, the powertrain is quite potent. It even powered a Toyota Tarago to a hilarious victory against a Porsche at Sydney Motorsport Park (watch here).
It’s plenty fast. 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 it looks a bit like a Toyota Camry.
The car pictured – 2008 Toyota Crown Athlete (GRS204)
This Toyota Crown Athlete was built in April 2008 and was purchased from USS Nagoya (Japan) as a 4.0B grade vehicle.
Standard features include leather interior trim, keyless entry and start, electric front seats, electric rear seats, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, rear electric sunblind, cruise control, soft-close doors, rear-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 well maintained and comes with a partial service history from Japan and two original keys. It was also recently serviced by our workshop and received a new set of Hankook tyres, too.
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 G (GRS204)
- Top-spec model
- 91,618km
- 3.5-litre V6 with 232kW / 377Nm
- Rear-wheel drive
- Leather interior trim
- Electric, heated and cooled front seats
- Electric and heated rear seats
- Rear electric blind
- Keyless entry and start
- Cruise control
- Rear view camera
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Apple CarPlay / Android Auto kit available for extra
- Toyota service history
- Recently serviced in Australia
- Two keys
- 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)
