Toyota only built 1,292 copies of its four-wheel drice & six-cylinder Altezza wagon
and this one has a factory aero kit, too.
The Toyota Altezza was an import car for the brand.
When badged a Lexus IS, it challenged BMW’s 3-series. The brief Toyota’s engineers worked with was “four-door car with two-door handling”, or family sedan with sports car heart.
Its resulting proportions were spot on, suspension design excellent, and balance superb. Where the sedan is best configured with a six-speed manual and four-cylinder 3S-GE BEAMS engine, the wagon is best served with a brawny six.
And in the Altezza Gita’s case, it copped the legendart ‘2JZ’ 3.0-litre straight-six from the Toyota Supra. This example was factory optioned with four-wheel drive too, meaning it’s an all-paw family wagon that would love trips to the snow.
It’s mint underneath and remarkably lived on the South side of Japan its entire life. If you’re after a fun and unusual wagon with some cojones, this it it.
The car pictured – 2001 Toyota Altezza Gita 4WD
This Toyota Altezza Gita was built in November 2001 and is an ‘L edition’ trim level.
That means it’s a higher-spec model powered by a ‘2JZ’ 3.0-litre straight-six with 162 kilowatt / 294Nm torque. This example was also features factory four-wheel drive.
As an ‘L edition’ model, it wears a genuine Toyota aero kit (grille / front / sides / rear) and features a Japanese navigation system. The bonnet is a vented aftermarket item that suits the car well.
This example was purchased as a private vehicle from USS Osaka as a grade 4.0C vehicle. The dashboard has some sticky trims, a common issue.
The rest of the interior is in great condition. The exterior presents well, with no major blemishes or signs of repair.
What made this one special:
- 2001 Toyota Altezza Gita
- Rare 4WD version
- 115,000km
- 3.0-litre ‘2JZ’ straight-six engine
- 162 kW / 294Nm
- Automatic transmission / four-wheel drive
- Factory option equipment: Aero kit
- Factory equipment: climate control, Alcantara seat trim, power windows, power steering, dual airbags, folding rear seats
- Two keys
- Japanese de-registration paperwork and auction paperwork available
- Price includes three months NSW registration
- Price includes Australian-wide vehicle compliance
The humble wagon is making a comeback, and it's not hard to see why – some can be stylish, practical and more affordable than their SUV counterparts.
