This car unites one of Toyota's best rear-wheel drive platforms and a 232kW six-cylinder
Then garnish with options – nice wheels , air-conditioned leather seats and factory aero – to make it just right
The 2008 Toyota Crown Athlete – known as the ‘GRS204’ – is the automotive equivalent of a Swiss army knife.
It’s an extremely versatile vehicle with plenty of power, driving the right (rear) wheels and with more features than your mate’s BMW or Mercedes-Benz.
Power comes from a 3.5-litre V6 engine with 232 kW/377 Nm. Codenamed ‘2GR’, it’s a naturally aspirated mill that’s done time in everything from high-end Lexus products through to your Nan’s Toyota Kluger.
Call it a workhorse; it’s dependable, reliable as sin, and even powered 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 benefits from a precise multi-link rear suspension that puts both American and Euro metal to shame.
You can’t argue against it, other than the fact it looks a bit like a Toyota Camry.
The car pictured – 2008 Toyota Crown Athlete G (GRS204).
Our Toyota Crown Athlete G was built in September 2008 and was purchased from USS Tokyo (Japan) as a 4.0B grade vehicle.
As the top-spec ‘G’ variant, it features keyless entry and start, leather trim, heated and cooled electric front seats, a sunroof, a rearview and side-view camera, a rear electric sun blind, rear heated seats with electric adjustment, and cruise control.
It was also optioned with a factory aero kit, including a sports front bumper, side skirts and rear bumper lip. The car features a nice set of 18-inch wheels, a Fujitsubo cat-back exhaust and aftermarket suspension. Its factory touchscreen infotainment system can be upgraded to support Apple CarPlay/Android Auto by our workshop.
Since Australia sold the ‘2GR’ Toyota engine, parts are easily accessible. We also keep a stockholding of genuine Toyota and aftermarket parts like oil/air filters, spark plugs and more.
Either way, our workshop can assist with maintenance and parts.
Quick facts
- 2008 Toyota Crown Athlete (GRS204)
- Top-spec ‘G’ model
- 110,050 km
- 3.5-litre V6 with 232kW / 377Nm
- Rear-wheel drive
- Factory aero kit
- Factory sunroof
- Leather trim
- Heated & cooled front seats
- Heated & electric rear seats
- Rear electric sun blind
- Rear view + Side view camera
- Cruise control
- 18-inch Japanese aftermarket wheels
- Aftermarket suspension
- Genuine Fujitsubo catalytic-converter back exhaust (not too loud – sounds good!)
- Japanese de-registration paperwork and auction paperwork available.
- Recently serviced
- New tyres fitted
- Price includes SEVS compliance
- Price includes three months of NSW registration
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)
