Feature - Toyota Altezza RS200 SXE10

In 1999 a car won the "Car of the year" award in japan. It is also Toyota's answer to BMW's E46 3 series. But what is it? 

Yes it is the Toyota Altezza, and in particular the RS200 edition which offers the best balance of performance and style of all models in the range. 

The Altezza is the Japanese domestic market (JDM) version of the luxury Lexus IS200, as they share many similarities but there are a few differences to set them apart.

The car you see above is a Toyota Altezza RS200....

... tastefully done to arouse its look further.  

No matter from which angle you look at it from... it still looks mean and maintains its beauty at the same time.

I don't know why but when i was a child i always saw a car with a sunroof  as being cool! 

Yes it definitely looks cool. Anyway after shooting the above 5 pictures in the owners apartment car park, i decided that a more outdoor shoot was a must where the car will definitely feel at home on the city streets.    

While on the way to the location, we took a very famous road which is known to be open, free of traffic and where the sea waves could be heard... My plan was to get a shot of the car doing a decent 70/80kmph... but to my dismay the whole road was crowded, all full of those stubborn "3 Wheels of Steel Across Sri Lanka" hugging the road like they own it! As a result i was only able to get a picture (Above) of a mere 29kmph from a car that is capable of doing more than 7 times that speed on a open highway. 

Well we finally got there... 

In an open area the whole car suddenly starts to beam out with life as it reveals every minute detail under the bright sunny sky as you see above, thus giving you a better idea of what a mean looking car looks like under the sun.... And yes a definite head turner!! 

Looking closely into the tastefully done cosmetic modifications..... 1st to hit you is those rims!  Upfront is AVS Model 5 version 1 Nissan Skyline R33 wheels measuring @ 215/45/R17, and at.... 

... the rear you will find the same AVS Model 5 version 1 Nissan Skyline R33 wheels measuring the same @ 215/45/R17.
Look closer and you will notice...

... the brake caliper painted in a brownish-bronze metallic paint, along with Altezza sticker-ed on it.   

Then theres the side skirt perfectly aligning itself with the body.

The rear of the car is kept clean with the spoiler and rear lip...

Some of you might or might not know... but for those who don't, the rear lights are standard from factory. All Toyota Altezza/Lexus IS200-300's comes with them. 

Talk about body contours... its got flesh in all the right places as you will agree :D  

Thats a Wald front bumper lip.

Head lights are Eagle eyes.. 

Well well whats that? modern rwd cars may not be a familiar sight... compared to our completely common fwd cars! 

Power is from a Toyota factory tuned 4th Generation 3S-GE BEAMS (Breakthrough Engine with Advanced Mechanism System) Blacktop engine...

No no its not a printing mistake.. Its a real deal, meaning Yamaha actually had a part to play in tuning and developing the Toyota 3S-GE BEAMS engine. The final results of this concoction resulted with a Normal Aspirated engine that has a compression ratio of 11.1:1, while developing 200 PS (147 kW) at 7,000 rpm and 22.0 kg·m (216 N·m) of torque at 4800 rpm on an automatic transmission. 

The front lip definitely graces the look on the car. 

see what i meant by body contours and it having flesh in all the right places!! 

The all functional interior cabin... As i said earlier the car has an automatic transmission... 

...... its a 5 speed automatic to be precise! 

Oh and No thats not my purse! always leaving the purse behind never fits my description!! 

Instrument cluster = Pure Art

If you were wondering what Eagle eyes meant a few mins ago... This picture would definitely be able to explain it to you... 

Switch on the HID's and you will have it looking like this.... 

... at night! 

All i can say is that it was a joy to shoot this car for you all.... 

A special note of thanks goes out to the owner Riyaz Razick for allowing me to do the shoot. 
I hope you all enjoyed this as i did. 


Cheers

-Ramien Hodgson

PS: This car is up for sale. Anyone interested pls contact the owner.