Meet the locally modded Toyota Altezza

 If you played any of the Need for Speed games in the late 90s and early 2000s, you may recall seeing the Lexus IS300. But is it a Toyota or a Lexus? The answer is both. Lexus is actually a subdivision of Toyota, and the IS series was originally manufactured by Toyota and called the Toyota Altezza. Fun fact for Initial D fans: the engineering work of the Altezza was led by Nobuaki Katayama, the person in charge of the AE86 project. The name Altezza means height or highness. The Altezza came in a plethora of variants, including the IS200, IS300, RS200, AS200, and AS300, with the RS200 featuring a 3SGE engine, the IS200 and AS200 sharing a 1GFE engine, and the AS300 and IS300 sharing a non-turbo, VVTI version of the 2JZGE.

Now, let's talk about this Altezza owned by local car enthusiast Ishan Gausul. It's a 1999 model that began its life as an RS200, and in 2017, it was the only dual-tone Altezza in Bangladesh. Fast forward six years, and it's a whole different car now. The exterior is quite minimalistic and OEM-esque, with an aftermarket TRD Neo version 1 bumper in the front, TRD-style side skirts, a TRD rear bumper, and an OEM spoiler. The paint has also been changed to multi-shade white, and the rims are genuine 18-inch rims from a 350z, providing a next-to-perfect fitment. Inside, the OEM-esque theme continues, with the car originally featuring leather-powered seats with airbags and a sunroof. However, the Blitz SBC-IDIII boost controller and Zeitronix AFR gauge have been added around the steering wheel, giving it an aftermarket-ish touch. For the pleasure of music, the sound system has been completely changed to Pioneer's sound system.

Overall, factory 3SGEs are good and reliable engines, but they can be a bit lacklustre in terms of torque. This Altezza's engine has been upgraded to a 1JZGTE, the younger, turbocharged sibling of the 2JZGE. Altezzas from the factory never came turbocharged, although TRD (Toyota Racing Department) sold aftermarket parts like turbo kits and other performance parts for the 3SGE engine. 

The engine wasn't the only thing that was changed; the wiring, gearbox, and everything else had to be swapped too. The engine, wiring, and transmission all came from a JZX110. The transmission is an R154, used in almost all the manual 1JZs, and the differential, shaft, and entire braking system are from the JZX110, except for the brake lines and brake pads, which are from Endless and Project MU, respectively.