Is this car better then the Lexus IS or are they identical?

[ArtemisEntreriR34]

topic

[Jay!]

Same car, it just has different names in different markets. Be mindful of which engine is in which car, though...

And welcome to AF!

[ArtemisEntreriR34]

Thanks, I have been looking at the forums for a while and finally decided to register. :flash: :flash:

[DVSNCYNIKL]

Originally posted by ArtemisEntreriR34
Thanks, I have been looking at the forums for a while and finally decided to register. :flash: :flash:

Welcome to AF!

[Rims4Runners]

actually they are not the same car. The Altezza which has the same appearance as the IS 300, comes with a 4cylinder engine, and the IS has the VVTI 6 cylinder engine. The altezza's 4cyl can be tunned and can be very very fast.

[border_project]

well the altezza came with both inline 4 and inline 6
the inline 4 is slower then the inline 6. the inline4 has 160hp where the inline6 has 210hp.
if you turbocharge the engine then it would be fast.
and also both engines have vvti.
the other difference is that the altezza engine is made by yamaha. the engine for the is300 is a little different and is not made by yamaha.
also the altezza had the option of a 6speed manual transmission. it was good if the owner did not tune the engine. but because your talking about japanese people, 80% of the owners had tuned the engine so the transmission couldnt take it. (were talking about 500+hp)
so the transmission was a weak 6 speed.
other then that, the altezza and is300 is similar. as in design and interior. so the only major difference was the option of a 6 speed and the redline of 8000rpm. and instead of the tach being beside the speed meter, the top of the line z and L edition altezzas had the tach as the main and speedo on the side.

[T-Tuning Custom]

Originally posted by Rims4Runners
actually they are not the same car. The Altezza which has the same appearance as the IS 300, comes with a 4cylinder engine, and the IS has the VVTI 6 cylinder engine. The altezza's 4cyl can be tunned and can be very very fast.

They are the same car, the Altezza is the IS 3000. If you didn't know Toyota is the parent company of Lexus and Toyota doesn't carry the Lexus Badge in Japan. Like the Pontiac Vibe in Japan is the Toyota Voltz.

[integra818]

T-Tuning Custom, border_project is correct when he explained the engines in the is and the altezza, Ive checked on the japanese toyota web page and border_project is right.

[Blitzen]

Doesn't the Toyota variant of Lexus cars have a more downmarket interior? I heard this is the case with the Lexus SUVs.

[NocturnalSentra]

the US-Spec Altezza *IS series* is basicly a de-tuned version of the J-Spec Altezza. So, the Altezza is better than the IS.

[HellBent]

The Altezza comes in essentially two variants with 3 trim levels each. The RS200 and the AS200 are the two variants. Their major difference is the engine.

The RS200 gets the "BEAMS" 3S-GE Dual VVT-i 4 Cyl engine. 1.998L 154kw (210PS) about 210 HP @ 7,600 rpm (6 spd M or 5 spd Auto)

The AS200 gets the "BEAMS" 1G-FE Dual VVT-i 6 Cyl engine. 1.988L 118kw (160PS) about 160 HP @ 6,200 rpm (6 spd M or 4 spd Auto)

The trim levels are: Standard, Z-edition, L edition
The Z-edition is the sport package, and the L-edition is essentially the Z-edition with leather.

As for the car itself, the Altezza is the Lexus IS300. Interior trim is the same between the IS300 and a fully optioned Z-edition. However the IS300 has a different more powerful inline 6 cyl engine and different trany options.

I own a 1998 Altezza here in Japan, and my brother owned an IS300 stateside. The only difference was engine, tranny, and left hand drive vs. right hand drive. Also my Altezza cost almost $10,000 less.

Here in Japan, maybe about 1% of all Altezza's are modded. Most are the AS200 version, used as a commuter and grocery getter. They are actually very difficult to find used. Especially in RS200 Z-edition trim. I had to search for a long time to find one.

The reason very few are modded is that they are also still pretty expensive in the used market. The Altezza is a very popular car. The young Japanese who mod their cars can't afford a car until it is over 6 years old. After 6 years old a car's resale value plumets due to Japanese registration and inspection laws/fines. So most modded cars are older Skylines and Sylvias.

I'm sure in a year or two more Altezza's will find their way into tunner hands. But for now Skylines and Sylvia's are the rule.

-Al

[IntegraX]

The Toyota Altezza and Lexus IS300 are the same body. From there, the seperation is mainly that the Lexus USDM version has a fleet of options and luxury setups you can get from the company, adding to the price, ofcourse. The JDM Altezza is essentially almost the same. The only difference is really what comes by default under the Lexus brand. You could put just about anything that can fit in the Lexus into the toyota. I'm currently trying to find a Altezza RS-200 L-Edition, and trust me, it's so hard to find. The majority are RS-200 Z-Edition, because in japan, it's all about performance. So it's much more difficult to find any luxury trimmed car with leather, and even sun-roof. Many are just flat, with all performance, and no leather or sunroof or interior panel trims. The performance package that Lexus sells you versus what you get in japan from TRD(Toyota Racing Development) are also different. Lexus is a much lower wing, and the TRD one is half that of a Type-R spoiler for example, and you also get body-coloured tail-light blockoffs and more for styling. The engine that is currently in the current generation of JDM Altezza is as follows:
RS-200 Z/L Edition ... VVTi 16V Inline-4 2.0 Cyl producing 210hp (MT) / 200hp (AT), and for AS-200 Z/L Edition ... VVTi 24V Inline-6 2.0 Cyl producing 160 hp for both AT/MT.
Currently, the Lexus IS300, is using a variant of the AS-200, but it's a more powerful Inline-6 3.0 Cyl. I do not know if it is faster than the 2.0 RS-200 from Japan. As you can see from the japan versions, the Inline-4 on the RS spec is much more powerful than the AS-200 spec. The AS-200 is the "Euro" model, while the RS-200 is the JDM version. You will find the same car in Australia as in USA, under a Lexus, contrary to Honda, which is only Acura in the Usa and Canada, and Honda elsewhere.

[MatobaImportRacing]

so the 4 cylinder has 50 more horsepower than the inline 6? wow, 210 out of 2 cylinders is super-efficient.

BTW, someone told me this is the same block as the celica 2ZZ, is this true?

PS. what does BEAMS stand for?

[IntegraX]

There's no 3 litre Altezza except for the Altezza Gita, which is the wagon, or Lexus IS SportsCross.

Lexus-->
Lexus IS300: 3.0L 6cyl 24v 210hp. 5spd auto /w SteerShift. |
Lexus IS200: 2.0L 6cyl 24v 160hp. 5spd auto /w SteerShift.

Toyota-->
Altezza RS-200: 2.0L 4cyl 16v 210hp. 5spd auto /w SteerShift. |
Altezza AS-200: 2.0L 6cyl 24v 160hp. 5spd auto.

IS300 is the all new powerful lexus with 3 litres of displacement, and it is now faster than the japanese toyota altezza RS-200 Z or L editions. It has a better sports package and is also comes with real leather seats opposed to the previous IS200 seude/leather mixture, and several cosmetic changes and interior changes.

If you're looking to buy one of these bitches, I would really vote for the Lexus. Fuck Toyota. The Lexus is essentially all the Altezza is and then some. If you wanted to buy one of these import from Japan, you'll get cloth seats. Furthermore, you may not get a sunroof, and you'll not get powered seats or anything to do with the word luxury. It's really a stripped down version of the IS200 that gets sold in japan. The only difference, was that the IS200 was slower than the RS-200 back when the IS200 was the latest model. But that wast he past, and now Lexus has the IS300 which is even faster than the RS-200 Z edition 6spd manual-to-manual. Essentially, all the motherfuckers who buy these altezzas rape the Altezza logos and rebrand it as Lexus. So why the fuck even bother buying an altezza. Depending on where you live, the choice should always be with the L. You can get RHD Lexus from the UK or Australia to name a few.

I don't think any car has these same engines, so I dont think the celica or any other car has them.

I dont know what BEAMS stands for. try
http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=BEAMS

[matada]

Originally Posted by IntegraX

If you're looking to buy one of these bitches, I would really vote for the Lexus. Fuck Toyota. The Lexus is essentially all the Altezza is and then some. If you wanted to buy one of these import from Japan, you'll get cloth seats. Furthermore, you may not get a sunroof, and you'll not get powered seats or anything to do with the word luxury. It's really a stripped down version of the IS200 that gets sold in japan. The only difference, was that the IS200 was slower than the RS-200 back when the IS200 was the latest model. But that wast he past, and now Lexus has the IS300 which is even faster than the RS-200 Z edition 6spd manual-to-manual. Essentially, all the motherfuckers who buy these altezzas rape the Altezza logos and rebrand it as Lexus. So why the fuck even bother buying an altezza. Depending on where you live, the choice should always be with the L. You can get RHD Lexus from the UK or Australia to name a few.

I don't think any car has these same engines, so I dont think the celica or any other car has them.

I dont know what BEAMS stands for. try
http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=BEAMS

One, you are an idiot.

Two, all Lexus vehicles are rebadged Toyota's. Seeing as you have a Honda, which you paid more for because of the name, I can see how you try and justify the extra expense of prestige badging.

Three, my Altezza is presently putting 230hp at the rear wheels of the vehicle and is close to 340 pounds lighter than the Lexus model. Do the math.

Four, Beams is the Name Toyota gave to their 4cyl vvt-i engines. The engine is a monster for its size and weight, and I have personally spanked several Type R integras with similar modifications.

Five, Anyone who is truly concerned about performance is not going to buy a vehicle with leather seats and a sunroof. The sunroof weakens the body and adds extra weight, and the leather seats provide less support and grip for high cornering situations.

Six, I know of 2 out of 35 Altezza owners who have rebadge their vehicles as a Lexus, and this is only because they are into the Japanese VIP car scene, where the Lexus holds some merit. However, I know of about 50 PM's that I have recieved from US customers wanting the Altezza badging for their personal vehicles.

Seven, The Altezza has its own race series here that emphasizes the capabilities of the engine in nearly stock trim. This race is run before every JGTC race, so it has a large following and lots of credibility.

So in conclusion, The Altezza is a compact, high performance, great handling sports sedan. The IS is a porky overweight dressed up little kid trying very hard to be the real thing.

Kind of like you own personal car, eh?