Toyota Altezza SXE10
Read the badge before you read anything else
The Altezza is the Japanese-market version of the first Lexus IS, so an IS200 or IS300 overseas is the same car underneath. The one enthusiasts actually want is the RS200 (SXE10): the 2.0 3S-GE BEAMS four with dual VVT-i and a 6-speed manual, drive going to the rear. And yes, this is the car that gave its name to "Altezza" tail lights.
Toyota Altezza (SXE10 / GXE10), 1998 to 2005
A proper rear-drive Toyota sports sedan, and still a bargain
Toyota launched the Altezza in October 1998 as a compact rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, with a rare five-door Gita wagon joining the range. Overseas it wore Lexus badges and took the IS name, which is why a UK IS200 and a Japanese Altezza are basically cousins. Two bits of pop culture did the heavy lifting for its fame. First, those clear-lens rear lights got copied so hard that the whole look is still called "Altezza lights" at every swap meet on earth. Second, it turns up in Initial D, where Nobuhiko Akiyama runs a silver RS200. Not bad for a family four-door.
Here is where you have to pay attention, because the Altezza came with three very different hearts. The RS200 (SXE10) is the driver's car. Its 3S-GE BEAMS is a high-compression 2.0 four with individual throttle bodies that pulls hard right to the top of the tacho, with a factory figure usually quoted around 210 PS, though the exact number gets argued over depending on year and gearbox. Pair it with the 6-speed manual and it is a genuinely eager thing. The AS200 (GXE10) is the softer option: a smooth 1G-FE 2.0 inline six making somewhere around 150 to 160 hp depending on how you measure it, lovely for cruising but a fair bit tamer. Export buyers also got the IS300, badged AS300 in Japan, with the 3.0 2JZ-GE inline six of Supra fame at roughly 215 hp.
| Variant | Chassis | Engine | Power (approx) | The pick? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS200 | SXE10 | 3S-GE BEAMS 2.0 four | ~210 PS | Yes, with the 6-speed |
| AS200 | GXE10 | 1G-FE 2.0 inline six | ~150 to 160 hp | Cruiser, not a driver |
| AS300 / IS300 | JCE10 | 2JZ-GE 3.0 inline six | ~215 hp | Torquey, mostly export |
Why bother in 2026? Because a rear-drive Toyota sports sedan that revs like a superbike and still looks sharp is a rare thing, and the Altezza remains one of the cheaper ways into that club. The 3S-GE BEAMS loves to spin, the chassis is honest, and parts support is decent thanks to the Lexus connection. It is the sort of car you can daily during the week and still enjoy on a good road at the weekend.
Now the warnings. Most of these are imports, so crawl underneath and check for rust in the usual Japanese-winter spots before you fall in love. Confirm you are actually buying an RS200 with the 3S-GE and a real manual, not an AS200 six wearing RS badges and a body kit, which is a very common trick over here. Plenty were run as high-mile daily hacks or worked taxi-hard, so a tired one will feel it in the gearbox and the seats. And because it drifts nicely and looks the part, a good chunk of the survivors have been thrashed or bent, so walk away from any car with a suspicious repair history. A clean, honest, manual RS200 is the only one I would hold out for.
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