Video: Toyota Chaser – The 4-Door Sleeper Supra of Our Dreams

There are no car companies currently building cars in New Zealand. On the one hand, this is a shame, since it seems they could find thousands of qualified employees who would more likely churn out a Koenigsegg than a Corolla, given automaker resources. On the other hand, all cars are imports, and New Zealand has some of the most lenient import laws anywhere in the world. For those of us in America, the biggest shock is not that someone was trying to sell a RHD-Converted, base model Cadillac CTS for $75,000 (thought it came close), but that Japanese Domestic Market, or JDM cars were just everywhere. Silvia’s are as common as Civics, you can literally buy a Mitsubishi Evo 4 or 5 on the side of the road for $5,000 all day long, people trade AE86’s for beer, and there is such a thing down there as a beater Skyline.

However, I’m a nerd among nerds. And we wanted to film something that was rare even by New Zealand standards; a car I’ve literally never seen, nor heard of before, until getting an email from Philip Huynh.  Phil owns a 1998 Toyota Chaser, which, at first glance, looks exactly like the US Market 1996-01 Toyota Camry. The proportions and front and rear valences are slightly different, but at a glance; they could easily be mistaken for one another. (I think they may use identical doors). However, there are three fundamental differences between a Camry and Phil’s Chaser, which may make it the ultimate sleeper:

1) Rear Wheel Drive

2) Manual Gearbox

3) A 500-horsepower, single turbo VVTi 1JZ engine.

After you watch the video, you should check out Phil’s WheelWell page to see all the gritty details about his build. There are many.

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