New Toyota Crow – Japanese fight against sleeping while driving

The fastest police cars – Behind the wheel magazine

Dodge Charger Pursuit

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It is best to contemplate the chase from the sidelines and not take part in it.

Although... Who would refuse the pleasure of casually tossing a donut, putting on black glasses, turning up Motorhead louder and stomping on the gas pedal, knocking out cold sweat from the forehead of the intruder and crushing his nervous system with the roar of the engine and the howl of the siren? The fleet of “interceptors” often causes fierce envy in those who are partial to fast cars, because to solve particularly complex problems they put sports cars, and sometimes supercars, under the gun! Isn't it true that a four-wheeled cop who lives for high-speed pursuits of bad guys is reminiscent of Hellboy, the sci-fi movie demon who serves the forces of good? We will talk, first of all, about actually working machines, although there are quite interesting but exhibition examples built as part of propaganda campaigns like Tune it! Safe!, which preaches competent professional tuning and clearly hints to speed enthusiasts that they should not get carried away with speed on public roads. The concept of “police interceptor”, firstly, is associated with the American school. Let's start with that.

From New York to Los Angeles

Ask any car owner what comes to mind when mentioning the faithful companion of a law enforcement officer, and he will probably mention the huge Ford Crown Victoria P71 Police Interceptor - the canonical overseas “policeman”, the hero, if not the victim of numerous thematic films and once one of the most popular cars in American departments. If you close your eyes to the unpleasant story of flammable fuel tanks during a rear-end collision, due to which the death toll was dozens, a completely favorable picture emerges.

Ford Crown Victoria P71 Police Interceptor

From an anatomical point of view, the full-size Ford is a set of not the most modern, but proven solutions.

A durable "eight" with two valves per cylinder, a frame structure, a solid rear axle, as well as "police" equipment such as an improved cooling system, "shorter" than standard cars, main pairs, an optional limited-slip differential and other components for heavy and specific operating conditions. The author of these lines at one time tried in vain to find a worthy copy of a used Crown Vic: due to the number of cars roaming around Russia, he had to be content with the civilian version. Despite its phenomenal vitality and charisma, the P71 was not among the fastest among its colleagues. In this regard, the urban legends that circulated about the Crown Vic are especially funny - sometimes you even heard about an engine with a turbocharger and other units and bells and whistles that it supposedly had. Pure fantasy! In fact, Ford could only dream of such equipment.

Chevrolet Caprice Classic 9C1

If we talk about retired officers with gray hair at the temples and strong muscles, then it is not so much the creation of the “blue oval” that is worthy of mention as the Chevy - the truly terrifying Caprice Classic 9C1 and Camaro B4C, strongmen in special police trim levels.

In particular, the full-size Caprice Classic was equipped with a more efficient cooling system, anti-roll bars of increased diameter, rear disc brakes and other options. Models from the 90s with 5.7-liter LT1 “eight” engines are especially famous.

The monster Dodge Polara of the late 60s had very harsh dynamics, hiding a 7.2-liter V8 engine with 375 hp under its long hood. So, for a moment, acceleration to 96 km/h (60 mph) was within 6.3 seconds, and the maximum speed exceeded 235 km/h.

The car came in handy, since the problem of scumbags in muscle cars in those days confronted overseas lawmen in full force. Comprehensive information about the contingent driving powerful coupes and convertibles is provided by the film Dazed and Confused (in the Russian box office “Dazed and Confused”).

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Currently, overseas cops can only be envied - Ford, GM and Chrysler are fighting for clientele, offering powerful versions of sedans and crossovers. The championship belt is now worn by the Dodge Charger Pursuit, equipped with a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 with 370 hp. and 529 Nm.

The thug accelerates to 100 km/h within 6 seconds, causing the officer to exclaim the old Chryslerphile slogan “Mopar or no car!” Due to its specificity, the police version has a number of features.

For example, it has brake discs of increased diameter, reinforced silent blocks of the front suspension of rear-wheel drive versions (there are “cops” with all-wheel drive), and a modified electrical circuit for integrating special equipment into it.

An alternative to the Charger is the 365-horsepower Ford Police Interceptor Utility SUV (in the Explorer world) with 304 or 365 hp, and the Chevy Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle with a V8 producing 355 hp. The latter, by the way, is not a Chevrolet, but an Australian Holden Caprice in left-hand drive.

Middle, imagine, East

Modesty in Dubai means buying not a Lamborghini, but, say, some cheap, common car like a Mercedes-Benz. There are good roads, a lot of oil and luxury, and the passions of the road are as hot as the sun. The local police live large and allow themselves things that are unthinkable even in prosperous Europe or the New World.

The fleet of cars with a white and green paint job and a “chandelier” on the roof resembles anything but a “flotilla” guarding order. Supercars serve here, and not just any of them: there is a Ferrari FF, Aston Martin One-77, Lamborghini Aventador and even a McLaren P1. It is not surprising that the most formidable “cop” in the emirate of Dubai is also included in the list of the fastest cars on the planet.

As you might have guessed, we are talking about the Bugatti Veyron.

Bugatti Veyron

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Unlike the overseas “catch-up”, which is a special police package, the Middle Eastern elite “life-lovers” cannot boast of the same abundance of special equipment. And they hardly need it.

Rumor has it that local police cars play more of a showpiece role, but in any case, it’s better not to fly past the officers here.

Who knows which of the supercars put on a police “uniform” for show, and which one is ready to take off after the offender.

European legends and tales

Old Europe, unlike the States, did not pamper its motorists with colossal displacements and “horses,” but local cops know a lot about fast interceptors. And in this regard, Great Britain is interesting.

It must be said that Foggy Albion generally resembles a small reserve of unique “policemen”.

A violator driving along the roads of the north of England may not take seriously the patrol Lexus IS hovering in the rear-view mirror, but, having tried to break away, he will understand: the “Japanese” is not far behind! It’s not surprising: since 2009, local roads have been patrolled by the IS-F sports sedan, a real street sleeper (in our opinion, a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”), armed with a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 with a power of 423 hp. and capable of reaching 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. This, of course, is far from the only glaring example from British practice: here, in particular, the supercharged Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X serve.

Lotus Evora

However, the aforementioned sports sedans are still flowers. In recent years, two road warriors have appeared on the highways of the Midlands region, located in the center of England - the Lotus Evora (3.5-liter “six” with 280 hp, acceleration to “hundreds” in about 5 seconds) and, imagine yourself, a monster McLaren MP4–12C, developing 625 hp. According to some reports, cars are used for their intended purpose.

But perhaps the most amazing and fastest in the British “fleet” is the Ariel Atom 3.5R! The boat with wheels, reminiscent of the embryo of a racing formula, is equipped with a 350-horsepower engine and weighs 612 kg.

Considering acceleration to 100 km/h within 3 seconds, you can “fry the tail” not only of sports cars, but also of fast bikes! By the way, Atom does not participate in chases, but serves for “advertising” purposes to raise awareness among motorcyclists.

The Italians are not lagging behind their island counterparts. Patriotism did not allow the Apennines to choose a British car or, God forbid, a “German” for an honorary position. The Lamborghini Aventador seemed too much to them, but the Gallardo with a coupe body was just right.

Mid-engined beast with a 5.0 liter V10 engine and 560 hp.

terrifies reckless drivers - a rare projectile will escape from Lambo! In 2014, the Gallardo was replaced by the latest Huracan LP 610-4 with a 610-horsepower engine capable of shooting to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and reaching over 325 km/h.

Where they walk upside down

Australia's automotive fauna is a bit like a native ecosystem, developed in isolation from the rest of the world and teeming with amazing specimens of wildlife.

Local Holden and Ford cars of original design, which have absorbed features of European and American culture, can boast of similar originality. Unfortunately, production on Australian platforms will cease at the end of 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Nevertheless, the two sworn rivals gave a lot to the local police, both in real life and in the movies. Suffice it to recall the epoch-making chase from the first Mad Max, in which the Ford Falcon XB and Holden Monaro HQ took part.

In subsequent episodes, Mel Gibson's character meted out harsh justice behind the wheel of a heavily modified Falcon XB GT coupe.

Modified 805-horsepower FPV GT-F, a super version of the Ford Falcon sedan, performing an exhibition function. Behind her are functioning Holden Commodore interceptors.

Ozzie currently has super-powered HSV GT and FPV GT-F sedans in police uniforms, but they serve an "educational" and exhibition purpose.

Directly involved in catching the bad guys are the strong rear-wheel drive four-door Holden Commodore SS with Jimmy's 6.2-liter LS3 V8 (408 hp).

), allowing you to change “hundreds” approximately 5 seconds after the start, as well as the Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo, which is comparable in dynamics, charged with a 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder unit with a turbocharger producing 362 hp.

Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic Coupe

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For some time now, the ferocious Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic Coupe supercrossover (585 hp, 4.2 s to 100 km/h) and the not at all kind 477-horsepower Lexus RC F coupe have been put under arms. After the “Australians ” leave the scene, the police can change to a Ford Mustang GT, Chrysler 300 SRT, Volkswagen Golf R or other sports cars. The poor are tormented by choice.

What will please the Fatherland?

The capital's police officers operated the Ford Crown Victoria P71 for many years.

Moreover, they were so fond of huge full-size sedans that some servants of the whistle and baton refused to change to other cars until the very end. Sometimes there were also Chevy Caprice Classic 9C1.

Currently, one of the fastest patrol cars serving in Moscow is the Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic, which went out on patrol four years ago.

But perhaps the most formidable domestic “policeman” is the mid-engine Audi R8 super coupe of the previous generation, which lives in St. Petersburg. According to some reports, this car has a 5.2-liter V10 engine producing 525 hp. and acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.

Source: https://www.zr.ru/content/articles/900042-ot-nikh-ne-ujti-samye-groznye/

New Toyota Crown presented in pre-production form

One of the most important premieres of the Tokyo motor show for the Japanese themselves is the Toyota Crown sedan of the new, fifteenth generation (the first Crown appeared back in 1955).

At the exhibition, the car is presented in concept status, but in reality we have a car almost ready for production without any discounts.

The fact is that production should begin only in the summer of 2018, so to smooth out such a long wait, the company protected itself with “conceptual” status.

Alas, since the publication of the first photos in early October, there hasn’t been much more information about the car. But now you can take a good look at the new sedan and look into the interior.

For the first time in its history, the four-door Crown has additional windows in the rear roof pillars.

The dimensions have remained almost unchanged with the change of generations: length - 4910 mm (15 mm more than the current model), width - 1800 mm, height - 1455 mm.

The interior is designed according to classical canons: a massive central tunnel, a fixed automatic selector, and traditional instruments. The only thing that breaks the idyll is the two-story design of the media system with multi-format displays.

The Crown has leather upholstery, power front seats, a rearview camera and many other options.

The ITS Connect (Intelligent Transportation System) system was announced, which debuted two years ago on the current generation Crown and allows the car to exchange data with other cars and street infrastructure.

There will also be a remote diagnostic system that sends all data about the car to the service center. The wheelbase has been increased from 2850 to 2920 mm, so the back row has become much more spacious, although the only amenities are ventilation deflectors in the center.

The new Crown retains the classic layout: the sedan is created using the TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) architecture and has much in common with the new generation Lexus LS model. A driver's character is expected, because the car's driving development is carried out at the Nurburgring. But there is only preliminary information about power units so far.

The base will remain a two-liter turbo-four, which produces 235 hp on the current Crown. There will be a version with an aspirated V6 3.5 from the Lexus LS 350 sedan: on it this engine develops 318 hp. and is paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission.

A hybrid is also planned with a new generation power plant (Lexus Multi Stage Hybrid System), which debuted on the Lexus LC 500h coupe. It consists of the same aspirated 3.

5, but operating on the Atkinson cycle, a four-speed automatic transmission without a torque converter, an electric motor and three planetary gears.

All details about the new Crown will be declassified closer to the start of sales. But in any case, these cars will only get to Russia in used form.

Source: https://autoreview.ru/news/novaya-toyota-crown-predstavlena-v-predseriynom-vide

Toyota Crown changed status from concept to production car

In the fall of 2017, the Japanese manufacturer demonstrated a concept in Tokyo, and now the production model has been presented.

For the Toyota Crown, the new generation is already the fifteenth; by the way, the new product is no different from the autumn concept, but in comparison with its predecessor, the situation is completely different.

The “Crown” (crown in English means “crown”) for the first time had additional windows in the rear pillars, but the dimensions of the car themselves remained almost the same: length - 4,910 mm (+15 mm), width - 1,800 mm, height - 1,455 mm, and the wheelbase has increased by 70 mm and is now 2,920 mm.

The new generation sedan will also be sold in two versions - Athlete (sports) and Royal (luxury). Toyota Crown is built on the new GA-L platform, which is one of the modifications of the global TNGA architecture. The front suspension of the model is double-wishbone, and the rear is multi-link, borrowed from the Lexus GS. Springs are installed at the front and rear.

In the new generation of the car, engineers managed to lower the center of gravity by 15 mm and achieve an almost ideal weight distribution along the axles - 50:50. The Crown's driving characteristics were tuned at the Nurburgring, and the list of driving modes, in addition to the traditional Normal and Sport, was replenished with the hardcore Sport+.

The base model is equipped with a 2.0-liter 8AR-FTS turbo-four engine developing 245 hp. (+10 hp) in combination with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. Other versions are equipped with a hybrid power plant.

The basic hybrid version of the Crown is equipped with a naturally-aspirated “four” Dynamic Force (A25A-FXS) with a volume of 2.5 liters and a power of 184 hp. complete with a 143-horsepower electric motor and an electromechanical CVT. Combined system output is 226 hp. The car has rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

The top-end Crown is equipped with a new generation hybrid system (multi-stage hybrid system), similar to that installed on Lexus models - LS 500h and LC 500h. The “kit” includes a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V-shaped six with a capacity of 299 hp.

, operating on the Atkinson cycle, 180-horsepower electric motor, four-speed automatic transmission without torque converter and three planetary gears. This system has ten fixed transmission gears and a combined power of 359 hp.

The drive is exclusively rear-wheel drive.

The interior layout is classic - an impressive central tunnel, a traditional dashboard and a fixed automatic transmission lever. In basic configurations, the interior upholstery is fabric.

The front panel has two vertical displays. The higher one is intended for the infotainment system, and the lower one is for controlling various on-board systems of the car.

There is also a block of physical controls, located below.

In advanced trim levels, the upholstery is made of leather, electrically adjustable seats, a rear view camera and many other equipment appear. In addition, the control unit for the seats, microclimate and multimedia is located on the central armrest.

The sedan will receive the ITS Connect system, which ensures “communication” of the car with other road users and road infrastructure. The list of systems will also be supplemented with a remote diagnostic function, which will send information about cars to the service.

The start of sales in Japan is scheduled for the end of this month; exact prices have not yet been announced. The Toyota Crown model is intended for the local market and is not planned for delivery to other markets.

Previously, the Karelian News portal talked about the Japanese version of the new generation Toyota Corolla hatchback.

Based on materials from: www.kolesa.ru

Source: https://auto.rambler.ru/navigator/40074559-toyota-crown-pomenyala-status-s-kontsepta-na-seriynyy-avtomobil/

Toyota Crown Majesta S210. Luxury in simplicity. — “History of the Automotive Industry” on DRIVE2

The whole tragedy of the situation that has developed in the Russian market with Toyota cars is that everything except the TLK models is rare rubbish.

Everyone is happy with this, cars are sold, Russian consumers clap their hands at Japanese quality, the Japanese consider excess profits from exorbitant sales of cars at extremely inflated prices.

Well, what else do you need? Those who want to get a little closer to real Japanese quality buy Lexus, which still matches what people are used to seeing in Japanese cars.

But the whole truth is that Toyota for the foreign market of Japan and Toyota for the domestic market are very different cars.

Once upon a time, while still living in Kazakhstan, several of my friends and I conducted a small experiment.

We assembled 4 Toyota Camry cars in the back of the XV 40 of different assemblies: Japanese (right-hand drive), Japanese (left-hand drive), USA and our Russian assembly.

The owners of all these cars gave preference to the Japanese right-handed car, regardless of the position of the steering wheel, since based on the totality of all its qualities, this car was called the best of those presented, although in appearance they all seemed to be the same.

Well, let's get to the point. Why am I writing this blog about right-handed cars? Yes, it’s simply because I like them, and I want someone else to learn something more about them, since now many people associate the Japanese auto industry with the rubbish that they sell us for more money in car dealerships, and more often than not, not a single bolt of these cars has ever been in Japan.

And today we will talk about another car that we don’t have, which is imported into our country by connoisseurs of the brand, rare copies of which can be found in the Far East of our Motherland.

And this car is a Toyota Crown Majesta 2013 model year.

The S210 body is already the 6th generation of the prestigious Japanese rear-wheel drive sedan, which was presented in September 2013 in Japan... well, actually, where else to show it, they don’t intend to sell it anywhere else.

It would be cool if they brought the Crown Majesta to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, showed everyone around, took pictures, licked their lips, and at the end of the event, the cunning Japanese would collect the cars and, with the words “Buy a Toyota Camry,” take everything home for islands... It would be funny, wouldn't it?

The car is equipped with two types of power plants.

The first is a regular in-line 4-cylinder engine with a volume of 2.5 liters and direct injection with a power of 187 horsepower, having the index 2AR-FSE, on which a CVT is fitted. This car is only available with all-wheel drive.

The second is a hybrid. The 3.5-liter V6 with D-4S direct injection system is paired with an electric motor, which together deliver 292 hp to the wheels. and the torque is 354 N*m at 4500 rpm. According to the manufacturer, our barge, which weighs almost 2 tons, can travel with a consumption of 5.5 liters per 100 km.

We live in very interesting times now, when a cheap B class hatch consumes more fuel than a large and powerful car. Here they are technologies in action. Until electric cars receive a high-capacity battery, and it will be possible to charge them to a “full tank” while drinking coffee at a gas station, hybrids are, in my opinion, the most promising branch of automotive development.

The body of the Toyota Crown Majesta is spot welded using a technology that was left out of use after Toyota left Formula 1. After such welding of body elements, the car body becomes much stiffer.

Excellent sound insulation of the car interior will allow the driver to be in exemplary silence, because all the moving elements that make noise are covered with several layers of noise-absorbing materials and vibration protection, and thick glass prevents the penetration of external noise.

Compared to previous generations, this car has become noticeably more stable on the track, thanks to a streamlined body carefully blown in the wind tunnel and a completely redesigned suspension, with settings “not typical for Toyota cars.”

The multi-link rear suspension is designed to remove excess vibrations from the car body, while the front suspension arms and ball arms ensure precise contact with the road surface.

To give the steering precision and sharpness, the Majesta was equipped with a progressive electric power steering with a mechanism for changing the gear ratio.

The optional equipment of the car includes such modern systems as: monitoring blind spots with radars, adaptive xenon lighting, panoramic cameras that transmit the entire image to the central monitor, showing what is happening around the car. Toyota Crown Majesta is equipped with a collision avoidance system, a system for detecting and recognizing various obstacles, a comprehensive stability control system and a system for changing suspension settings.

In Japan, the cost of such a car is from 6,480,000 yen for an all-wheel drive car with a 2.5-liter engine and from 6,274,000 yen for a hybrid, which is 4,141,737 rubles and 4,010,071 rubles, respectively.

Of course, in the current realities, buying just a Toyota sedan for more than 4 million rubles will seem to many to be somehow not comme il faut, but the whole problem of our car market lies precisely in the fact that fashionable cars are successful in our country, with some kind of saying something about the owner of the brand.

But just a good-quality car with high-quality finishing materials, stuffed with electronics, luxurious, but at the same time without hints of a prestigious brand will not take root here, simply because, giving 4 million, a person wants to be a gentleman, among serfs and he does not need a car in order to drive it to work and take the family shopping on it.

Perhaps the Japanese, understanding all this, do not make such cars with left-hand drive and do not export them to other countries.

All we can do is buy a Camry assembled in St. Petersburg and scold Toyota for poor assembly, for the flimsiness of taxiing, spitting that Japanese quality is no longer the same, but the simple fact is that we don’t need to give something more.

After all, real Toyotas cost money, and the kind for which you can buy something from the German three, and it will tell everything about the owner in vivid colors. And Toyota... it will remain Toyota... in any case.

Source: https://www.drive2.ru/b/451373988409508164/

Life with a right-hand drive: the pleasure of owning a Toyota Crown S170 (test drive)

The owner of the “liner,” Roman, offers to get behind the wheel and try to ride it yourself. And then it turns out that Crown Athlete V has prepared a lot of interesting settings and solutions for the driver.

For example, unlocking the steering wheel height and reach adjustments is carried out using different levers.

The red button on the automatic transmission podium activates the emergency mode in order to be able to change gears even in an immobilized car (convenient when loading onto a tow truck). How many modern cars lack this!

The button, located on the central tunnel closer to the passenger, turns off the traction control system, and if you press it immediately after starting the engine, then the exchange rate stability system.

According to Roman’s observations, you can drive like this for 10-15 minutes, and then it turns on again when the situation is appropriate.

This means that the stability control system will not suddenly work while the car is in a sideways slip.

A double-armed button near the driver allows you to select the operating mode of the engine and automatic transmission. Snow mode dulls the response to the gas pedal and forces the car to start only in second gear, preventing the engine from spinning up to the cutoff.

Power is the opposite - the car starts from first gear, reacts sharper to the gas and brings the speed to maximum in each gear.

In addition, the automatic transmission itself, in addition to the standard Drive, has modes Low (driving in first/lower gear), 2 (gear does not fall below second) and Manual, in which shifts are made using buttons on the steering wheel (on the front side of the steering wheel there are buttons for shifting down, on the reverse - up).

If we put aside the fact that driving a right-hand drive car is a novelty for me, getting along with the Crown would be a matter of habit.

Large side and interior mirrors, “horns” on the front wings, indicating the boundaries of the dimensions of a rather large car, greatly simplify life.

Like the rear, the front is also very quiet and soft, and changes to the suspension ensure that on long junctions the car rolls less than other representatives of the D-class luxury segment.

And yet, in my opinion, there is a certain dissonance in the car. On the one hand, there is a high level of concern for the comfort of passengers and a large bus-like steering wheel, which needs to be rotated long and hard when turning. That is, it would seem that the Crown is a classic large sedan for the leisurely transportation of VIPs.

On the other hand, the engine is completely bad in the good sense of the word. I was only able to drive in Snow mode; in “normal” mode, the car literally tears its claws off at the slightest breath on the gas pedal. Getting under way without slipping is already an achievement. While driving, it’s better not to press the gas at all, so as not to accidentally fly into someone’s bumper.

I decided not to even try to find out what was going on in Power.

However, in skillful hands, the Crown’s “long” steering wheel is not a hindrance, as Roman demonstrates, happily using the capabilities of his car at 100%.

Toyota Crown is the embodiment of the “senior” business class in Japanese; the car with the most “long-lived” name in the Toyota passenger model range - the first generation of the Crown was released in 1955. Since 1991, it has shared units with older Lexus models - GS and LS.

The car I had a chance to drive belongs to the 11th generation of Crowns (S170 series), which was produced from 1999 to 2007. This, by the way, is the first generation of a sedan car in a long time.

Before this, several generations came out as hardtops - without door frames. On the 170th, the Japanese turned to more familiar forms for reasons of passive safety. Athlete is a sportier version of the Crown, which differs primarily in 2.

A 5-liter turbo engine, which we will discuss in detail below.

The hero of today's story is a rear-wheel drive Toyota Crown Athlete V produced in 2000, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and a 2.5-liter 280-horsepower turbocharged 1JZ-GTE engine, legendary in Japanophile circles. The design of this sedate car is made in a very restrained style, somewhat subtly reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the back of the W140.

By today's standards, the car looks quite old-fashioned, however, it will not get lost in the traffic not only due to its size, but also to its original features such as the crown on the false radiator grille.

What are those horns on the corners of the front wings? They look suspiciously like “blue painters”, which until recently were massively installed by fans of “collective farm” tuning on old VAZs, Nexias and other unpretentious vehicles.

As it turned out, these horns shine a green light for the driver, indicating for him the dimensions of the car and thereby facilitating maneuvers in the dark. Some Crowns were even additionally equipped with a retractable oversized antenna built into the front bumper of the car from the angle opposite to the driver, but our hero, however, is deprived of this “trick”.

The color combination also attracts attention: the top is made in the classic Toyota “white pearl”, the bottom is light gray, making the car look leaner.

In addition, the owner was not satisfied with the softness and rolliness of the Crown's factory suspension, so he installed shorter and stiffer shock absorber springs, and the car fell to the ground a good five centimeters relative to its original state.

This modification did not go without losses: the ground clearance is now about 11.5 centimeters, which sometimes causes minor difficulties, for example, when negotiating steep exits and entrances to a parking lot. This is the price of more collected behavior on the road.

In choosing his Crown in the spring of 2014, Roma, the owner of Athlete, walked a thorny path, on which he came across advertisements for the sale of Marks, Subaru Legacy and other Crowns. Almost all of the cars examined turned out to be in very poor condition, until Roman caught the eye of a Crown Athlete V in fairly well-maintained condition.

After preliminary diagnostics, the following was revealed: the whole bottom of the car without chips or dents; new brake discs and pads all around; good condition of suspension (new front suspension arms); fresh 4-speed automatic transmission; clean interior; oil smudges on engine and gearbox seals. The body had chips on the hood, rust spots near the opening of the left rear door and the front left arch, and as it turned out, the entire left side of the car was poorly painted. There was also a dent on the trunk lid.

Equipment

Our Atleta has a fairly modest, by Japanese standards, set of equipment, although if we abstract from right-hand drive traditions, then for 2000 it turns out to be quite impressive.

So, a light velor interior (by the way, in the Japanese domestic market, velor is ranked higher than leather in the table of ranks), 2-zone climate control, electric driver's seat, remote opening of the trunk lid, side-view mirrors with electric drive, folding with a button and heating , light sensor, traction control system, brake force distribution system, exchange rate stability system, anti-lock braking system, driver's window closer with automatic mode and xenon headlights with auto-corrector.

More richly equipped Crowns may also have a large screen multimedia system with navigation, 3-zone climate control, functions for controlling music and climate control from the rear sofa, closers for all windows and electrically adjustable passenger seats (on the rear sofa the position of the back and lower seats can be changed at the same time). pillows), an adjustable backrest of the rear sofa and other very pleasant options.

For a car with a mileage of 182 thousand kilometers they asked for 300 thousand rubles, which was below the average market price for a car in this condition.

Roma assumed that the catch might be problems with the engine, but since he really liked the car, he still bought it.

Another 30 thousand rubles were spent on registration of OSAGO, DAGO, registration and purchase of a set of summer tires (only summer wheels were given with the car).

Body and interior

The body of the Toyota Crown has a fairly high corrosion resistance, since it is completely galvanized and covered with two layers of primer applied using the cataphoresis method. However, pockets of corrosion may appear due to poor quality repairs and repainting.

This is why rust spots appeared on Romin Athlete, but he is going to solve this problem by completely repainting the car in its “native” pearlescent color.

New Crowns are painted automatically with one thick layer of paint, but this cannot be repeated manually, so you will have to paint the car in three layers.

Among the shortcomings eliminated: entire thresholds were purchased for 1,000 rubles, since the old right threshold had a crack. Well, now the age and mileage of the car in the cabin is only revealed by the worn armrests on the first row.

Otherwise, the light beige velor has been preserved quite well. As for malfunctions, after purchasing the car, due to loose steering column switches, I had to purchase this entire assembly for 500 rubles.

Apart from this, no interventions to the interior have yet been required.

Almost immediately after the purchase, Roma began to put the car in order and buy additional consumables for maintenance, as a result, crankshaft seals, gearbox seals, a right valve cover gasket, a timing belt, a tensioner pulley and bracket, a whole “original” intercooler for the turbine, spark plugs and cylinder head were purchased (it was planned to buy only valve covers) - all in the amount of about 10 thousand rubles. Unfortunately, by the end of summer the car required even more attention...

Motors of the JZ series are famous for their extreme reliability and unpretentiousness; they are usually failed either by attachments or by untimely maintenance.

On the forums of crown manufacturers, topics about problems with starting the engine often end with the elimination of a malfunction in the form of a tired battery or a broken generator.

A simple example of how omnivorous the 1JZ-GTE is: at a mileage of 191 thousand kilometers, when examining the cylinders of the Athlete engine through spark plug wells, a pair of industrial magnets was discovered in one of the cylinders.

No one knows how long they stayed there... or how the car drove

The reason for a detailed study of the engine condition was a knocking sound in the area of the intake camshaft. After the knocking sound appeared, the car was, naturally, laid up.

The next 2 months were filled with thoughts about what to do - carry out a major overhaul of the engine or replace it with a contract one. Upon opening, it turned out that the connecting rod of the fifth cylinder was knocking due to a rotated liner.

It was decided to do a complete overhaul of the engine, which cost 61 thousand rubles. The car has already been run-in and makes the owner happy.

During the engine repair process, we discovered the need to repair the turbine, since there was play and a small oil leak from the bushing. The approximate cost of rebuilding a turbine is 15 thousand rubles.

Among the less significant troubles: the inlet pipe has worn out, an adapter coupling with silicone connectors has been made as a temporary solution, and in the future it is planned to replace the standard intercooler and intake system with more efficient ones.

Transmission

The previous owner of the Athlete had already replaced the “native” automatic transmission with a contract one. However, the box does not work perfectly due to a rotten contact and “kicks” a little when upshifting. The cost of a new automatic transmission plate cable is about 2,900 rubles.

In general, the spare part does not wear out under normal conditions, since the contact chips are sealed and do not come apart even under maintenance conditions.

In this case, water ended up inside the chip because the contract automatic transmission was in storage with the spare parts supplier.

As already mentioned, Roma installed stiffer shock absorber springs for 7,500 rubles, and also replaced the rear struts with new ones (the front struts were in good condition, a set of new rear struts came with the car).

For future use, a set of silent blocks for the rear suspension was purchased for 10 thousand rubles. According to the owner of Crown, the only “sore” of the car is the hinge joints of the rear floating arms.

You need to buy only original ones, since analogues quickly fail.

At the moment, the car's mileage has already exceeded 194 thousand kilometers, and the silent block joints have never been changed from the factory.

They become unusable due to dirt and dust entering through torn boots, as well as due to drying out of the lubricant.

There are no complaints about the braking system with two-piston calipers on both axles, and the original discs have shown no signs of wear since installation, 30 thousand kilometers later.

There is a problem in the form of “airing” of the power steering line, which is why it rotates very tightly in place: it is necessary to replace the crimp washers of the main power steering fitting.

The malfunction appeared after self-repairing the power steering pump. There were no crimp washers in the repair kit, so they were not replaced.

Before this, there was still a power steering leak; fixing it by purchasing and replacing a repair kit and a new bearing cost 1,000 rubles.

Crown has no “congenital diseases” with electrics. All passive safety systems and electric drives work properly in the car.

The only thing the owner of the car had to deal with was burnt-out license plate light bulbs (as indicated by the indicator on the dashboard) and the climate control periodically refusing to work.

As for the latter, it turned out that during the installation of a 2-Din radio instead of a standard CD changer, one of the previous owners damaged the board responsible for controlling the radio and climate control. After eliminating the consequences of the “collective farm”, everything worked as usual.

Operation and Maintenance

With the exception of really complex work (for example, engine overhaul), Roma maintains his car himself. In his experience, there are no problems with consumables for Crown maintenance in St. Petersburg, and he orders more specific and rare parts at a disassembly site in Vladivostok, so the final price, even taking into account delivery, is acceptable.

According to Toyota regulations on the Crown, changing the engine oil is required once every 5 thousand kilometers, and the volume of oil poured is 4.6 liters.

For his car, Roma buys original hydrocracking oil Toyota 5W-30 SN in one of the St. Petersburg online stores (a triple oil change with filters cost 8 thousand rubles).

Between maintenance, the turbocharged 1JZ-GTE engine on this particular example consumes a very moderate 150 ml of oil.

An automatic transmission oil change is required “by reason” once every 30 thousand kilometers, volume – 8.5 liters. The Crown engine requires refueling with AI-98 gasoline, fuel consumption in the combined cycle is approximately 14.5 - 16 liters/100 kilometers, in city mode 19-20 liters/100 kilometers, on the highway - 9-10 liters/100 kilometers. The volume of the fuel tank is 70 liters.

Despite the considerable costs, Roman is very pleased with the car.

His plans include eliminating all the faults in the Athlete, installing stiffer shock-absorbing struts and improving its equipment: making an electric passenger seat, automatic closers for all windows...

If we put aside the stereotypes about right-hand drive cars, then we get a very good business class with, in fact, a new power unit, ready to go another 150-200 thousand, for about 450 thousand rubles. Which in itself is quite good.

Source: https://auto.mirtesen.ru/blog/43358850959