Toyota Soarer

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2nd Generation Toyota Soarer

3rd Generation Toyota Soarer

The Toyota Soarer was a personal luxury coupé sold by Toyota in Japan from 1981 to 2004. The Soarer débuted in 1981 with the Z1 series, which took the form of a boxy two-door coupé. In 1986, a more rounded Soarer was launched (the Z2 series). In 1991, the third generation (30 series) Toyota Soarer premiered in Japan. The 30 series Soarers were related to the Lexus SC 300/400, a luxury coupe Toyota had commissioned for its new upscale Lexus division outside Japan. While sharing the same body style and multiple components as the first Lexus SC, the 30 series Soarer lineup offered different powertrain specifications and multiple unique vehicle configurations.

In 2001, Toyota introduced a convertible successor which appeared in Japan as the fourth generation (40 series) Toyota Soarer, and elsewhere as the Lexus SC 430. In contrast to previous versions, the fourth generation Soarer and Lexus SC models were largely equivalent. In 2005, following the introduction of Lexus in Japan, sales of the 40 series Soarer were discontinued and the Lexus SC 430 became available in the Japanese market.

1 Z1 series (1981-1985)
2 Z2 series (1986-1991)
3 30 series (1991-2000)
4 40 series (2001-2004)
5 External Resources

[edit] Z1 series (1981-1985)

The Z1 series Toyota Soarer was produced from February 1981 to December 1985, and came in 2.0L, 2.8L or 3.0L I-6 variants. The first generation Soarer debuted with a rear-wheel drive configuration [1].

There were a number of different engines available.

GZ10=1G-EU or 1G-GEU
MZ10=M-TEU
MZ11=5M-GE
MZ12=6M-GE

Early MZ10s were differnent in some regards to later MZ10s. Some of the difference are listed below.

Later MZ10s had a water to air intercooler
Later MZ10s had a oil and water cooled turbo (as opposed to the oil cooled only turbo in the early MZ10s)

The Z1 series Toyota Soarer was honored as Japan's Car of the Year for the 1981-1982 model years.

[edit] Z2 series (1986-1991)

The Z2 series Toyota Soarer was produced from January 1986 to April 1991, and came in four variants: a 2.0L DOHC I-6 (1G-FE), a 2.0L naturally aspirated or twin turbo DOHC I-6 (1G-GE or 1G-GTE), and a turbocharged 3.0L DOHC I-6 (7M-GTE) with available air suspension [2].

[edit] 30 series (1991-2000)

See also: Lexus SC 300 / SC 400

In 1990, following the successful launch of its upscale Lexus division outside of Japan, Toyota commissioned its California design studios to develop a new luxury coupe. In 1991, this vehicle debuted in the U.S. as the Lexus SC 300/400. In the same year, the third generation Toyota Soarer debuted in Japan as the Z3 or 30 series Toyota Soarer, replacing the Z2 series in that market. The 30 series Soarer shared the body style and key components with the Lexus SC, but featured different interior features, powertrain configurations, and other performance enhancements.

At the time of its 1991 debut, the Toyota Soarer boasted some of the rarest and most luxurious features of any car on the road at the time. It was one of the first cars in the world to feature factory GPS navigation and integrated car systems control (via the in-dash EMV touchscreen). It rivalled the likes of US$75,000 BMW & Mercedes-Benz vehicles and could be bought for a fraction of the price. It had a luxury feel to it, yet the 2.5GT twin turbo model in particular was truly a very powerful sports car as well. Not surprising though, given it shared the same chassis as the MKIV Toyota Supra. Both cars' suspension, brakes, drivetrains, and engine parts were interchangeable.

The Toyota Soarers made from the years 1991-2000 were offered with a 4-speed automatic transmission for all models. In addition, the JZZ30 Soarer and JZZ31 Soarer/Lexus variants could be had with a 5-speed manual transmission. In 1998 the JZZ31 and UZZ30 models received a 5-speed automatic and variable valve timing (VVTi) engines.

The JZZ31 model used the same engine and transmission as the MKIV 1993-1998 Toyota Supra N/A. This 3.0 liter DOHC Inline Six engine, the 2JZ-GE, was also used in the Lexus IS 300 and GS 300 models. The JZZ31 model was available with a manual 5-speed transmission for the 1994-1997 model years. The UZZ30 variant featured a 4.0 litre V8 engine (1UZ-FE) of 190-195kw (250-260bhp) and was available only with an automatic transmission.

[edit] 30 Series Soarer models

JZZ30 - 2.5L 6 cyl twin turbo (1991-1996)
JZZ30 - 2.5L 6 cyl single turbo VVTi (1996-2000)
JZZ31 - 3.0L 6 cyl (US Lexus SC 300) (1994-2000)
UZZ30 - 4.0L 8 cyl (US Lexus SC 400) (1991-1993)
UZZ31 - 4.0L 8 cyl air suspension (1991-1997)
UZZ32 - 4.0L 8 cyl 4ws, active suspension (1991-1996)

[edit] 30 Series JZZ30 turbo models

In Japan, the 1991-1996 Soarer was available in one specific model (the JZZ30) with a 1JZ-GTE 2.5L Twin Turbo engine. It officially produced 206kW (276bhp) and 363Nm of torque @ 4800 RPM. From August 1996 the twin turbo engine was updated to a single turbo unit with variable valve timing (VVTi), nominally producing the same 206kW but greater low-end torque of 378Nm at just 2400 RPM (see The Toyota JZ Engine Guide below). The 1996 model also received minor cosmetic changes including revised front and rear bumpers and side mouldings.

The 2.5 litre turbo Soarer variant was available in two trim levels - the GT-T and the GT-TL which added electric seats, wood trim and cruise control to the list of standard features.

[edit] 30 Series UZZ31 and UZZ32 models

The UZZ31 and UZZ32 Soarer models, not sold in the U.S., had more luxury features than the JZZ30 single/twin turbo cars or the JZZ31/SC 300 and UZZ30/SC 400. Features like full leather electrically adjustable seating with seat heaters and memory systems, electrically adjusted auto-retracting steering, and ultrasonic de-misters in the wing mirrors helped distinguish these cars from their sportier versions and from their German competition. The UZZ31 and UZZ32 models were also available with an "EMV" (Electro Multi Vision) package which provided a screen with television, navigation (Japan only), diagnostics, car computer and touch control of all functions in the climate air conditioning system and of the sophisticated 7-speaker (with subwoofer) audio system with digital signal processing.

The UZZ31 model used an air suspension system that had two settings for both ride height and damper stiffness.

The UZZ32 model was the top of the line 30 series featuring four wheel steering and a complex hydraulic computer- controlled active suspension system. This did away with conventional springs and anti-roll (stabiliser) bars in favour of hydraulic struts controlled by sensors that detected cornering, acceleration and braking forces. The system worked well and gave an unusually controlled yet smooth ride, but the weight penalty of the system affected straight-line performance quite a bit, and the car was costly to produce. As a result, only 873 UZZ32's were made.

[edit] 40 series (2001-2004)

Further information: Lexus SC 430

The 40 series Soarer model was largely identical to its Lexus equivalent, sold outside Japan as the Lexus SC 430 since 2001. The 40 series Soarer 430SCV featured a hardtop which could fold into the boot of the car, in the fashion of the contemporary Mercedes-Benz SL. The coupe was equipped with the 3UZ-FE VVTi (variable valve timing) 4.3 litre V8 motor - as was available in the Lexus LS 430 luxury sedan. It produced a respectable 208kw (280HP) and 430Nm of torque. This enabled the coupe to accelerate from a standstill to 62mph in a reasonable 6 seconds. The shared body style of the 40 series Soarer/SC 430 was developed by Toyota designers at design studios in France and Japan. Compared with the 30 series, some observers generally considered the fourth generation a retreat in visual style due to its more compact and top heavy appearance. As a result it had lost the long sleek look previously seen and admired greatly in the 30 series models.

With the 40 series Soarer, design and production synergies culminated in the development of a single shared design configuration for both the Soarer and Lexus models, unlike the previous generations. The rise of Lexus as Toyota's premium worldwide marque also contributed to the design focus on the Lexus model configuration rather than a separate Toyota-branded series of Soarer coupes. On July 26, 2005, Lexus was introduced in Japan with the 2006 SC 430 in its lineup. The debut of Lexus and the SC 430 coincided with the conclusion of Toyota Soarer sales.