1989 Toyota Soarer GT Twin Turbo L review from Australia and New Zealand

Old car niggles - brittle window and door seals, broken switches, warped dashboard.

Suspension bushings deteriorate due to age.

Otherwise for a 19-year old car it is holding up very well, structurally very sound - it's perfectly straight, no signs of bad prangs, only minor scrapes on bumpers. Engine is also in a tip-top condition, needing nothing more than regular oil and filter replacement.

All electrics work, no busted lights on the digital dash.

No signs of turbos failing, no oil leaks whatsoever.

It certainly feels different to drive this Supra-cousin when compared to late-model cars: not much happening at lower revs but plenty of power once the turbos spool up, ie laggy. Combined with its very soft suspension, this car simply cannot be driven aggresively. The front-engine rear-drive chassis itself feels good, has abundant grip and consistent handling - although with significant body roll - from a long (ish) wheelbase. Non-ABS brakes and absence of airbags compromise safety.

The square 1G-GTEU engine is quite eager and sounds similar to the Toyota M-series engine of the era: eerily smooth at idle but a little thrashy at higher revs. The Soarer is able to cope with most traffic light GP's bar some really fast cars. The car has TEMS (Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension) which adjusts the damping stiffness.

Nicely appointed interior has 8-way electric driver's seat with electric lumbar and side bolster adjustment, digital climate control, map lights, illuminated mirror on passenger's sun visor, as well as cup holders (hidden in the centre console box). Overall the interior is a nice place to be in although the shapely back seats are close to useless due to a lack of legroom.

Boxy looks, brown velour trim, brown tinted windows, 3-D holographic digital dash (display is projected onto a mirror creating a 'floating' look) - this car screams 80's!

Other quirks include multi-hinged doors that opens slightly sideways, hidden windscreen wipers (they are mounted well below the bonnet to aid aesthetics and aerodynamics, but the sweep area is abysmal), green driver's footwell lighting and illuminated driver's door keyhole (activated by lifting up the door handle! - remember the times when keyless entry did not exist?), turning lights (side lights that come on when the turn indicator is activated to see around corners).

Not a car for those who have something against the 80's! In terms of the driving experience, the car certainly feels like it comes from a different era, which it does. An excellent car nonetheless.

Being an import, dealer support is non-existent.