1994 Toyota Starlet GT Turbo from UK and Ireland - Comments

General wear and tear, runs lovely only problems are due to the age, e.g. needs brake pads, tires, etc.

This car is superb.

I'll start with the looks, it's definitely a love or hate car, personally I wasn't so sure myself at first, but it's growing on me, it may not be the prettiest thing around, but it looks different, turns heads, and is what I can best describe as 'cool'. The interior is a little bland, it's all functional and pretty each to access buttons etc, but nothing special really. I thought the standard door handles felt flimsy, I'd rather have alloy then plastic handles on the inside.

Next the comfort: This is one of the most comfiest cars I have ever been in. The seats are made for me, not so soft you sink in and feel unstable, and not so hard you don't feel you are in them at all, it's just right, I wouldn't change them at all. The ride is quite bumpy, but mine has been lowered 25mm, still it's much better then my old saxo.

Equipment: air conditioning, electric mirrors and windows, pop up mirror in dash, cup holders. That's what mine has anyway, I know a few starlet GTs with less than that, and some with more, there is quite a variety of home comforts available, it depends on each car.

Practicality: It's a surprisingly large car inside, the front seats are bigger then some larger cars, the back isn't anything to shout about, but it's there. Boot space isn't huge, but I've got a 12" sub-woofer and amplifier in the back and can fit say 2 shopping bags still in there, but this isn't the point of the car... The car is larger then a few small cars out there, it is definitely bigger then my old Saxo in width, and just a tad in length, it is also much higher, and gives great headroom, I'm 5'9" and have about 10" above my head when sitting upright in the car. Glovebox is a decent size, door card slots are a good length, but need to be deeper, I have the feeling something could fall out in sharp turning. Top of dash is useable, and a small pocket below the centre console is useful for a phone.

Has a hi/lo turbo, which means two different power outings for the car, this is good to have on lo for quick runs and fuel economy, and hi for fun time. I also tend to use the button as a nitrous oxide button, getting a extra 21bhp from one button is noticeable and great fun! shame it's nearer the passenger then the driver on the dash, still it's my favourite feature, a few people remove this and always have it on high, but I prefer having it as it makes the turbo sound much more vivid and widens your smile when its pushed :D

Performance: now this is why people buy this car! standard spec is 133bhp (or 112bhp in low mode), 0-60 in 6.9s and 15s quarter mile, I'd expect mine is slightly slower as I have larger 16" alloys, but I'm going to do some engine modifications to make up for it. With a exhaust, air filter, and front mounted inter-cooler and computer chip these cars can gain an extra 50bhp easily, and if you want you can splash out a lot more and get a lot more power which is generally very reliable.

Fuel consumption is low compared to some cars of the same performance, but still slightly more than what I'd like, but coming from a car wit half the power to weight, I'm slowing learning that the consumption is quite acceptable! £25 gets a full tank of Shell Optimax at todays (89.9p per litre) prices.

Some Toyota dealers won't touch it purely because it's a import, I had mine serviced today, and they took 2 hours (5 in total) longer then expected on it, it's a unfamiliar car for most mechanics, so you'll have to bare with it, also parts as they have to be ordered from japan aren't usually in stock so it gets expensive to run, but I think it's by far worth it, and would thoroughly recommend one, I plan to keep mine for at least 2 years and just know from the build quality it will easily last that and a whole lot longer if I want.

I do agree with that, but one thing I feel you should look out for is handling.

I just got my ass kicked by one of these little cars this morning. Did a google to check the spec & can well believe 133bhp.

This little car left a 320d for dust this morning.

She must be a bumpy ride though, with a rigid rear axle. The rear end may want to slide as well.

Yea the weakest part of this car is the handling.

But this can be rectified with chassis bracing, anti roll bars, bushes, anti lift/castor kits from ECT.

I have all stated on my starlet and it can outhandle almost anything now on the right road!!

Check ukstarletclub. com for info on where to get these parts!!

How much do these cars weigh?

Between 860kg (early models) and 920kg later models and glanza.

I doubt the quarter mile is 15sec flat. These little cars tend to die off after 60mph where there weight advantage is taken away. Id say its more like 16 flat.

What can I say - I got totally owned by one of these this morning on the motorway! I nailed my V6 2.5 Vectra in the outside lane, but the little Toyota thing stayed up my behind the whole time! Normally I would get pretty damn angry at anyone driving like this at 90mph, but I have to admit I found it funny that this little midget gave out that sort of performance!

I have heard that the starlet turbo can flutter because of a performance air filter, but I got told that it is not a starlet k and n it is a different one would some one like to let me no what size of k and n you by for it to flutter.

I just purchased a 1994 toyota gt turbo in the past 2 weeks.. it overcame my expectations... never immagined it to be so fast.. i went to the quarter mile race track in my country to try it out with some cars... i kicked ibiza 2.0ltr gti and opel astra 2.0ltr and I didn't give it a try with an rx7 but I saw another gt just literally fly by an rx7..it was amazing.. also I drew with an integra.. but all this considering I have only half my boost opened and my tyres are completely gripless which made me loose a good 1 second on the start due to the too long burn out.. but if I were to open the boost by another 5 and change the tyres I would have flied by the integra.

Just to let you know I have a honda integra type r ldm spec and one of my best friends has a starlet turbo and even he is surprised how much faster my car is than his. before he went out in my car he thought his was gonna be close to mine. a 133bhp starlet cannot out drag an integra r with 197bhp...sorry it just can't.

I have a 1995 starlet turbo I am from scotland I have raced 3 supped up honda integra I have a stage two turbo in my car it is chiped and I also have throttle boady wich cost 1000 n 2000 to fit I don't jst beat the integra I have blown so many of it's a joke I have spent a lot of money on my car I find it hard to understand why some one wld write a comment say honda integra is fastar than a starlet when a lot of pepole no if you have a stage two turbo it beats impreza sti n they must b 200 sumthing bhp.

So now your beating a subaru sti which has 276bhp from a 1.3 turbo starlet...OK.

O and just to let you know my integra has now been turbo'd with a t4 turbo so now I'm running at 356bhp

still think you can beat me.

O and further to the argument the guy who posted before the integra mentioned nothin of having a bigger turbo fitted, and I stated that an integra type R IS faster than a starlet gt turbo FACT!! if you spend enough money on any car to boost the power yes of course it can beat bigger cars, but that was not the case here. i was just pointing out that a standard starlet turbo is WAY WAY WAY outclassed by the teg. look at the 0-60 times of the jdm type R is 6.2 and the starlet is easily over 7 seconds. 1/4 mile time for the teg done by honda is 14.2 and the starlet is a lot slower than that. top speed of the honda is 147 and the starlet is closer to 130.

I don't think anyone ever said they beat a integra Type R.

And anyway, turbo charging a Type R is just a waste of money since the performance increase isn't that much better than a stock Type R, unless of course your gonna spend a heap of money to do it, in which case you've just moved into another price/performance bracket contending with cars such as Skyline GTR, Subaru STi, Nissan 350z, etc. all of which are more comfortable cars to drive with better luxury options. Above post says they have 325hp from a Type R, can you get all that power to the ground or is it just wasted burning out tyres?

Anyway, fact is the starlet gt is great value for money. hehe.

Yes I can get all 325 bhp to the ground because of a very good limited slip dif, an uprated clutch and the fact it has the best front wheel drive chassis ever made on a road car. any car with over 300bhp unless you have all wheel drive even the rear wheel drive have to be careful how much throttle they use.

And yes I have put a lot of money into it and yes adding over 100bhp is a HUGE difference from when it was standard and as far as I'm concerned worth every penny. i understand your point about putting about moving it up now with cars from the next class up... but that's the whole point!i have a unique car that has the power of a bigger car with all the fun of meeting said bigger cars out on the road and seeing the look on thier faces as they try in vain to beat me in a race. and then they stop and ask "just how in the hell did you beat me" that's my favourite bit.

I wasn't arguing about starlets being good cars I really like them I was just explaining to the guy that said he can beat integra's easy that it just aint true.