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http://s4.zetaboards.com/lexusaltezzaclub/topic/1148393/1/#new



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Is300 Vs Altezza
Topic Started: Feb 10 2007, 09:26 AM (349 Views)
Dodgy guy
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So, after some reading ive found that the yanks call and altezza an IS300. Which has got me thinking "are they the same?" the short answer is NO......

So why on earth do they call an altezza a IS300 when they are very different!!??
"HONDA......see god does have a sense of humor"
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greeneyes
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Because they are Yanks and Altezzas are from the great unknown area of the world called "Not-America"... :lol:

Mind you, world-wide the car manufacturers have some very wierd ideas about marketing- changing the name of the same car for diffeent contries but keeping the brand, or completely changing the brand name on the same car..

Most people are amazed when I tell them their Rover is just a Honda.. :P
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jeremyflower
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Dodgy guy,Feb 10 2007
09:26 AM
So, after some reading ive found that the yanks call and altezza an IS300. Which has got me thinking "are they the same?" the short answer is NO......

So why on earth do they call an altezza a IS300 when they are very different!!??

Probably because, like the Aussies, the Yanks don't have that many Altezzas in their country. They really only have the Lexus models so that's what they're familiar with.
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Blue
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its because the yank cant say altezza. like everythink they got to change it rofl rofl
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Jase
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You also get people who say their GS300 is an Aristo.
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IrishDan
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Blue,Feb 11 2007
07:10 AM
its because the yank cant say altezza. like everythink they got to change it rofl rofl

from chatting with some yanks on is300.net, there isnt any legally registered Altezza's in the States just lots of IS300's
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Dodgy guy
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no altezza's huh?

Wonder how much to export and sell them over there? :P :D
"HONDA......see god does have a sense of humor"
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Brian
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From what I can see, the IS300 is a Lexus model, and comes with some of the nicer trim options as standard equipment. 2JZ engine, most are leather, etc etc. All the cars come standard with the front and rear chassis underbracing, etc.

Then again, I've never seen an Altezza in person, so I could be blowing hot air on this one.

To answer the original question, there are no street-legal, road registered Altezzas in north america.

There may be a few track-only racecars, but then hey you'd never know the difference between that and an IS300 just by looking at the racecar.
Brian
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Dodgy guy
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A huge difference is that the IS300 has the 2JZ engine (6 cyclinder 3.0 L) and the Altezza is either a 1GFE (6 cyclinder 2.0 L) or a 3SGE (4 cyclinder 2.0)

With the consideration that the 3SGE dual VVTI produces almost as many horses as the 2JZ i would have thought the altezza RS series would have been popular over in the states!
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CoffeeBoss
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It's marketing/perception. In the US and Australia and Europe, the Altezza AS200 and AS300 are sold as a Lexus IS200 and IS300 respectively. The AS200 and 300 Gita's are sold as IS Sportcross in the US and Europe also. The Gita and the RS200 never came to Australia. The RS200 was never made in left hand drive, and hence is not usually found in the US or Europe (and was never sold there). There is one IS300 in the states that has had the 2J swapped for a 3SGE BEAMS.

Lexus Australia considered offering the RS200 in Australia in 2000, and the Targa 'IS' that raced Targa Tasmania quite sucessfully was in fact a full house TRD RS200. However, it was probably thought that the public would not look favourably on the Lexus brand if a 4 cylinder was on offer, and i dare say they reached the same conclusion in the US, where bigger is ALWAYS better!

It's a damn shame.
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