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Memories of My Beloved Car #1: Toyota Starlet, the Origin and Eternal Standard

2026年8月2日 14:21

For me, the Toyota Starlet (EP91) is absolutely indispensable when talking about cars. While it was Toyota's entry-level hatchback, it was equipped with a powerful turbo engine, and combined with its lightweight body, it was a car that could run fast at a low cost. Nowadays, even units with over 100,000 kilometers on the odometer are priced well over 1 million yen if they have a manual transmission, but back then, it was the perfect car to start driving on a budget. I went through three of these cars and drove on the circuit hundreds of times. I recorded the fastest annual time in the 2L or less V-TEC/turbo class at the circuit and achieved good results in time attack events, even if they were just grassroots competitions. Above all, the driving techniques and setup standards I gained from this car are my invaluable assets. The skills I polished by driving FR cars like the Roadster and Altezza are all ultimately consolidated into my driving of the Starlet.

1. First Generation: Lightly Tuned for Street Driving
The first one I bought was a naturally aspirated Glanza S, which I purchased to have as a second car alongside my Ford Mustang. I bought the unit with 60,000 kilometers for 350,000 yen. Although I hadn't started circuit driving yet, I fell in love with the fun of driving a snappy 5-speed manual and its lightness of 840 kg, and it was far more enjoyable to drive than the Mustang. The modifications weren't extensive; it had a tower bar, TRD lowering springs, and tires were 195/50R15 S. Drive.

The first-generation EP91. The NA Glanza S I bought for street driving.

2. Second Generation: The Reckless Tuning of an Inexperienced Circuit Runner
For the second Starlet, I bought a turbo model Glanza V for 380,000 yen to drive on the circuit. At the time, I didn't have much money, and while I couldn't afford much, I was desperately thinking about how to make it run fast. Modifications included weight reduction, body reinforcement such as tower bars and pillar bars, adjustable suspension, tires (TOYO R1R), and an LSD with a final gear change (stock 3.8 to 4.3).

As for weight reduction, it was almost the same as destroying the car; I kept making it lighter by cutting things here and there. Regarding the suspension, I believed that stiffness was justice and kept making it stiffer. I believed that if I dove in boldly and let the rear slide, I could drive fast. I kept believing that, and every time I drove on the circuit, I would ruin the brake pads and tires, only to replace them with reinforced parts. Because I didn't know the correct way to drive, I kept damaging both the car and the parts, and this second generation was where I continued to pursue incorrect modifications. Because I was driving in a way that put a burden on the car, in the end, the transmission's countershaft snapped, and the engine developed cracks, leading me to swap the chassis for a third generation.

To be honest, I think this generation was close to a dark history in my car life. The only good thing was that I continued to drive on the circuit enthusiastically. During this period, I drove on the circuit about 50 times a year on average. Thanks to that, I didn't end up with a car philosophy like the ones popular at the time, such as increasing the displacement to 1.5L and putting 245-width high-grip tires on the front to drag it around. (Though there was a time I admired that.) Also, I was able to meet a driving mentor who was aiming to become a professional racing driver at the circuit, which led to me learning the correct way to handle a car.

The second generation was a turbo Glanza V. I was tinkering with it in a reckless way without any standards.

3. Third Generation: A Confident Work That Brought Out the Best in the Starlet
From the time I switched to the third generation, I became more devoted to honing my skills than to tuning. Since this third generation was a chassis swap, I bought an AT vehicle with 60,000 kilometers for 90,000 yen. Thanks to the maximum kindness of a shop called Vehicle Field, I was allowed to occupy their lift for about two months and spent 1.2 million yen to transplant various parts, including the transmission, from the second generation. During that time when I couldn't use the car, I drove normal Roadsters and Altezzas, which was a period when I acquired a wide range of driving techniques, and it was also a time when my knowledge of cars deepened through conversations with the mechanics at Vehicle Field. Also, after the car was built, I had my mentor ride along with me as I finished it. My circuit driving also changed; I came to prefer driving on wet surfaces, and on dry surfaces, I only drove when I wanted to set a time.

My cornering also changed to driving optimized for a small-displacement FF car with excellent acceleration, such as changing the vehicle's attitude, putting the nose in by changing the load on each of the four wheels, and using the full exit section while accelerating. These changes meant my driving style shifted from dive-braking to slow-in, fast-out, which is faithful to the basics, and my current style of carefully creating the vehicle's attitude and using up the grip was established. As a result, even though I used almost the same parts as the second generation, it became a car with a completely different philosophy. For example: - Spring rates changed from F: 10kg, R: 9kg to F: 7kg, R: 5kg. - Front negative camber of about 5°. - Reinforcement: Removed pillar bars, etc., to allow for some flex. - Tires: Stopped using R1R and used soft-tread comfort tires for practice. Used Hankook R-S4 195/50R15 (all around) when setting times. - Installed a GT wing because I came to prefer rear stability, etc.

I will introduce one event that symbolizes how my driving changed. For brake pads, I used Acre Formula 700C, a metal pad with high heat resistance, for both the second and third generations. With the second generation, the brakes would become spongy and the pad feel would deteriorate after driving on the circuit just a few times, but with the third generation, even after driving 50 times, the feel didn't deteriorate, and replacement wasn't necessary.

In the end, it was a boost-up specification with 160PS and a vehicle weight of 870kg. Introducing the main parts and specifications: CUSCO 1WAY LSD, Blitz off-the-shelf ECU and boost controller, XYZ adjustable suspension with SWIFT springs, 111 Levin 4.3 final gear, and Ogura reinforced clutch. Air conditioning removed, battery relocated to the interior, seating capacity reduced to 2, spot welding added inside the front fenders, etc.

Although it was a light tune, I think it had become a car that drove exactly like a Starlet should. On the other hand, because I had set a lot of front camber and finished it as a car with low steering response, many people who drove this car evaluated it as 'the front ground contact feel is thin, and it's scary because it doesn't turn.' However, there is no doubt that it was fast in both wet and dry conditions.

The third generation saw significant improvements in both driving technique and setting skills, and it became the standard for my own car building.

The interior was hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and fogged up badly when it rained.

During alignment adjustment just before completion.

This is a video of driving in heavy wet conditions. Times when hydroplaning occurs just by accelerating at full throttle even on a straight are the perfect chance to practice without putting a burden on the car.

I also went to Spa Nishiura like a madman to drive. Spa Nishiura had many complex corners and was a fun course. This was a run using Asian tires for practice.

In the end, I had to retire it due to an engine blow.

Around the summer of 2017, my driving style was perfected, and just as I was thinking, 'I'm going to set personal bests at every circuit with Hankook R-S4s!', I started to be plagued by abnormal water temperature rises. I tried replacing the radiator and installing a low-temp thermostat, driving it while nursing the issue, but eventually, it started exceeding 105°C in just one lap. After consulting with Vehicle Field, we determined that it wasn't just a blown gasket, but that the head was likely warped as well, and that was where my journey with the Starlet ended.
Having owned three generations, I knew the Starlet inside and out—it was synonymous with who I was—but when I stepped out of the third one, while I certainly felt regret, strangely, I had no lingering attachments.

The best car I've ever owned, which gave me so much.

What I gained from this car is countless: my driving style and technique, setup skills, standards for car building and technical understanding, a wonderful shop, numerous lap times, and the joy and memories of competing against higher-class vehicles. Above all, the time I spent driving the second and third generations was truly a period when I was completely absorbed. However, I don't think I needed to continue it forever.

I have no desire to drive a Starlet again now. I believe that was an experience I could only have had at that time because I was young. However, the standard (benchmark) for everything related to cars for me is always this car. I believe it will live on within me forever as a precious asset left behind by my greatest comrade-in-arms.