AT was also available
When you mention the Toyota Corolla Levin/Sprinter Trueno, the first thing that comes to mind for many people is the fourth-generation model known as the AE86. However, the Levin/Trueno has naturally gone through generations since then, and the final model, the seventh-generation AE111, has matured considerably. What is the AE111, which seems to have been overshadowed by the AE86 and the Civic, the synonymous ten-rock sports car of the same generation?
The AE111 model was the last Levin/Trueno
The AE111 model of the Toyota Corolla Levin/Sprinter Trueno appeared in June 1995, one month after the base Corolla/Sprinter. Incidentally, only models with the 1.6-liter engine were given the AE111 model designation, while the 1.5-liter Levin/Trueno models were given the AE110 model designation.
As for the 1.6-liter engine, in addition to the well-known 4A-GE type, there is also a high-mech twin-cam 4A-FE type, which is also given the AE111 designation, but this time we will concentrate on the models with the 4A-GE type.
The AE111 was up to 70 kg lighter than its predecessor, with the lightest model equipped with the 4A-GE type weighing 1020 kg. 170 hp supercharged engine was discontinued, but the NA model produced 5 hp at 165 hp.
A four-speed AT was available as well as a five-speed MT transmission, allowing the high-performance engine to be enjoyed with two pedals.
As with the previous generation, the Super Strut Suspension was adopted for the suspension, available as an option on the high-end BZ-G model and as standard equipment on the driving-oriented BZ-V. The MT model equipped with the Super Strut Suspension was the first front-wheel drive vehicle in Japan to be equipped with a Helical LSD was also fitted for the first time on a front-wheel drive vehicle in Japan on MT models with super strut suspension.
Needless to say, the Levin/Trueno are siblings, but in the AE111, the only difference is that the front mask of the Levin has a grille, while the Trueno has a grille-less look, and no major differences are given as in the AE86-92 era.
The minor change in April 1997 saw the manual transmission shifted from a 5-speed to a 6-speed (the AT remained a 4-speed) and the adoption of the GOA collision safety body, which increased the weight of even the lightest model by 40 kg to 1060 kg (although body rigidity was greatly improved).
The BZ-G became the basic model, the BZ-R the one with a super strut suspension, and the BZ-V the one that corresponded to the BZ-V. ‘BZ-R V-spec’.
The AE111 was also affected by the cooling of demand for coupes, and disappeared when the Corolla underwent a full model change in August 2000. The seventh-generation Celica, which became the real successor and achieved downsizing, could hardly be said to have been a hit, and the FF compact coupe has remained extinct to the present day.
As a side note, the AE111 model name is not exclusive to the Levin/Trueno, but also includes the 1.6-liter model of the Corolla/Sprinter sedan, the 1.6-liter model of the Sprinter Carib (which has a G at the end, AE111G) and the 1.6-liter model of the Corolla Passio (which AE111N) are also part of the AE111 family.
translated by DeepL
