Celica XX 2000GT is a rental car by Vintage Club by KINTO!

This is a project in which a 20-year-old female racing driver, Rami Sasaki, who loves old cars, is asked to test drive various old cars to give her honest impressions from a young person’s point of view. This time, with the cooperation of “Vintage Club by KINTO”, an old car rental service, we took a ride in a 1985 Toyota “Celica XX”.

The car was restored and slightly customized by Toyota and Shinmei Industries

Rami Sasaki is a young female racing driver born in 2004 who made her 4-wheel racing debut in the 2023 season in the KYOJO CUP, a motorsports category for women only held at Fuji Speedway. In the qualifying round of Rd. 2 in 2024, which was held in conjunction with the Super Formula, she earned the 4th position on the grid, her best grid position.

With the cooperation of “Vintage Club by KINTO,” a car rental service, we asked Rami to test drive a 1985 Toyota Celica XX 2000GT. This car was restored by Toyota Motor Corporation and Shinmei Industries.

“It looks like my mother’s AE86, but still feels like a luxury car”

Rami was educated in an environment where her father owned a Mitsubishi “Lancer Evolution II” and her mother owned a Toyota “AE86”. The second generation Celica XX was introduced in 1981 and is close in age to the AE86 introduced in 1983. Her mother’s AE86 was a hatchback “Corolla Levin,” and perhaps because of the similar body shape and age of the Toyota, it reminded her somewhat of the AE86.

“The rear of the car in particular reminds me of the AE86. Also, the tailgate-integrated rear spoiler reminds me of the AE86’s TRD wings. And these Longchamp wheels are great!　It’s an atmosphere that matches the era.”

Each of Vintage Club by KINTO’s specially selected old rental cars is customized a little bit. Wheel selection, for example, is decided at a meeting based on the fashion of the time. The meeting does not have a formal atmosphere, but rather a group of car enthusiasts who get together and talk about cars.

Next, she sits down in the interior. The view from the seat reminded her of the AE86.

“The atmosphere of the door knobs and trim looks similar to the AE86. But the big difference is the interior color!　The reddish-brown color is kind of like a luxury car of that time!　It’s my favorite atmosphere.”

The combination of the Super White II body and wine-red interior was a standard and trendy combination for high-class cars of the time. The interior was restored by Toyota Boshoku Corporation and is in excellent condition.

“I was surprised that the clutch was lighter than I expected and had more torque from below”

The interior and exterior reminded me somewhat of the AE86, but when she drove the Celica XX 2000GT, Rami made no such comments and seemed to firmly feel the difference between the respective sports cars of the time.

“I was surprised that the clutch was lighter than I expected and there was a lot of torque from underneath. It is a very easy car to drive. The torque is flat and unrefined, but the sound is very straight-six-like, giving it the feel of a luxury car from that era.”

And on winding roads, the driver seemed to feel the light weight of the car.

“It’s a little surprisingly snappy, which is hard to imagine from the flat torque characteristics. Is it partly due to the light weight of the car?　Compared to the 70 Supra I drove with today, the suspension seems a bit firmer, but I thought it would be better if it had a more supple feel that gripped the road surface rather than springy. Also, I am still excited when I enter a tunnel and operate the retractable headlights, even though I have driven many old cars!　Isn’t it romantic that it transforms from the body and moves?”

In addition, the suspension of this Celica XX has been changed to Enerpetal, but it is the structure of the suspension that seems to differentiate it from the 70 Supra. The Celica XX had a front strut rear semi-trailing arm system, while the Supra had double wishbones front and rear. The evolution in this area is also a point where one can feel the change in technology from the 1980s to the 1990s.