Toyota Sera
Encyclopedia
The Toyota Sera is a two door, four seat (2+2) coupe built by Toyota from 1990 to 1996. Although produced solely for the Japan
ese market, it raised interest overseas and has since been imported by car enthusiasts into several countries including Australia
, Pakistan
, Bangladesh
, Canada
, India
, Ireland
, New Zealand
, Sri Lanka
, and the UK
. It was initially unveiled in 1988 as the Toyota AXV-II concept car
in almost production-ready form. The name comes from the French word meaning "will be" (the French verb "being" in future tense), indicative of both the overall futuristic design and also the closeness of the concept car to the final production version. The Sera is most notable for its butterfly doors
which tilt up and forward when opened, and the canopy constructed largely of glass panels.
A total of 15,852 units were built and registered in Japan, however with niche market
car importing occurring in the early 1990s it is possible that some vehicles were constructed and exported directly from Japan without first being registered there. This makes it difficult to know exactly how many Seras were produced, although it is certainly less than 16,000 and they are now becoming rare collectibles.
5E-FHE
unleaded petrol engine, the largest capacity version of Toyota's E series of engines included in other Toyota vehicles such as the Paseo
and the Starlet
. This was installed in a front-mount, front wheel drive transverse configuration with electronic fuel injection. All versions came with power assisted rack and pinion
steering and either a 4 speed automatic
or 5 speed manual transmission
. The brakes were vented discs at the front and drums at the rear, unless fitted with the optional Anti-Lock Braking
system which had vented discs all round.
Mechanically the car is related to both the Toyota Paseo
and the Toyota Starlet
, sharing similar floorpans, suspension
, steering
and brake
s amongst other items. As such, many consumable parts such as brakepads and springs are interchangeable and still readily available from parts suppliers.
construction with a low and rounded body shape. It is a two door plus hatch (sometimes referred to as three door or hatchback
) coupe. The Sera's most distinctive feature is its butterfly doors
, which are hinged at the top and bottom of the A pillar and open forward and up in a manner similar to the McLaren F1
and Saleen S7
. The weight of the door is predominantly supported by a thick gas strut, and counter-balanced by a smaller secondary strut inside the door to help take into account changes in temperature. With age these struts can lose pressure causing the doors to sag or fail to stay open, however the issue can be resolved by re-gassing or replacing the strut. Unlike the conventional side-opening doors on most cars, the Sera door can be opened fully in a fairly confined space, requiring only 43 cm of lateral clearance.
The rear hatch is also unusual in being constructed of a single piece of glass without a supporting steel frame. This, in combination with a steeply sloping front windscreen and glass upper-door/roof panels (a total of six separate glass pieces overall), gives the Sera its characteristic "bubble-like" canopy. This provides occupants with a high level of all-round visibility, although the thick B-pillar
can result in a significant blind spot
, especially on the driver's side. The unusual amount of glass can also create a high solar load greenhouse effect
on bright days causing the interior temperature to rise. This problem however is offset by the fact that the Toyota Sera came with both air-conditioning and two removable interior roof panels as standard.
As with other cars (such as convertible
s) where the upper half has little or no supporting framework, the Sera body is not necessarily as rigid as fixed roof vehicles. This can result in a certain amount of body roll
while manoeuvring, although this can also be in part attributed to the overall age of the vehicle and components such as suspension.
s at the front and a rear bench seat
with a fixed central arm rest. Both front seats tilt and slide forward to give access to the rear and although the interior is quite compact the deep, form-fitting design of the rear seats means the vehicle can provide space (albeit cramped) in the back for passengers of average height
. The front seats in all versions came with three point harnesses while the rear seats came with either two point lap sashes or three-point harnesses depending on the Phase. It is in the specifics of the interior that the majority of the differences in Phases occurs as outlined below.
In its normal interior configuration (with the back seats up and the parcel shelf in place) the rear cargo area does have a noticeably small opening (52 cm by 82 cm) and an elevated lip necessitating the lifting of luggage quite high before it can be placed inside. However the boot (trunk) is relatively deep and spacious. In addition the rear seats fold down and both the parcel shelf and the rear divider panel (usually in place behind the back seats) can be completely removed, in essence turning the entire rear half of the car into a cargo area. As such the Toyota Sera has a large amount of available storage space for its size. The space-saving spare tire and changing kit are contained in a small compartment below the boot floor.
doors which, like the Sera, features windows that curve upward into the 'roof' section of the vehicle.
. This makes the car readily importable into countries with similar standards and requires only minimal changes for ones such as the United Kingdom (where vehicles are also right-hand drive but instruments are in Imperial units). However, major alterations may be necessary before the Sera is legal for general use in, or even importation into, other countries such as the United States and the majority of European nations. In Australia, most Seras will have required three-point seatbelts and side impact beams to be fitted for compliance, as such it may be beneficial to import a later model Phase III to avoid this third-party work.
The Sera is still very well supported by Toyota for spares, and many overseas dealers are happy to order parts and service the car. In particular, any country where the Toyota Starlet, Cynos or Paseo are common should have good sources for new and secondhand replacement parts as well as qualified repairers and service garages.
Unique features included:
Unique features included:
Unique features included:
. It is a one of a kind oval-shaped high rise building that glows purple at night, but with a curious matte-finish look, and flashing white strobes.
The Sera special edition Amlux versions were based on the phase III SERA with automatic transmission and SLSS. Unique features included:
It is believed that 21 cars were produced. There is known to be one car in Ireland (March 2011) and one car in the UK (August 2011)
All Amlux cars were built between September and December 1992.
). The SLSS came with a three mode Digital Sound Processor (DSP) which cycled through 'off', 'Casual' or 'Funky' mode by use of a button labelled "WARP" on the CD/Radio or CD/Radio/Cassette head unit. These produced slight differences in sound quality through preset values for settings such as bass and treble, as well as rotating the speakers in the rear unit to either project directly into the car or bounce off the rear window. A complete and functional SLSS is one of the most highly sought after options by Toyota Sera enthusiasts, but by being factory fit is quite hard to retro-fit.
Fragrances include Deodorizer (White), Morning Green (Orange ), Peppermint (Blue), White Herb (Green) and Sazan Floral (Yellow)
The CleanAce system might have been intended for smokers. There are a number of after-market systems which replace the cabin light and perform a similar job.
), and is the most powerful of the normally aspirated versions of the Toyota E series engine
. However, with minimal modification to the car itself this unit can be replaced with the factory Toyota Starlet GT Turbo or 'Glanza' engine (4E-FTE) which develops 135 PS (133 bhp). This has been successfully transplanted in a number of Seras in Japan, Australia and the UK where the 'bolt-on' nature of the change and the relatively cheap price of both the replacement engine and additional parts (due to the large numbers of Starlets produced) make it much more attractive than tuning the existing 5E-FHE with custom parts. The Starlet Turbo can be additionally tuned to give substantially more power (175-200 bhp) than that released by Toyota. However, in order to achieve these levels of power it is necessary to make quite a number of changes - exchanging the intercooler
for a larger version and relocating it to the front bumper, installing a revised exhaust and induction kit, plus a number of electronic engine management
devices to alter the fuelling and turbo boost safety points.
More specialised options have included using the 4A-GE engine (black top with map sensor) which can produce around 165 hp giving the car a power-to-weight ratio
of 5.63 kg/hp (in comparison to the more modern Mazda RX-8 for example which has a power-to-weight ratio of 5.93 kg/hp). With a Standalone Engine Management System (EMS/ECU) and various other engine modifications, the 4A-GE can readily be made to produce around 200 hp, and in excess of 230 bhp with the addition of a larger turbo.
At least two Seras in Japan are claimed to have 300 bhp and one in Australia produces a claimed 290 bhp. These are extremely expensive and specialized conversions as the engines and transmissions have to be strengthened, cooling and fuel issues have to be addressed and improvements are required to the brakes and handling package.
Because of the suspension similarities between the Sera, Paseo/Cynos, & Starlet GT, other suspension parts such as swaybars, strut bars, & other braces can be retrofitted. The brakes can also be upgraded for the larger, better Starlet GT front & rear disc brakes.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese market, it raised interest overseas and has since been imported by car enthusiasts into several countries including Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was initially unveiled in 1988 as the Toyota AXV-II concept car
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
in almost production-ready form. The name comes from the French word meaning "will be" (the French verb "being" in future tense), indicative of both the overall futuristic design and also the closeness of the concept car to the final production version. The Sera is most notable for its butterfly doors
Butterfly doors
Butterfly doors or vertical doors are a type of door sometimes seen on high-performance automobiles. They are similar to scissor doors, but while scissor doors move up, butterfly doors also move outwards, which makes for easier entry/exit at the expense of saving space.The McLaren F1, Alfa Romeo 33...
which tilt up and forward when opened, and the canopy constructed largely of glass panels.
Base vehicle
As it was released with only one engine and body type there is technically only one model of the Toyota Sera EXY10. However major option choices such as transmission, brakes, cold climate and sound-system meant that there were a number of different factory packages. Furthermore, Toyota itself produced three versions (known as 'Phases') over its production life with specific characteristics (such as interior trim), although variations between the three are largely cosmetic.A total of 15,852 units were built and registered in Japan, however with niche market
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
car importing occurring in the early 1990s it is possible that some vehicles were constructed and exported directly from Japan without first being registered there. This makes it difficult to know exactly how many Seras were produced, although it is certainly less than 16,000 and they are now becoming rare collectibles.
Mechanical
All Seras came with the 1.5 L (1496cc) inline 4Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
5E-FHE
Toyota E engine
The Toyota E engine family is a straight-4 piston engine series, using a timing belt rather than a chain. Like many other Toyota engines from the era, the E engine series features a cast iron block, along with an aluminum cylinder head. The members of the E engine family, range from 1.0 L to...
unleaded petrol engine, the largest capacity version of Toyota's E series of engines included in other Toyota vehicles such as the Paseo
Toyota Paseo
The Toyota Paseo is a sports styled compact car sold from 1991–1999 and was loosely based on the Toyota Tercel. It was available as a coupe and in later models as a convertible...
and the Starlet
Toyota Starlet
The Toyota Starlet is a small automobile manufactured by Toyota from 1973 to 1999, replacing the Publica, but retaining the Publica's "P" code and generation numbering. The Starlet was marketed as the Publica in some Toyota export markets.-40 Series:...
. This was installed in a front-mount, front wheel drive transverse configuration with electronic fuel injection. All versions came with power assisted rack and pinion
Rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
steering and either a 4 speed automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
or 5 speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
. The brakes were vented discs at the front and drums at the rear, unless fitted with the optional Anti-Lock Braking
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
system which had vented discs all round.
Mechanically the car is related to both the Toyota Paseo
Toyota Paseo
The Toyota Paseo is a sports styled compact car sold from 1991–1999 and was loosely based on the Toyota Tercel. It was available as a coupe and in later models as a convertible...
and the Toyota Starlet
Toyota Starlet
The Toyota Starlet is a small automobile manufactured by Toyota from 1973 to 1999, replacing the Publica, but retaining the Publica's "P" code and generation numbering. The Starlet was marketed as the Publica in some Toyota export markets.-40 Series:...
, sharing similar floorpans, suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
, steering
Steering
Steering is the term applied to the collection of components, linkages, etc. which will allow a vessel or vehicle to follow the desired course...
and brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s amongst other items. As such, many consumable parts such as brakepads and springs are interchangeable and still readily available from parts suppliers.
Body
The Toyota Sera is of a steel monocoqueMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
construction with a low and rounded body shape. It is a two door plus hatch (sometimes referred to as three door or hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
) coupe. The Sera's most distinctive feature is its butterfly doors
Butterfly doors
Butterfly doors or vertical doors are a type of door sometimes seen on high-performance automobiles. They are similar to scissor doors, but while scissor doors move up, butterfly doors also move outwards, which makes for easier entry/exit at the expense of saving space.The McLaren F1, Alfa Romeo 33...
, which are hinged at the top and bottom of the A pillar and open forward and up in a manner similar to the McLaren F1
McLaren F1
The McLaren F1 is a supercar designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior of the car...
and Saleen S7
Saleen S7
The Saleen S7 is a limited-production, hand-built, high-performance American supercar developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept and direction, Hidden Creek Industries for resources and initial funding, Phil Frank for the body and interior CAD design and development, and Ray Mallock...
. The weight of the door is predominantly supported by a thick gas strut, and counter-balanced by a smaller secondary strut inside the door to help take into account changes in temperature. With age these struts can lose pressure causing the doors to sag or fail to stay open, however the issue can be resolved by re-gassing or replacing the strut. Unlike the conventional side-opening doors on most cars, the Sera door can be opened fully in a fairly confined space, requiring only 43 cm of lateral clearance.
The rear hatch is also unusual in being constructed of a single piece of glass without a supporting steel frame. This, in combination with a steeply sloping front windscreen and glass upper-door/roof panels (a total of six separate glass pieces overall), gives the Sera its characteristic "bubble-like" canopy. This provides occupants with a high level of all-round visibility, although the thick B-pillar
Pillar (car)
Pillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
can result in a significant blind spot
Blind spot (automobile)
A blind spot in a vehicle is an area around the vehicle that cannot be directly observed by the driver while at the controls, under existing circumstances...
, especially on the driver's side. The unusual amount of glass can also create a high solar load greenhouse effect
Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface, energy is transferred to the surface and the lower atmosphere...
on bright days causing the interior temperature to rise. This problem however is offset by the fact that the Toyota Sera came with both air-conditioning and two removable interior roof panels as standard.
As with other cars (such as convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
s) where the upper half has little or no supporting framework, the Sera body is not necessarily as rigid as fixed roof vehicles. This can result in a certain amount of body roll
Body roll
On wheeled or tracked vehicles, body roll is a reference to the load transfer of a vehicle towards the outside of a turn. When a vehicle is fitted with a suspension package, it works to keep the wheels or tracks in contact with the road, providing grip for the driver of vehicle to control its...
while manoeuvring, although this can also be in part attributed to the overall age of the vehicle and components such as suspension.
Interior
The Toyota Sera is a 2+2 coupe with bucket seatBucket seat
A bucket seat is a seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from bench seats which are flat platforms designed to seat multiple people. Bucket seats are standard in fast cars to keep riders in place when making sharp or quick turns...
s at the front and a rear bench seat
Bench seat
The bench seat was the traditional seat installed in American automobiles. This seat featured a continuous pad running the full width of the cabin...
with a fixed central arm rest. Both front seats tilt and slide forward to give access to the rear and although the interior is quite compact the deep, form-fitting design of the rear seats means the vehicle can provide space (albeit cramped) in the back for passengers of average height
Human height
Human height is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body standing erect.When populations share genetic background and environmental factors, average height is frequently characteristic within the group...
. The front seats in all versions came with three point harnesses while the rear seats came with either two point lap sashes or three-point harnesses depending on the Phase. It is in the specifics of the interior that the majority of the differences in Phases occurs as outlined below.
In its normal interior configuration (with the back seats up and the parcel shelf in place) the rear cargo area does have a noticeably small opening (52 cm by 82 cm) and an elevated lip necessitating the lifting of luggage quite high before it can be placed inside. However the boot (trunk) is relatively deep and spacious. In addition the rear seats fold down and both the parcel shelf and the rear divider panel (usually in place behind the back seats) can be completely removed, in essence turning the entire rear half of the car into a cargo area. As such the Toyota Sera has a large amount of available storage space for its size. The space-saving spare tire and changing kit are contained in a small compartment below the boot floor.
Other features
The Sera/EXY-10 was one of the first cars to feature projector headlights (though the 1988 AXV-II concept model featured conventional lights). The Alfa Romeo Stradale is believed to be the first car to feature dihedralDihedral angle
In geometry, a dihedral or torsion angle is the angle between two planes.The dihedral angle of two planes can be seen by looking at the planes "edge on", i.e., along their line of intersection...
doors which, like the Sera, features windows that curve upward into the 'roof' section of the vehicle.
Importation
As the Sera was built solely for the Japanese market all cars were right-hand drive as factory standard and the speedometer and odometer units were metricMetric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
. This makes the car readily importable into countries with similar standards and requires only minimal changes for ones such as the United Kingdom (where vehicles are also right-hand drive but instruments are in Imperial units). However, major alterations may be necessary before the Sera is legal for general use in, or even importation into, other countries such as the United States and the majority of European nations. In Australia, most Seras will have required three-point seatbelts and side impact beams to be fitted for compliance, as such it may be beneficial to import a later model Phase III to avoid this third-party work.
The Sera is still very well supported by Toyota for spares, and many overseas dealers are happy to order parts and service the car. In particular, any country where the Toyota Starlet, Cynos or Paseo are common should have good sources for new and secondhand replacement parts as well as qualified repairers and service garages.
Phases
The Toyota Sera was produced in three distinct versions, with either manual or automatic transmission, standard or ABS brakes and regular stereo or Super-Live Sound System ("SLSS" - see below) forming the three major choices for buyers. There were also a large number of additional factory options available across the entire production run.Phase I (March 1990 - May 1991)
The initial build and the majority of the Sera's total production (around 12,000 of the 15,852 or so cars produced).Unique features included:
- beige/tan interior or greyish blue depending on exterior colour
- bayonet fuel filler cap
- hardwearing ribbed and woven seat material
Phase II (May 1991 - June 1992)
Second version (around 2,300 cars produced).Unique features included:
- pastel pattern in the main sections with tan/greyish bolsters depending on interior colour
- screw-type fuel filler cap
- different seat materials
Phase III (June 1992 - December 1995)
The final version of the Sera with many more changes than the second phase (remainder of around 1,550 cars produced).Unique features included:
- grey interior with seat fabrics that have a secondary colour to complement the exterior colour
- some engine component revisions
- side impact beams in the doors
- optional airbags (which may have been automatically accompanied by ABS)
- three-point rear seat belts
- stronger door struts to compensate for the side impact beams
- solid plastic spoiler with LED high-level brake light incorporated (the only external change to the Sera)
Phase III "Amlux" Special Edition
The Phase III Sera also featured a limited edition model, the Amlux, named after Toyota's flagship building in Tokyo. The Amlux Building houses the world's largest automobile showroom and is situated in IkebukuroIkebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
. It is a one of a kind oval-shaped high rise building that glows purple at night, but with a curious matte-finish look, and flashing white strobes.
The Sera special edition Amlux versions were based on the phase III SERA with automatic transmission and SLSS. Unique features included:
- Two-tone green paint
- Special colour hubcaps
- Blue tinted glass
- Choice of 6 special colours of seat material designs
- Rear seat cover
- AMLUX logo on mats
- AMLUX logo on door
- Personalised name plate on the car
- Personalised seat cushion and also a special scarf
It is believed that 21 cars were produced. There is known to be one car in Ireland (March 2011) and one car in the UK (August 2011)
All Amlux cars were built between September and December 1992.
Factory options
All Phases of the Toyota Sera came with a range of factory optional extras. The major mechanical option was the Anti-Lock Braking System. Additional options included:- A variety of logo and stripe stickers
- Body kits
- Car-phone and/or car-fax
- Parking sensors
- Patterned window-tinting
- Roof cover
- Ski-racks (which attached to the doors)
- Smoked perspex upper spoiler
- Striking patterned seat & floormat materials
- Various stereo Head UnitsHead unitA head unit, sometimes referred to as a "deck", is a component of a stereo system either in a vehicle or home cinema system which provides a unified hardware interface for the various components of an electronic media system. An antiquated name for a head unit is a receiver; this article focuses...
Super Live Surround Sound (SLSS)
One major internal option came in the form of an advanced car audio system known as the Super Live Surround Sound or SLSS. The SLSS comprised a total of 10 speakers; 3 x 10 cm tweeters in the front console (left, right and centre), 2 x 10 cm door-mounted cones (left and right), 2 x tweeters and 2 x cones contained in a single, tube shaped unit mounted on the rear parcel shelf, and a boot fitted 'Acoustic Resonance Woofer' (subwooferSubwoofer
A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below...
). The SLSS came with a three mode Digital Sound Processor (DSP) which cycled through 'off', 'Casual' or 'Funky' mode by use of a button labelled "WARP" on the CD/Radio or CD/Radio/Cassette head unit. These produced slight differences in sound quality through preset values for settings such as bass and treble, as well as rotating the speakers in the rear unit to either project directly into the car or bounce off the rear window. A complete and functional SLSS is one of the most highly sought after options by Toyota Sera enthusiasts, but by being factory fit is quite hard to retro-fit.
Air filtration/fragrance systems
Sera buyers could also add one of two different styles of electronic air cleanser/fresheners. These came in the form of either a standalone roof mounted filter and interior light unit known as "CleanAce" or an integrated device known as an "Air Fantasy" that was mounted in the centre console beneath the audio head-unit. The roof unit took air in through a vent at the front and ran it out through a filter at the back. The Air Fantasy system was connected to the vehicle's own air-conditioning system and would pump small bursts of scented air (from one of three replaceable scent packs) either automatically or on demand through the air vents. Although the roof unit is relatively common for an optional extra, the Air Fantasy is especially rare.Fragrances include Deodorizer (White), Morning Green (Orange ), Peppermint (Blue), White Herb (Green) and Sazan Floral (Yellow)
The CleanAce system might have been intended for smokers. There are a number of after-market systems which replace the cabin light and perform a similar job.
Aftermarket variations
Many Toyota Seras have received aftermarket additions or improvements aimed at extending the usable life of the vehicle, improving the overall performance or to rectify commonly perceived issues such as body roll or poor headlight levels.Engine tuning
By far the most common mechanical improvement is the tuning or complete replacement of the engine. The factory standard 5E-FHE developed, when new, 110 PS (108 bhpHorsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
), and is the most powerful of the normally aspirated versions of the Toyota E series engine
Toyota E engine
The Toyota E engine family is a straight-4 piston engine series, using a timing belt rather than a chain. Like many other Toyota engines from the era, the E engine series features a cast iron block, along with an aluminum cylinder head. The members of the E engine family, range from 1.0 L to...
. However, with minimal modification to the car itself this unit can be replaced with the factory Toyota Starlet GT Turbo or 'Glanza' engine (4E-FTE) which develops 135 PS (133 bhp). This has been successfully transplanted in a number of Seras in Japan, Australia and the UK where the 'bolt-on' nature of the change and the relatively cheap price of both the replacement engine and additional parts (due to the large numbers of Starlets produced) make it much more attractive than tuning the existing 5E-FHE with custom parts. The Starlet Turbo can be additionally tuned to give substantially more power (175-200 bhp) than that released by Toyota. However, in order to achieve these levels of power it is necessary to make quite a number of changes - exchanging the intercooler
Intercooler
An intercooler , or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric cooling, which removes...
for a larger version and relocating it to the front bumper, installing a revised exhaust and induction kit, plus a number of electronic engine management
Engine control unit
An engine control unit is a type of electronic control unit that determines the amount of fuel, ignition timing and other parameters an internal combustion engine needs to keep running...
devices to alter the fuelling and turbo boost safety points.
More specialised options have included using the 4A-GE engine (black top with map sensor) which can produce around 165 hp giving the car a power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
of 5.63 kg/hp (in comparison to the more modern Mazda RX-8 for example which has a power-to-weight ratio of 5.93 kg/hp). With a Standalone Engine Management System (EMS/ECU) and various other engine modifications, the 4A-GE can readily be made to produce around 200 hp, and in excess of 230 bhp with the addition of a larger turbo.
At least two Seras in Japan are claimed to have 300 bhp and one in Australia produces a claimed 290 bhp. These are extremely expensive and specialized conversions as the engines and transmissions have to be strengthened, cooling and fuel issues have to be addressed and improvements are required to the brakes and handling package.
Handling
Despite its sporting coupe image, the Toyota Sera suspension is equipped with much softer springs than might be expected. To compensate this problem an aftermarket handling package is available, developed with the assistance of Leda Suspension. This gives the car a firmer and more sporting drive with less pronounced and more progressive body roll characteristics. The car is lowered slightly as well. The kit contains: 1 pair of front dampers, 1 pair of front progressive rate springs, 1 pair of rear dampers, 1 pair of rear progressive rate springs.Because of the suspension similarities between the Sera, Paseo/Cynos, & Starlet GT, other suspension parts such as swaybars, strut bars, & other braces can be retrofitted. The brakes can also be upgraded for the larger, better Starlet GT front & rear disc brakes.