Toyota Cavalier
Car of the Day #276: 1996 Toyota Cavalier – Low effort
- As far as rebadged cars go, the Toyota Cavalier is as close to phoning it in as one can get.
- Through the lens of a car enthusiast, however, the JDM Cavalier could be a gateway drug into the world of weird cars.
To the first point, I’m not even going to regurgitate specifications for this one. My teenage and early adult years were filled with people who owned Chevrolet Cavaliers. Hell, there’s a Cavalier parked on a flatbed trailer two doors down from where I type this.
For the second point, in service to educational purposes, I’ve ripped the official Toyota brochure for the JDM Cavalier — the specs are included. (With a few clicks, how can you do the same for almost any mainstream Toyota in the last 70+ years? Read past the jump below.)
After the brochure? An important word about the car’s record in the JGTC – All Japan Grand Touring Championship (JGTC).
Let’s get this done, all cavalier-like.
It’s now in Japan: a new form of luxury.
An American package based on a new concept.
Sedan and coupe. The TOYOTA CAVALIER.
Yes, that’s just right! This is people’s natural reaction when they experience this automobile. Simple and refined, with safety built into every feature. The slim body and powerful engine make driving a pleasure. And inside, we have spared no effort to create the features that define convenience. “A new kind of luxury” — that you just may have overlooked — In a new package: TOYOTA CAVALIER. From TOYOTA and GM to the people of Japan.
- via official brochure (below)
Front and back cover • 1996 Toyota Cavalier brochure via Toyota
For years, many weird car sufferers have known about the JGTC Cavalier through random, unattributed forum photos and cobbled together specifications. That changed in 2022 with an article ( linked below ) that finally gives much-needed context for exactly wth an American compact coupe was doing racing against JGTC royalty: Supras, NSXs, and Skylines.
Story continues below:
