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A real "Japanese" in Germany - Toyota GAIA   The "rarest mass production car" in Germany

My Toyota GAIA, a car type widely propagated in Japan, here still in Japan with the number plates "Noda 500, ro 5-96"

Toyota GAIA, pearl white, manufactured in 2001, until 2003 one of about 150000 GAIAs in Japan, since 2004 the only one of his kind in Germany

after 2 months of sea travel finally in spring 2004 arrival in South Germany	now with modified headlamps and German number plates

 Toyota GAIA LNS (GF-SXM15G-BPSEK, model 2000, equipment version "Limited Navi Special"), pearlwhite, production year 2001

Technical:

2000 cc, 99kW / 135 HP, four cycle petrol engine with 4 cylinders, 16 valves, regulated catalysator, TCCS, 4 speed automatic transmission with the shifter next to the stearing wheel, front drive, switchable to computer-controlled 4-wheel-drive (4WD ATC = "Active Torque Control"), right-hand-drive, in the front disc brakes, in the rear drum brakes, ABS, airbags, 4 doors with integrated loudspeakers and electric power-windows, large liftgate, for 6 persons, six separately adjustable seats, all with 3-point safety belt, adjustable head rest and drink holder, the seats are in 2-2-2 configuration - so it is possible to walk ducked through the open midway from the front seats till the rear searts (however most GAIAs are 7-seaters in 2-3-2 configuration, where the seats in the second row touch each other, preventing the passing), climate control, extra "rear cooler" for the third seat row, radio-controlled central locking, fog lamps, 4 backlights, all antennas integrated into the rear windows, both back mirrors electrically adjustable and electrically flappable. Length 4620mm, width (without the back mirrors) 1695mm, height 1665mm (model without roof rails), curb weight 1500kg, maximum speed: 180 km/h (active limiter)

Extras:

built-in by the producer: colour monitor integrated into the dashboard, backward-CCD-Camera (reversing assistance), hifi system, 6-CD-changer, GPS navigation system with VICS and voice navigation (unfortunately this functions only in Japan), built-in by the car dealer: inside illuminated number plates in the front and in the back, with numbers out ot green glass (in Germany those got changed back to normal number plates), ultrasonic sensors at all four corners (parking assistance), front passenger's seat replaced by an electric Lift-Up Seat from Toyota for a disabled person (for up to 100 kg body weight), specially modified for Germany: head lamps modified for right-hand traffic (see photos above), rear fog lamp, left-forward-CCD-camera (overhauling assistance for right-hand traffic)

the centre console and a part of the cockpit

view through the open rear liftgate

The model GAIA was produced by Toyota from 1998 until 2004 (in total 154572 vehicles). Model variants comprised ones with 2.2-litres diesel engine or 2.0-litres petrol engine, front wheel drive with or without switchable four-wheel drive, with closed top or with one or two moon-roofs, with or without roof rails, with or without colour monitor in the dashboard, with or without "back camera", with or without Toyota Navigation System (the models up to the ones bought in March 2001 - like mine - worked on CD base, the models from April 2001 on worked on DVD base). The GAIA was available in various colours, especially in pearl-white, champaign-gold, silver-metallic, wine-red, dark-green, turquoise, and in black.

The shape of the body is the same for all GAIAs, but for the different model years small modifications at the lamps and at the radiator grill could be found. From 2002 the normal middle rear stoplight in the rear window was replaced by a LED chain integrated into the roof spoiler. Because the seats are permanently mounted, already at the time of buying one had to decide about selecting the 6-seat or 7-seat model. The two seats of the third seat row can be used also by adults with a body height of 180cm or a little more, because there is enough space for the head, and the backrests and the headrests are separately adjustable. All backrests can also be declined in forward direction in order to enlarge the space for luggage accordingly.

The GAIA models with "SXM10G" in the type number have only front wheel drive, but the models with "SXM15G" have front wheel drive plus switchable four wheel drive. When this four-wheel drive named "Active Torque Control" is activated, a computer controls continuously the ABS impulses from all wheels, and only if resp. as long as the computer detects a speed difference between the front and rear wheels, the electromagnetic clutch in the cardan shaft gets activated in order to drive also the rear differential and both rear wheels.

Parallel to the GAIA series there exists in Japan the sister series "Ipsum". This series underwent already two major model changes, so that now we can distinguish three different Ipsums (the models with the 2.4-liter motor are also referred to as "Ipsum 240 series"):

DISCLAIMER: All information in this website is given according to my best knowledge, but without guarantee.
This is a non-commercial fan website

to the page about the electric Lift-Up Seat from Toyota for disabled persons

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© 2005-2006 Elmar Dünßer [Duensser], Germany