Glanza V: the hot hatch from the late 90s

The year is 1996: Princess Diana and Prince Charles got divorced, NASA launched their space shuttle mission, and Toyota, on the other hand, built a pocket rocket. We've all seen the Toyota Starlet, a normal family hatchback for generations in families. However, that same year, Toyota decided to divide the Starlet into three categories: the daily beater and base model Reflect - which we mostly see on the roads, the sporty pocket rocket Glanza V, and the most luxurious model out of the bunch, the Carat, which is also rare but not as much as the Glanza V.

Coming back to the Glanza, it has two variants: the Glanza S and the Glanza V, with the key difference being the engine. The Glanza S came with a naturally aspirated 1.3-litre 4EFE engine, and the Glanza V came with a 1.3-litre turbocharged 4EFTE engine. Both are mechanically similar except for the fact that the 4EFTE is turbocharged with a C56 - a 5-speed manual gearbox with LSD. The Glanza was sold exclusively in Japan but later imported to other countries.

This particular Glanza V, which is also one of the freshest of its kind, is owned by local car enthusiast Momtahin Hassan Ingit. The car has seen its fair share of transformation. It was restored from the ground up, with almost each and every panel replaced and done the right way. Even the rain shade, glasses and door trims were replaced. It's been more than 5 years since the car has been restored, but still, face to face, you won't be able to tell if any work was done to it. With brand-new headlights and tail lights, it's almost as if the car just came out of the factory. The sporty design of the Glanza with the side skirts, trunk spoiler and hood scoop makes it as evergreen as it can get.

It is not just the exterior. The interior is also in pristine condition. With an old-school dash, three-spoke GT steering wheel and bolstered seats with genuine fabric from Bride in the middle, the Glanza gives off an old-school vibe. But the power windows, power steering and entertainment system give it a hint of something way ahead of its time. In this case, the Greddy ProFec boost controller, Zeitronix zt3 AFR gauge, Works boost meter and Works fuel pressure regulator gauge enhance that feel even further. 

These aren't just for show; with the Greddy ProFec boost controller, the boost of the turbo can be controlled and set to either low boost or high boost mode. The boost can be changed manually without the boost controller, but that's like going to the workshop every time you want to change it. Since it has a turbocharged engine, it is a very fuel-sensitive car, especially in a country like Bangladesh where there is no certainty of good fuel. This is where the Zeitronix AFR gauge comes into play; it will tell you if the car is running rich or lean.

Even though, from the inside, it may seem like a lot is going on in terms of performance, this Glanza is almost essentially stock with a few exceptions. The main two differences between a regular Glanza V and this one are that it has a C52 with LSD and a 5-speed gearbox, which is quite similar to the C56; while a regular Glanza V has a CT9 turbo, but this one has a CT9 hybrid turbo. The CT9 hybrid turbo provides more air and makes the boost more efficient which in turn helps it generate more boost pressure. Previously, it had an Exedy stage 2 clutch, but it was not suitable for daily driving, which is why Ingit switched back to the stock clutch. The fuel pump was changed to Tomei's 255lp fuel pump and the plugs were changed to NGK's VK20 plugs. All of these modifications make this Galnza a very OEM-esque car.

Handling-wise, this car is packed with aftermarket goodies. The shocks were replaced with brand new KYBs paired with tein tech lowerings, giving it a lower height and a stiffer feel to the suspension. To increase the steering feedback and decrease body roll, a lot of bars along with a front anti-lift kit from Whiteline are installed, starting with a Cusco carbon fibre strut bar in the front top and in the bottom it has a 2-point lower arm from Cusco along with a sway bar from Whiteline. In the back, it has a rear strut bar from Cusco, a rear sway bar and a rear pan hard rod from Whiteline. Besides that, a brand new set of economical Yokohama Japan tyres are wrapped around the infamous rim, Fifteen 52.

According to Ingit, the Glanza V performs exceptionally well and is perfect as is. Even in low boost, the car, which weighs around 900 kg, pulls with ease, and the turbo spools at 14psi in high boost, which is entirely safe for the engine and the turbo. Ingit prefers to maintain the car's OEM plus theme and faced difficulties driving it daily with the previously installed Exedy stage 2 clutch. However, the problem has been resolved since Ingit switched back to the stock clutch. In heavy traffic conditions, the car yields an average of 10 km/l. The car gave him a boatload of memories, and he looks forward to more in the future.