Toyota Chaser: A fast cruiser for the streets
Part of the reason why the Chaser, especially the Tourer, is a popular model among car enthusiasts is how easily it can handle much more power than the 276hp it came out of the factory with
The Toyota Chaser is one of the most sought-after 90s Japanese sports cars among car communities all over the world. In a world where most four-door sedans were designed to take people from point A to point B, variants of the Chaser, like the Tourer and the Tourer V, came with 1JZ-GTE and 2JZ-GE engines, respectively. These were the same engines which used to come in the Toyota Supra at that time, and had power figures comparable to the BMW M5. This explains why the model, which was last produced nearly 22 years ago, still has its own devoted cult following.
For this feature, we have a clean example of a Toyota Chaser Tourer from Chittagong. This particular Chaser is owned by Mahir Hossain, a passionate petrolhead who had a soft spot for cars since he was young.
"Since I was a kid, I have had a keen interest in cars. All my toys were cars," Mahir stated. "My father is very passionate about cars as well, and to be very honest, I got most of the motivation from him".
This isn't the first Chaser, however, that Mahir has owned. In fact, his journey with Chasers dates a long way back. His first unit was a base variant model which came with a 2000cc 1G-FE engine. Hence, when he came across a completely fresh 1JZ-GTE powered Toyota Chaser Tourer, he decided to sell his old one and purchased the Tourer in 2022.
Like every other car enthusiast, Mahir wasn't content with driving a bone stock Chaser. Part of the reason why the Chaser, especially the Tourer, was a popular model among car enthusiasts is because of how easily it can handle much more power than the 276hp it came out of the factory with.
Hence, he opted for an aftermarket ECU (Engine Control Unit) and also added a Greddy turbo timer to increase power. Other than that, his Chaser Tourer installed HKS Racing spark plugs and Fujitsubo Legalis Super R exhaust to further enhance performance.
For handling modifications, the Chaser has Endless brake-lines, Cusco rear tower bar and Toyo R888R tires. However, Mahir also plans to upgrade his brakes to six pot braking systems in the front and four in the rear. He is also planning to add a racing radiator, aftermarket oil cooler and many other things to further increase power and improve his driving experience.
Currently, the Chaser is painted in a beautiful shade of orange and equipped with TRD body kits all around with DMax tail lights in the rear. It rests on a set of 17" Advan GT Racing wheels and also has a custom made front splitter.
The Chaser is known as the top choice in the "drift car community", among people who love to go sideways in a cloud of smoke that they created. This is because the Chaser, being a long rear wheel drive sedan with a powerful and easily tunable engine, is one of the easiest cars to be able to go sideways, if enough power is provided to the Wheels.
What most Chaser owners do is lower their car and add a set of rock hard stiff suspension in the name of performance. Mahir, however, went the opposite route. His Chaser has been built to be a daily driver.
Mahir believes that a proper ride height and well tuned suspension blends comfort and performance in harmony. Hence, his unit has been set up for smooth rides with some punch from the turbocharged engine.
"Unlike other Chasers, I've built mine to be a cruiser, be it a fast cruiser," Mahir mentioned. "I don't like the idea of keeping cars to eventually turn them into garage queens. Hence, I've built my Chaser to be my daily driver, and this is what is the favourite thing about my project car."
When we wanted to know what he disliked the most about his project Chaser, he sarcastically replied "No cupholders".
Since purchasing the car back in 2022, Mahir has already completed driving nearly 20,000km.
