Description
The Lexus IS300 is a rear-wheel drive, compact luxury sports sedan manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corp. under the Lexus brand and originally sold as the Toyota Altezza in Japan. The model was introduced to slot below the ES in the Lexus lineup and to compete against the BMW 3 Series and the Nissan Skyline/Infiniti G. The first-generation Altezza (codename XE10) was launched in Japan in October 1998, while the Lexus IS200 made its debut in Europe in 1999 and the IS300 in North America in 2001. The "IS" stands for "Intelligent Sport. The 2JZ-GE powered IS series engine, although not as popular as it's turbocharged (2JZ-GTE) brother, is a 3.0 liter inline six cylinder, mounted longitudinally and, unlike the 2JZ-GTE, features Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) on the intake camshaft which provides both improved low-end torque and high rpm horsepower. Also fits the 1998-2005 2nd generation Lexus GS300 (Toyota Aristo)