Toyota Starlet GT Turbo
Toyota's tiny EP82 Starlet GT Turbo used a 1.3-litre turbo engine, low mass and four-wheel disc brakes to make a practical three-door hatchback unusually lively.
Toyota Starlet GT Turbo EP82; model year unverified · Tokumeigakarinoaoshima · CC0 1.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
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More than a set of wheels.
Toyota released the fourth-generation Starlet in Japan on 19 December 1989. Its three-door EP82 GT Turbo turned the practical small hatchback into a compact performance model with a 1.3-litre turbo engine, four-wheel disc brakes and sporting cabin equipment. The December release date is why this 1990 entry explicitly uses launch-form specification rather than pretending Toyota waited for a Western model-year changeover.
Look a little closer.
Using Toyota's own 135 PS and 830 kg figures gives roughly 163 PS per tonne before passengers or luggage.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A small engine, a large effect
Dividing Toyota's 135 PS claim by the listed 0.83-tonne curb mass gives about 163 PS per tonne before passengers or luggage. That calculated relationship, combined with the CT9 turbo and four-wheel discs, explains why the GT Turbo was more than an appearance package: it put a strong engine-to-weight ratio and upgraded stopping hardware into a very small hatchback.
Source: Toyota Starlet launch release ↗How the 1990 identity should be protected
The December 1989 release establishes the launch form that reached 1990 buyers, while EP82 continued through later visual revisions. A car or photo proving only EP82 GT Turbo cannot automatically prove 1990. Specifications stay bound to dated Toyota records, and any later or year-unknown image must be labeled independently.
Source: Toyota vehicle lineage — fourth-generation Starlet GT ↗Where these facts come from
- Toyota Announces Full Model Change for Starlet
- 4th-generation Starlet 3-door GT
- History of the Toyota Starlet
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 4, 2026.