| Toyota Sera (EXY10) | |
|---|---|
_front.JPG) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Toyota |
| Production | February 1990 – December 1995[1] |
| Assembly | Japan:Sagamihara, Kanagawa (Central Motors) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sport car |
| Body style | 3-doorliftbackcoupe |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel-drive |
| Doors | Butterfly |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.5L5E-FHEI4 |
| Transmission | |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,300 mm (90.6 in) |
| Length | 3,860 mm (152.0 in) |
| Width | 1,650 mm (65.0 in) |
| Height | 1,265 mm (49.8 in) |
| Curb weight | 930 kg (2,050 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Toyota AXV-II Concept |
TheToyota Sera (model designation EXY10) is a 3-door2+2liftbackcoupe manufactured and marketed byToyota from 1990 to 1996.[2] It was only officially sold in Japan.
The Sera debuted in 1988 as theToyota AXV-IIconcept car in a near production-ready form, and is noted for its mostly glass roof canopy and itsbutterfly doors, which tilt up and forward when open. A year later, the production-version Sera was presented at the 1989Tokyo Motor Show. A vertically-positioned and electrically-automated model was also shown to demonstrate the butterfly doors and rear hatch in action.
"Sera" is derived from the future tense of the French verb "être," which means "to be."[2]
Released in a single engine configuration and body style, the Sera featured optional configurations for its transmission, brakes, cold climate and sound-system. Toyota marketed three trim versions, marketed asPhases, over its production and marketed the Sera exclusively in Japanese Toyota retail sales channelsToyota Auto Store — as an alternative to theToyota MR2, which was exclusive toToyota Vista Store.
A total of 15,941 were built between February 1990 and December 1995.[1] 15,852 units were registered in Japan. Approx. 30 pre-production cars were used for development purposes.
The Sera came with the 1.5 L (1496 cc)inline 45E-FHEunleaded petrol engine, the largest capacity version of Toyota's E series of engines included in thePaseo and theStarlet. It produced 78 kW (104 hp) and 132 N⋅m (97 lb⋅ft) of torque. This was installed in a front-mount, front wheel drive transverse configuration with electronic fuel injection. All versions came with power assistedrack and pinion steering and either theToyota A242L 4-speedautomatic or the Toyota C155 5-speedmanual transmission. The brakes werevented discs at the front anddrums at the rear, unless fitted with the optionalAnti-Lock Braking system which had vented discs all round.
Mechanically the car is related to both the Paseo and the Starlet, sharing similar floorpans,suspension, steering and brakes.
The Toyota Sera is a 3-doorhatchbackcoupe ofmonocoque steel construction. The Sera'sbutterfly doors are hinged at the top center of the windscreen, and bottom of the A pillar and open forward and up in a manner similar to theMcLaren F1 andSaleen S7 - the McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray cited the Sera as the inspiration of the F1's door arrangement.[3] The weight of each door is primarily supported by a thickgas strut and counterbalanced by a smaller secondary strut inside the door.
Unlike conventional hinged side-opening doors, the butterfly doors can be opened fully in a fairly confined space, requiring only 43 cm (17 in) of lateral clearance. The Sera features windows that curve upward into the 'glass roof' section of the vehicle.
The rear hatch is constructed of a single piece of glass without a supporting steel frame. This, in combination with a steeply sloping front windscreen and glass upper-door/roof panels (a total of six separate glass pieces overall), gives the Sera its distinctive canopy and provides expansive visibility, although the thickB-pillar create a significantblind spot, especially on the driver's side. To deal with its high solar load, air-conditioning and twin removable interior roof panels are standard.
Frontbucket seats feature three point seatbelts and can tilt and slide forward to give access to the rear. The rearbench seat features a fixed central arm rest and either two or three point seatbelts.
In its normal interior configuration (with the back seats up and the parcel shelf in place) the rear cargo area does have a noticeably small opening (52 cm by 82 cm) and an elevated lip necessitating the lifting of luggage quite high before it can be placed inside. However the boot (trunk) is relatively deep and spacious. In addition the rear seats fold down and both the parcel shelf and the rear divider panel (usually in place behind the back seats) can be completely removed, in essence turning the entire rear half of the car into a cargo area. As such the Toyota Sera has a large amount of available storage space for its size. The space-saving spare tire and changing kit are contained in a small compartment below the boot floor.
The Sera/EXY-10 was one of the first cars to featureprojector headlights (though the 1988 AXV-II concept model featured conventional headlights).
Toyota produced the Sera in three distinct trim variants, with either manual or automatic transmission, standard or ABS brakes and regular stereo or Super-Live Sound System ("SLSS") forming the three major choices for buyers. There were also a large number of additional factory options available across the entire production run.
The initial build and the majority of the Sera's total production (around 12,000 of the 15,852 or so cars produced) featured:
Around 2,300 cars of this second trim were produced featuring:
1,550 of the final version of the Sera were manufactured, featuring:
