Lexus is the premium brand of Toyota, and a Corolla owner from Philadelphia decided to upgrade his ride with a Lexus CT 200h face transplant and oversized alloy wheels that wouldn’t look out of place in a concept car.
The model started its life as a humble ninth-gen Corolla sedan from the 2005 model year. This generation was on sale from 2003 to 2008. Despite the fact that the Lexus CT 200h hatchback is a later model produced between 2010 and 2022, the face transplant looks surprisingly well put together. Mind you, the compact hatchback by Lexus had close ties with the eleventh-gen Toyota Corolla / second-gen Toyota Auris, sharing its underpinnings with their hybrid variants.
Read: Twenty Year Old Toyota Corolla Gets A Makeshift Facelift Bringing It To The 2020s
The Lexus-derived parts include the entire front bumper with the signature spindle grille, the headlights, and the bonnet. Additionally, the front fenders have been modified in order to connect the wider CT 200h face with the less sculpted Corolla doors. The rest of the bodywork remains stock, with the exception of sporty side skirts and rear bumper extensions. Finally, a rear wing has been added to the tailgate. What is really interesting is that the owner didn’t want to confuse people by putting a Lexus badge, so they kept the original Toyota emblem.
Besides the noticeable change at the front, the highlight of this tuned Corolla is the aftermarket alloy wheels – not so much for their seven-spoke design, but for the ultra-low profile tires looking like thin slices of rubber. The wheel arches of the Corolla are having a hard time fitting those wheels which will definitely have a toll on the ride comfort of the four-door sedan.
This ninth-gen Toyota Corolla comes fitted with the usual 1.8-liter engine, sending power to the front axle through an automatic gearbox. According to the listing, it has 116,000 miles (186,683 km) on the odometer and remains in good condition overall. We don’t have information about any mechanical upgrades alongside the Lexus makeover, but it looks like the suspension has been lowered. We also don’t have photos of the interior, but the owner suggests that the car is fitted with an aftermarket audio system.
The Lexus Corolla is listed on Facebook Marketplace for $6,800, with the current owner making it clear that the asking price is non-negotiable. Would you spend that kind of money on a modified 2005 Corolla, or maybe look for a more legitimate Lexus?
