What is this oddity, and why are we featuring it here?
This is a Toyota Sera produced for the Japanese domestic market. And while some of its headline specs (front-wheel drive and 108 hp) don’t exactly scream “legendary,” its design was nothing short of revolutionary for a car of its kind. After all, it served as inspiration for the genre-defining McLaren F1 supercar.
What is the connection between a low-powered, FWD Toyota and one of the most iconic supercars ever?
It’s all in those doors. Gordon Murray, the designer of some of the most iconic F1 cars in existence and, of course, the legendary McLaren road car, was so inspired by the Toyota Sera’s door design that he ultimately replicated it – you can see the influence, even down to the smaller port-hole like electric windows.
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The dihedral (aka butterfly – not gullwing) doors of the Sera were engineered in such a way that they were easy to open and close, stayed within the footprint of the car (ideal for tight parking spots) and didn’t clout the curb in operation. Extra thought was put into the driver’s door, which opens just a bit wider than the passenger side so as to compensate for the added gymnastics that would otherwise have to employed to get around the steering column.
But it’s not just the way the doors open when we marvel at the design. Something that the McLaren F1 didn’t replicate was the glass bubble roof – a feature that was confined to many a concept car, but never really made it onto a production line model. In a world where panoramic windscreens and sunroofs are now commonplace, still, no one does glass quite like this.
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So, what exactly was the target market for this car?
Whatever it was thought to be, it wasn’t as big as what Toyota expected. It’s reported that The Sera was conceived as an alternative to the MR-2, but that seems like a stretch. Sales fell short of expectations, and although 16,000 units were made, the vast majority of these were produced in the 12 months following the car’s 1990 launch. The Sera remained available until 1995, but production was in considerably smaller batches after 1991. The fact that the Sera was sold only in Japan certainly didn’t help.
Perhaps the Sera was ahead of its time; to my eyes, it passes as a product of the 2000s rather than the early ’90s. Or perhaps its futuristic styling was writing cheques that cars’ humble underpinnings couldn’t quite cash.
And what underpinnings were those?
Well, the Toyota Starlet / Passo / Tercel. Now granted, Honda’s CR-X followed a similar philosophy, but arguably, the Civic it was based on was an all-around better drive, and you got the sweet-revving B-Series engines for good measure.
Get behind the wheel of the Sera and all the controls will indeed feel like your standard Toyota from the era. This is both a plus and a minus. For those who want an easy-to-drive car that looks the business, then this would have been the ideal option. The steering is light but not uncommunicative, and the car handles as competently but perhaps as uninspired as a 90s Toyota hatch would.
Now, strictly speaking, the engine wasn’t exactly what was found in the conventional Starlet / Passo / Tercel. The 5E-FHE had a higher compression, and a redline that was raised to 7,200 rpm (7,900 in later models). However, with most cars featuring the same slow-witted gearbox found on the commuters, that extra turn of speed was hardly palpable. Our featured car is one of the lucky ones, a factory manual, one of only ~1,000 ever made.
The addition of the five-speed stick shift certainly wakes things up, and you’re able to rev the nuts off the engine at will. Is it fun? Yes, loads. Is it fast? Decidedly not. It certainly adds engagement to the experience in the way that the addition of a manual ‘box to any application usually does. However, the Sera still undeniably lacks the chassis of a true sportscar.
Does that mean that it’s a car for posers?
Not quite. As a retro curio, whatever dynamic shortcomings are instantly forgiven thanks to that unique styling. Sitting in the cabin feels every bit as futuristic as you’d expect. It’s far more spacious inside than any two-door coupe I can remember, and the wraparound glass adds a level of airiness that no modern panoramic sunroof could ever.
A lot of thought was put into the nuances of having this much glass in the cabin too. There’s evidence that the A/C system was beefed up to handle the added UV rays, and there’s a factory-applied tint (with a Sera logo etched into it) that helps cut down on the heat, too. And if that’s not enough, Toyota supplied the car with removable sunshades for the uppermost portion of the glass.
See Also: Here’s Why The JDM Toyota Sera Is Worth Importing To The U.S.
It’s these little engineering details that set the Sera apart as a showcase of what Toyota could do, rather than just a car based on looks alone. The options list almost confirms this, too, with an optional sound system with rotating speakers for different sound modes.
It may not have been a hit with buyers, but three decades later there’s so much worth talking about the Toyota Sera. And to be honest, I’m wondering if it would have been more of a success had it had a wider release beyond the shores of Japan. Looking at how many managed to escape the home shores via grey imports, like this example, it’s clear there was some kind of demand overseas.
It’s kinda true that we don’t see cars like this anymore
Outside of Japan, Toyota is best known for its sensible offerings. But in its home country, they weren’t afraid to experiment. Perhaps that concept is being challenged by Morizo San’s indefatigable desire for the company to be less boring. But sometimes it’s not just about making fast cars and anime shows. It’s about creating some of the weird and wacky ones too – cars that perhaps don’t make sense, but allow a company’s designers and engineers to express their creativity. I think that description fits the Sera. And I doubt we’ll see anything like it again, though I’d be happy for Toyota, or any other brand, to prove me wrong.
