The 10 Coolest Cars Created By Toyota's In-House Tuning Company – CarBuzz

Toyota may have built its reputation on reliable, no-nonsense, affordable vehicles, but the company hasn’t been afraid to think outside the box. It’s released some of the most exciting performance options for on-road driving pleasure and off-road driving domination, but it’s also leaned into its stylish side, particularly in Japan, where its sub-brand Modellista has been giving the brand’s models serious makeovers for over 25 years.

Toyota

Founded

August 28, 1937

Founder

Kiichiro Toyoda

Headquarters

Aichi, Japan

Owned By

Publicly Traded

Current CEO

Koji Sato

This Toyota division was created to help customers trick out their vehicles with new looks and aero that go beyond what the original designers intended, and while the changes are mostly esthetic, they sometimes include some slight performance modifications. These encompass body kits for everything from the lowly Corolla all the way up to the flagship Lexus LS, and everything in between. Modellista has even released some truly bold and stylish recreations that completely re-imagine the original car, and we’ve picked ten of the brand’s best creations and look into what makes them so special.

1

PX-01

Year: 1997

When the division launched the brand in 1997, it shrewdly decided to launch an SUV recreation to capitalize on the SUV/crossover fever that was sweeping through the industry at the time. The PX-01 launched at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, based on the rugged and adventurous Hilux Surf.

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The vehicle was strikingly different, ditching the rectangular headlights for four round units, sporting an exaggerated front bumper, new wheels, a rear wing, and some pretty sweet, squiggly stainless steel running boards. It was a bold, exciting take on an already interesting model, and foreshadowed things to come.

2

PX-12 Napoli

Year: 1998

Built just a year after the PX-01, the PX-12 Napoli took Toyota’s humble Corolla II compact and thrust it into the past with a retro look that feels strikingly reminiscent of the Nissan Pike Concepts. On the outside, the car features a front end with tons of chrome, thanks to the new full-length bumper, and there was an oval grille and round headlights. The metallic hubcaps with a mirror finish are also a nice touch, and the classic colors definitely give it a 1950s or 1960s aesthetic. It was made from 1998 to 2001, and it appears the design could be applied to some sedans as well. It’s a pretty cool concept, but we can’t help but laugh at how much the interior clashes with the exterior.

3

Toyota Altezza Qualitat

Year: 1999

When Toyota was designing the Altezza, it planned for it to be a sport sedan that could hang with the best of its European competitors. The result was a well-proportioned vehicle with elegant styling, a choice of four and six-cylinder powertrains, and rear-wheel drive. This later became the Lexus IS we know and love, but to really give it some character, the company handed it over to Modellista, which unveiled the Qualitat, a clean Altezza with no badging, a new body kit, and gold alloy wheels. It also received a black and red interior to spice things up on the inside. It wasn’t over the top or shouty, but it had just enough character to impress.

4

Toyota Caserta

Year: 2000

When Toyota unveiled the third-generation Toyota MR2, it received some mixed reactions. Performance-wise, it was excellent, with a rev-happy engine and some of the best handling you could find outside European exotics. However, the looks were a bit polarizing, and sales suffered because of it.

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Modellista saw it as the perfect platform to build upon, and it created the Caserta you see above, which features radically different styling that’s reminiscent of European GT coupes of the 1960s. It feels particularly Italian, with some Alfa Romeo and Ferrari vibes going on, and we’re a particular fan of the updated interior and stainless-steel shifter. Only 150 of these coupes were made, and today, they rarely come up for sale.

5

Toyota bB “Street Billet”

Year: 2000

We have always loved the Scion xB, partially because the name is so fun, but also because there was nothing else like it on the market. It was boxy with an attitude, and that design made it one of the most usable vehicles on sale. However, you could tell just by glancing at it that the design had a lot more potential, which is why we love that Modellista helped realize it with the Street Billet kit.

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It added billet-style grilles, chrome trim, flashy wheels, and ambient lighting to turn the vehicle into a tuner lounge. While it was all show and no go, we say it was worth the premium, because this style is worth the price.

6

VM180 Zagato

Year: 2001

If you’re looking at this vehicle and get the impression it bears a striking resemblance to models like the TZ3 Stradale, that’s because it was produced by the same famed Italian coachbuilder. Modellista and Zagato teamed up to create this extensive reworking of the MR2, complete with radically restyled bespoke aluminum body and Zagato’s famous double-bubble roof.

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There are many more lighting elements, the suspension was tuned for better handling, and the interior was completely redesigned as well. As a hand-built, limited-run design, only 100 were ever produced, and today it exists as an even more niche MR-2 variant than the Caserta, and perhaps the most famous Modellista model of all time.

7

Toyota 86 Modellista Version

Year: 2012+

The Toyota 86 was just the sports car we needed when it arrived in the early 2010s here in the US as the Scion FR-S. Everything, from the lightweight design with great balance to the looks, was a hit, and it was the perfect platform for aftermarket styling. Modellista made sure to give it the full treatment starting in 2012, when it started releasing kits that gave the vehicle a more dramatic presence along with a little more character courtesy of some new exhausts. Over the years, these kits expanded and contracted, and one had the ability to order just specific parts, but it was just what the brand’s sports car needed, and we hope the GR86 gets the same treatment soon.

8

Toyota Alphard / Vellfire / Voxy Modellista Editions

Year: 2023+

The Toyota Sienna is a very compelling family option here in the US, but we wouldn’t say it’s particularly striking or stylish. This isn’t the case for the brand’s minivans abroad, however, as they come packed to the gills with luxury features and a comfortable ride, thanks to becoming vehicles of choice for those who want space and style.

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They’re already striking models, but Modellista has taken that a step further with exaggerated body kits that give these barges enough presence to terrify anything in their paths. Each one can be optioned with one of two styles, and all of them are a sight to behold.

9

Toyota Land Cruiser “Overland Vision” Concept

Year: 2024

Modellista has been considering breaking into the US market over the past three years, and it’s been probing interest by the way of a few concepts here and there. One of the most interesting was the Overland Vision concept unveiled at SEMA in 2024, and it takes the brand’s design in a whole new direction. It’s the division’s first off-road concept, and features rugged styling with new wheels, exaggerated bumpers and side skirts, a full-length lightbar, and additions like side luggage carriers and a rear ladder. Based on the US Land Cruiser, it’s something intense, but we feel that a few tweaks could make it a hit here.

10

Toyota bZ4X “Concept Zero” by Modellista

Year: 2025

The final vehicle on this list is a futuristic take on the bZ4X EV, and we definitely think it would help the struggling model pull in some more buyers. This clean design gives the car some serious style, lowering the car substantially and offering much more sculpting down the sides. The aerodynamic wheels give off a Tesla vibe, but all the glowing elements work to draw your attention, especially on the inside, where the lighting branches out like circuitry to give the vehicle a character all its own. It shows Toyota could be pushing the boundaries of its EVs much further, and we’d like to see the company take some risks in this space.

Sources: Toyota, Modellista.