If you looked in a dictionary for the definition of a complete car, you’d probably find the word Caldina in there.
A car, a mode of transport. Something primarily used to get us from one point to the other in the comfort of our own privacy. To us enthusiasts however they become more than that, they become an extension of ourselves, our stress reliever, our hobby and sometimes our livelihood. Usually, the car enthusiast buys what is classified as a sports car to satisfy their wants and needs, but this often comes with one or more trade-offs. Loss of practicality due to less doors, smaller boots, lower roofs and tricky clutches. I could go on really. Traditionally you had to either live with it, or buy a second vehicle. But what if there was a solution?
The Toyota Caldina GT-Four may just be that solution, and I’m sure the owners of these two fine examples would agree in a heartbeat. Spending a day with these stunning examples, it’s not difficult to see the appeal of these ever practical, well rounded machines. Ending production in 2007 and taking with it both the wonderful 3S-GTE engine and GT-Four name badge, the third generation Caldina GT-Four really is the jack of all traits, with its attractive looks, 260hp which is more than enough to have some fun day to day, ample space, comfortable ride and butter smooth tiptronic transmission.
Many would refer to these cars as ‘sleepers’ seeing as you get a rather potent amount of power, i.e more than you get in a Celica or any Silvia, in the body of a wagon, but I wouldn’t say so. With all their sharp lines, discreet yet noticeable hood scoops and aero add-ons these cars proudly display their sporting intent, just in a not too shouty sort of way. The aftermarket wheels, aggressive stance and sticker bomb on Lacou’s example do even more to alert the public that no, this isn’t your average grocery getter. Almost none of this is translated into the cabin, though. You’re greeted by comfortable seats, tons of space, well thought out ergonomics, and yet again, I could go on. The only tell-tale signs of being in a performance car is the pillar mounted gauged on Lacou’s vehicle.
I’m sure by now you can see something of a trend here between the two. One mildly low, one really low, one clean, one sticker bombed and draped with purple accessories, one silent and the other demanding attention every time the air rushing out of that sizable turbine is diverted to the atmosphere via it’s HKS SSQ blow-off valve. The same car, with two different persons with different personalities at the helm. I could dive into car culture and individuality, but that’s an entire story in and of itself. What I can say, is that these two Caldinas do a pretty good job at reflecting just the sort of putting the personalities of their owners into something physical. The multiple stickers, add-ons and aggressive stance of Lacou’s example puts his love for aesthetics on full display, not to mention that almost trademark blowoff valve of his. Kahlil is a more down to earth individual, which isn’t difficult to see through his black, silent weapon, with just a splash of white on the factory wheels to help the car stand out. Not that any Caldina needs help standing out with only a handful on island, for now.
So, these being cars of course we can’t go without taking a look at how they drive. At this point with these cars being so different from what the traditional sports car would be described as, you’d expect them to come up a bit short, but no. They may be rather large, they may be built as a wagon and wagon only, but these two are proper sports cars. The intangible surge of power from this turbocharged 4 banger is more than noticeable, it isn’t savage so much as it is relentless. With such a large turbo from factory one would imagine a rather large boost threshold, but the turbo spools up effortlessly and almost immediately. Kudos to you, Toyota. It’s not the sort of power that shoots you down a straight. It’s a wave of forward movement that stays consistent throughout the entire rev range. How about those curvy bits in between the straights? Not an issue for these steroid powered grocery getters. With power evenly distributed to all four wheels and a competent chassis, these cars carve through corners with a surprising ease. Of course the fact that Kahlil has full TRD Sportivo shocks and springs while Lacou has lowering springs coupled with his N Edition shocks helps them to navigate the roads of our little island even better. The brakes leave something to be desired, but without a doubt these prove that you don’t have to give up some late night fun for a family car.
The Toyota Caldina GT-FOUR, truly the jack of all traits. These two, beautiful examples of such an underrated sports car. If you’re 16 and live on the internet the answer to everything may be Miata, but here in the real word, I think the answer to most things may just be Caldina.
Q&A
No one gets up one day and randomly decides: “Hey, I like cars!” So what was the first experience that hooked you into the car scene?
Kahlil: My first experience that brought me into cars was an uncle of mine, you know, who would always work on engines, always had to fix things. From then as a child I was always into finding out how to make things work. I had a lot of toy cars and whatnot back then. I kind of just got into it. I built a love for cars.
Lacou: My love for cars kind of came about, like he said, from toys and especially games. Car games, going fast and I always wanted to experience it for myself.
How did you two end up with the cars you drive, a Caldina GT-FOUR? What made you decide that was the car to have?
Kahlil: Well for me it was that I wanted a Caldina because I’ve seen them and they look pretty nice, and online I requested some samples to see what I would choose. Then I got an example of one that was turbocharged. I was like, “I didn’t know that came in turbo.” So I ordered one that was turbocharged with a sunroof, because I originally wanted the base model with the sunroof. Seeing as I got one that was turbocharged with the sunroof it took me a little longer than expected, as I had to search for quite a while online to get what I wanted. But basically it’s a crossover. You still have the comfort of a regular sized vehicle but with the performance of the turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive.
Lacou: Basically, I love wagons. With the Caldina you get speed, you get style and you get space. I’ve always loved to see them as well. So I figured yeah, I need to get me one of them.
Most people in the local car community have passed at least a couple of vehicles. What cars did you two own previously?
Lacou: Well I’ve had a turbocharged Starlet, 20 valve Corolla wagon then I had a turbocharged Subaru (Legacy) Wagon as well. Then I went to the Caldina, station wagon, turbocharged.
Kahlil: Well my first car was a Sunny GTi, that I took over from my mom. Second was a hatchback Kia Rio, the 1600 one. I love that Kia, because I could make that Kia ‘eat some road.’ From there I went to the Caldina.
It looks and seems like an easy car to live with, but coming from two people who do have to live with it; What are these cars like to use on a day to day basis?
Kahlil: The only downs for me of the car is that I don’t drive it as often as I want to, because I have a vehicle I use full time for work. For me it’s a bit heavy as well, so it’s a bit sluggish on the move off. But once it gets rolling, it’s pretty difficult to follow.
Lacou: Well I’m kind of like him as well. Most times the car is parked and I miss driving my car. So when I get to sit down in it, I really feel like it’s time to get going and have some fun.
Kahlil: The vehicle is easy to drive, you feel everything on the road and you get the feedback that you need from your front tires. It makes you feel like you’re actually driving and it’s not the vehicle driving you.
Modifications are almost a given these days. Do either of you have any future plans for your cars? If so then care to share them?
Kahlil: For me it would be an exhaust system, front mounted intercooler if possible and change of the wheels. Possibly a brake upgrade as well if I can get the right brackets. I would like to upgrade to Brembo front and rear calipers. That would take some modification on my part because I would have to create brackets to fit the original mounts on the vehicle. They would be Brembos for a Celica GT-FOUR, because like I said the vehicle is a bit heavy so you kind of have to stand on the brake for it to stop.
Lacou: Well my upgrades, I’m looking at an exhaust, the wheels, the suspension and probably some boost upgrades. Like a boost controller.
Would you say you two are just casual car enthusiasts? Or you lean more into the serious, hard core types?
Kahlil: I’m somewhat of a serious car enthusiast. I may not have the time to dedicate to going to a lot of the activities and whatnot. Being a car enthusiast comes with having a deep pocket because it is an expensive hobby, so I may not have the available funds all the time to do what I want to do but I basically make the most of what I have and I take care of it. My vehicle is properly maintained, always serviced on time, always clean. I believe in taking care of your machine.
Lacou: It’s a process, it wouldn’t happen overnight. Like he said with you not having a deep pocket you can always go step by step. Especially to your liking. So yes, I’m serious about cars.
Is there a dream car for either of you? A car that you must have come hell or high water?
Kahlil: My dream car is the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI. Has been and always will be, no matter what else I own I must own that as well.
Lacou: I don’t really have a dream car. But once it can go fast then yes, I’ll be there.
Do you have any idea of what could be done to improve the car culture in St. Lucia?
Kahlil: Unity, we need to learn to stop fighting among ourselves. I believe we can move forward if we can just unite. But there is so much back and forth, everybody wants to be in control. Nobody wants to let somebody be at the forefront and take over. Basically, it’s almost like a greed thing. Once we get unity, anything can happen.
Lacou: That’s basically it, unity. Unity with that kind of sport, will go a long way.
