Japanese Car Auction Find – Limited 2014 Toyota Auris 180GS

Earlier this week we learned about the new Toyota C-HR concept. If you’ll remember, we theorized that the concept would eventually come to production as the new Toyota Auris Cross – a crossover version of the regular Toyota Auris. So, it seemed fitting that we dig up a great-looking Auris for this week’s Japanese car auction find.

What we’re looking at today is an immaculate 2014 Toyota Auris. But, this particular find is unlike any Auris hatchback you’ve ever seen.

What’s that, you say? This car is too sporty to be a conventional Auris hatchback?

You’re absolutely right.

If you look closely at the grille, you’ll see a strange yellow emblem unlike any Toyota logo or any Toyota-affiliated marque. Turns out, this limited edition model was never sold in the US. The auction sheet shown at the bottom of this post reveals that this Auris was built on Toyota’s ZRE186H chassis, which is the same chassis as used in the Toyota Auris RS S in Japan. However, the model is listed as an Auris 180GS, so what’s the deal?

After a bit of research, I learned that this limited edition Auris 180GS was advertised in collaboration with the popular anime franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam. Toyota and the show’s creators even produced an animated advertisement where the series’ antagonist – Char Aznable – is interacting with a cartoon-version of the special edition Toyota Auris:

That explains the strange logo on the grille and the military-style text all around the car’s exterior and interior, as well as the custom floor mats using the same yellow emblem seen on the grille. You can just barely see it beneath the protective floor covering in the interior image below:

Clearly this is a very unique car with a one-of-a-kind design, but what’s running beneath the hood?

The regular 2014 Toyota Auris 180GS is fitted with the larger of the hatchback’s two powertrain options – a 1.8L engine paired with a CVT configured for front wheel drive. This is actually one of Toyota’s newest engines and uses their patented Valvematic system to improve efficiency. Although we couldn’t dig up concrete stats for this specific model, our guess is that this Auris runs on the highest-tuned version of Toyota’s 2ZR-FAE engine, which would mean a power output of 148bhp and 129 lb-ft of torque.

Even if this limited edition Toyota Auris were a regular hatchback, it would still stand out from the crowd because of its pristine 6-rated exterior and A-grade interior. These are literally the highest ratings that a car auction can receive, and the auction sheet below shows a single minor blemish across the car’s entire exterior.

For more information, continue reading beyond the auction sheet for a more detailed translation:

“Grade 6, interior A, first registered January 2014, 180GS Package, FAT, AAC, service book, original AWs, power steering, power windows, original navigation system, airbag, original TV, panorama roof, special body kit navigation system and TV, Modelista lowered suspension sprints, special floor mats, rear view reversing camera, special steering wheel and shift knob and antenna, minor scratches on AWs, minor interior grime, marks as per map.”