Watch a Toyota Comfort GT-Z get a supercar-worthy restoration

The Toyota Comfort GT-Z Supercharger looks like a taxi, but is one of the best sleepers and rarest car Toyota ever made. Only 59 were built and, as the name implies, the base 3S-FE engine was forcibly induced by a Roots type blower, upping power from 110 to 160 horsepower. It’s likely the only car ever to come from the factory with RS-Watanabe 8-spokes. Now, a Hong Kong restoration shop that typically works on high-performance supercars has given one a thorough restoration worthy of the ages.

It is supremely satisfying to watch the restorers at Contempo Concepts meticulously take apart the car, clean it, and then put it back together using nearly every new OEM part still available from Toyota. The car was seemingly well-cared-for during its life in Japan, but most areas still aged in the 20 years since the car was built. There’s nothing like glossy black plastics, crisp white reservoirs, and shiny light lenses to make a car feel new again.

Restorers install new factory-labeled underbody splash guards and fender liners and buy brand-new RS-Watanabes. The interior work is just as impressive, as they appoint it with a fresh dashboard, headliner, plastic trim, carpets and seat belts. No stone is left unturned.

In a sense the job is almost cheating. Because the Comfort GT-Z Supercharger shares so many body parts with the Comfort taxi, many parts are still readily available brand new. The Comfort is the de facto cab for Hong Kong. Out of over 18,000 taxis operating in the city, well over 90 percent are Toyotas. The engine, a longitudinally-mounted 3S-FE, is also one a common four-cylinder, serving as the standard mill for the Camry/Vista sedan for three generations.

However, Many items that were exclusive to the GT-Z, like the rear badge and exhaust, are no longer available new and are thus faithfully restored. Miraculously, the shop was able to source a new GT-Z triple-Omori-gauge center stack and factory TRD seats and steering wheel.

The restoration took about a year, but the video condenses the process down to 30 minutes, set to a light jazz light soundtrack reminiscent of a Gran Turismo loading screen. One thing we should note is that though the video keeps calling it a taxi, the GT-Z was actually based on the Toyota Comfort variant built exclusive for driving schools, which came with the 3S engine standard. That engine never saw duty in a cab. That doesn’t take anything away from the project. The nonstop opening of OEM Toyota bags and boxes is almost orgasmic and the restoration is second to none. It would be interesting to know how much was spent on new parts, but no matter what the cost don’t expect the parts search in your own Toyota rebuild to be this convenient.