A few weeks ago someone requested some specific data of the Toyota Carina GT RA63 and of course I did manage to find the data. One of the interesting things I found was that I was able to find the total weight, front weight and rear weights of all Carina A60 models in my data and hence could calculate the weight distribution. So after digging, copy/pasting I made a big overview of all the JDM body types, grades and model codes with their respective weight distribution.
Of course it is not that interesting to dig through each and everyone of them, but there are some nice giveaways. The most interesting is the averages I calculated:
| Bodytype | Average weight | Average front | Average rear | Average distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 1008 | 542 | 464 | 54:46 |
| Coupe | 1058 | 543 | 514 | 51:49 |
| Wagon (Surf) | 1045 | 538 | 507 | 51:49 |
| Van | 1004 | 522 | 482 | 52:48 |
You can conclude from this table that on average the Coupe was the heaviest body style of the Carina A60 lineup but at the same time the best balanced one. Of course the hatch adds a lot of weight to the rear, but also the usage of the IRS semi trailing arms contributes a bit here as the majority of the coupe grades are either ST or GT (both feature the IRS setup).
The sedan doesn’t seem to be very well balanced but that is not entirely true: the CA60 diesel and SA60 gasoline models take up about 35% of the list and those two feature the more heavy engines (1C and 1S) and gearboxes (W51 of the 1C) so the data gets skewed. Still only the lower grade (STD, DX and SG) and GT/GT-R have good weight distribution with the 3A, 2T-G and 4A-GE engine.
The Surf actually seems to be a nicely balanced wagon for cruising even though it only features the 1S engine. On the other hand the body-style borrowed from the Van actually add additional weight to the rear.
Another fun fact is that the more powerful the sports sedan gets the weight distribution gets worse. From bad to worse
AA63 GT/GT-R: 52:48
TA61 GT: 52:48
RA63 GT: 52:48
TA63 GT-T/GT-TR: 53:47
But for the Coupe it is better:
AA63 GT/GT-R: 51:49
TA61 GT: 51:49
RA63 GT: 52:48
TA63 GT-T/GT-TR: 52:48
Still weight distribution doesn’t say anything. If the weight was more over the rear axle than in the front it would still be unbalanced. I think this applies to the Surf and Van that have a lot of overhang. Also it depends a lot on the suspension as well and how that behaves and in this case the IRS is in favor.
All in all the conclusion can be made that the best performing Carina A60 with the best weight distribution is the Carina GT AA63 coupe.
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