am i blind.

[pr0n]

am i going blind or does a Toyota lexen look exactly like a VN commodore?

what is the difference?

[fabz]

Same car just rebadged i think hahahaha good ol toyota

[1vngal]

There were a few small differences like interior, and i they changed some features to the front of the lexcen. Like the grills, etc.

[pr0n]

who would you take it to? toyota or holden for a service :P

[STEALTHY™]

They had statesman lie indicators in the lower part of the bar, and parkers where out indicators are.

The rear garnish (on VN spec, not sure about VP) have a thick white line in the middle (following on from the reverse lights)


VP Brake lights have clear indicators, but i think they buldge outwards, not cool looking at all.

Also they were top of the line luxuary, same as calais i think.

Btw this was a trade between toyota and holden, and the other part of the deal was Camrys rebadged as Holden Apollo's.
It was on 2 different model camrys, so i assume thats the VN/P and then VR for como's, not sure if there were any VS spec ones.

[1vngal]

They had statesman lie indicators in the lower part of the bar, and parkers where out indicators are.

The rear garnish (on VN spec, not sure about VP) have a thick white line in the middle (following on from the reverse lights)


VP Brake lights have clear indicators, but i think they buldge outwards, not cool looking at all.

Also they were top of the line luxuary, same as calais i think.

Btw this was a trade between toyota and holden, and the other part of the deal was Camrys rebadged as Holden Apollo's.
It was on 2 different model camrys, so i assume thats the VN/P and then VR for como's, not sure if there were any VS spec ones.

My dad had VP one, and it had power mirrors and central locking. It didn't have any other fancy features though. Just those two.

[STEALTHY™]

hmm, its listed as between a Berlina LX and a Calais, and both have all 4 power windows cruise etc, so i just figured the toyotas would have the same

maybe its a series 1 when berlinas (not the LX) had just front power windows, and some didn't even have that

[kowan]

am i going blind or does a Toyota lexen look exactly like a VN commodore?

what is the difference?

shhhhhhhh!!!!! ....If you pull the centre steering wheel pad off, the left side top of glovebox tag, rip up the carpets find the spec sheet, remove the front grill, change the front orange indicators, remove the badges on the back boot lid. Then just maybe, you may get away with having a real car.....mmmmmm Commodore

[STEALTHY™]

not exactly, they have different side mouldings too.

[1vngal]

hmm, its listed as between a Berlina LX and a Calais, and both have all 4 power windows cruise etc, so i just figured the toyotas would have the same

maybe its a series 1 when berlinas (not the LX) had just front power windows, and some didn't even have that

You might be right. It was a '92 model. But I'd say it were more of a Berlina than a Calais. It had everything apart from power windows, from memory. It had an electric antenna, and the ones I mentioned before.

[kowan]

not exactly, they have different side mouldings too.

ok I missed that one....oh buggar

[vy_storm]

Btw this was a trade between toyota and holden, and the other part of the deal was Camrys rebadged as Holden Apollo's.
It was on 2 different model camrys, so i assume thats the VN/P and then VR for como's, not sure if there were any VS spec ones.

There was also a trade off between the corolla and nova wasn't there?

[1vngal]

There was also a trade off between the corolla and nova wasn't there?

Yep. And Camry and Apollo.

[hakhawk]

helped a bloke out yesterday and today with an antenna for his lexcen, unsure if it was vn or vp, but i noted it didnt have electric windows or climate or anything, so they mustve got povo packs aswell.

i remember back in about 2000, i was in mildura and dad was working as a mechanic up there, this dude had a nice looking vn aero, v8, the works, turns out it was a lexcen with all the changes done, looked schmick as!!

at one stage, you could buy a lexcen with all the elecs for cheaper than a exec commodore of same year, so people were dropping in v8s and kitting them, non the wiser to any onlooker.

now it seems theyve realised the lexcens have those extras and they still want heaps at car yards compared to a holden equivalent

[1vngal]

They do go for a fair bit more, Dad traded his in on a Navara early last year, and that sold for $6,000 through the car yard! (I still can't believe someone paid that much for it, but it was in REALLY good condition.)

[Pretender]

My Vn Lexcen had electric mirrors and a tacho with Berlina trim on the seats and doors. That was it.

[Sphinx]

Ahhh. the lexcen. Badge engineering at its finest. I think from memory the Lexcen was a cross between an exec and a berlina, where the Newport was more a calais spec.

[Bent_6]

The lexcen was available in either GL/VXi or GLX/Newport form. the former being the povo pack/berlina styled and the latter the Calais equivalent.
There ws also a CSi available from 91 equivalent to exec.
As mentioned the differences were;
the front bar- indicators in bar
Front gaurds- had sloped shaped cutouts for the parker lights to wrap around further similar to VP's
Tail lights and garnish, mouldings, they had tacho dash standard, the speedo facia has orange increment markings for speeds over 100k's like the SV21 Camry, whereas Commy's have the thin orange strip around the outside of the speed markings.
Im fairly sure they had central locking and immobiliser standard.
And they were available in VS form too although we had 4 on our Toyota yard in 96, all with dead batteries because they couldn't be sold.

From what i remember it was a deal they did because the Camira was a joke and Holden needed something to fill the mid car void it left.
They bought a heap of SV21 Camry's although not injected but carbied from Toyota to sell as Apollo's and also the Corolla badged as Nova and in return Toyota got the Commy badged Lexcen.
Needless to say Toyota got out of that when peeople clicked on that Toyota parts were rediculously priced and might aswell buy the genuine article from Holden.

[Pretender]

My VN Lexcen had white increment markings for the whole dash, orange front indicator lenses which could be exchanged with the clear Commodore lenses (I tried it), no indicators in the front bar, no central locking and no standard immobiliser. My model designation was "Deluxe".

All early model Apollos were the fuel injected two litre, carby models were Toyota only base model. I believe Holden did have some carbied Novas in 1991 but I could be mistaken.

Buying Lexcen/Commodore, Corolla/Nova and Apollo/Camry parts were generally cheaper through Toyota for all but major mechanical parts for the Lexcen (at least here in WA).

[Bent_6]

My VN Lexcen had white increment markings for the whole dash, orange front indicator lenses which could be exchanged with the clear Commodore lenses (I tried it), no indicators in the front bar, no central locking and no standard immobiliser. My model designation was "Deluxe".

All early model Apollos were the fuel injected two litre, carby models were Toyota only base model. I believe Holden did have some carbied Novas in 1991 but I could be mistaken.

Buying Lexcen/Commodore, Corolla/Nova and Apollo/Camry parts were generally cheaper through Toyota for all but major mechanical parts for the Lexcen (at least here in WA).

Cool man, i only worked for Toyota, and i doubt your car has ever had the front bar replaced, but looking at the TWO LEXCENS in u pull it yesterday, i struggle to see how your bar isnt a VN bar.
I rescently took a Tacho dash from one of these Lexcens because for some reason they dont get attacked as quick as the Commy, and it was different to my standard Commy one as i mentioned.
It also had an orange circuit panel on the back whereas the VN one is blue.
I simply swapped the speedo card from my dash to the tacho dash for looks.
And also the Apollo in SV21 form did have a carbied 2.0l motor but then again ive only worked on too many to count. The JL was the first Apollo to get the Injected motor across the board, same as the JK in shape but not released until 91.

If you take a look in cars guide.com under lexcen you will find two VN lexcens, one has GL on the ad one has VXi, one photo shows the orange speedo and one shows the indicators in the front bar, they are 89-91 models, also one has side repeaters.
One has the front bar like yours but im thinking it was proberbly stacked and was replaced with VN parts because they are more readily available, although some very early examples may have been just rebadged, but they would be very early and very limited too.

[Pretender]

No My front bar had never been replaced.

VN Lexcens were released only as a GL and a GLX, the VXi first showed up in the VP. The first model with the indicators in the front bar and the odd shaped taillights is also the VP from November 91.

VN Lexcens used the same front and rear bar as the Commodore.

The only differences between the two was the grille, badging (interior and exterior), different coloured front indicators, painted rear garnish standard on Lexcen, different trim material and all Lexcens had electric mirrors and Tacho dash. That is all for the VN.
You are clearly referring to the VP.


I was not aware Apollos ran the carby version so I have learned something new, thanks for that.

[VLDavo]

lol it was funny that the lexcen was so much cheaper yet virtualy the same car, people who wanted the commo looks without the price tag where buying lexcens swapping the different items to be the same as the holden and still come off cheaper then to buy the commodore

[Bent_6]

No My front bar had never been replaced.

VN Lexcens were released only as a GL and a GLX, the VXi first showed up in the VP. The first model with the indicators in the front bar and the odd shaped taillights is also the VP from November 91.

VN Lexcens used the same front and rear bar as the Commodore.

The only differences between the two was the grille, badging (interior and exterior), different coloured front indicators, painted rear garnish standard on Lexcen, different trim material and all Lexcens had electric mirrors and Tacho dash. That is all for the VN.
You are clearly referring to the VP.


I was not aware Apollos ran the carby version so I have learned something new, thanks for that.

I thought you said yours was a deluxe?

[Pretender]

I thought you said yours was a deluxe?

Yes it was badged (or stickered) as a Deluxe. I could never find any info on this designation but my car appeared to have less extras than other JC member's GLs. Maybe it was a Dealer Special.