When it came time to replace his fourth-generation Toyota Starlet GT Turbo there was not much choice for Mike Chin: a 1998 Toyota Starlet Glanza V, the fifth-generation successor.

“I’ve always liked the Glanza,” Chin told Auto.

The car was bought stock, but after two years of ownership Chin has stamped his creativity on it visually and performance-wise. The first thing to go was the colour. The OEM black paint was removed for a fresh custom shade of grey. The paintwork was extended to the centres of the 15-inch Aerospeed rims. Their deep dish and the lowered chassis give off the current stance look that’s so popular on the street now.

With the looks out of the way Chin told Auto he moved to unlocking the speed for which the car is known. Like the paint, the original 1.3-litre engine was dumped in favour for its larger 1.5-litre variant, but filled with strengthened internal parts before being installed. The increases continued as a turbocharger, set of injectors, and an intercooler, all larger than their factory items were put to task to create 230hp to the wheels at 15 pounds of boost pressure. The stock ECU was replaced by a Megasquirt standalone unit, which gives Chin consummate control over the fuel and ignition requirements to keep the engine healthy.

“It also gives me boost control, anti-lag, and launch control,” he explained.

Putting all this power to the front wheels required the drivetrain and suspension to be strengthened.

“It’s my daily driver and drives great.”

For that, the interior is kept simple with just the basics to keep him informed on oil and boost pressure. An Innovate wideband gives him real-time updates on air/fuel ratio, while a HKS turbo timer kicks in to cool the turbocharger down when the vehicle is switched off.

For now, Chin is happy with the Glanza, but eventually hopes to do a few more modifications to squeeze some more power from the set-up.

“I’m going to get a bigger turbocharger, which is going to require dual blow-off valves and a larger throttle body,” he advised Auto.