I have a 2000 Celica GT-S 6-speed that I bought new.
Before we go any further.. The empeg fits nicely. Heh.
In general, I think this is an excellent car. Good power, very light.. the factory tires (tyres, for you? Heh.) are quite good, but I'm rolling on Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Positions now, and they were a big improvement.
It's true that you have to shift just after the redline if you want to stay on the second cam profile.. but how often do you really need peak acceleration? Myself, I'm not burning it up at the stoplight every day on the way to work. If you are, this may not be the perfect car for you. Still, 0-100kph in 6.7 or so is pretty zippy.
My biggest problem is that like all Toyotas, there are some creaks and rattles. I'm particularly sensitive to this, though.. You may not notice. For reference, I think my mother's Audi A6 has rattles.
If you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I've been driving this thing daily for four years now, so I'm pretty familiar with it.