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Toyota Japan Builds It's Own Rally Car


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#1 np93

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 14:24

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/115223

 

So Toyota has gone ahead and developed it's own rally car. With blackjack and hookers apparently. The closing comment of that article does makes me wonder about the fate of not only Cologne's WRC project, but the WEC car as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't TMG design and run both the TS030 and TS040? I'm also confused about how something called Toyota Motorsport GmbH can be so separate from it's parent company that said company design's it's own rally car to apprently spite them?



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#2 muramasa

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 15:36

yeah last paragraph doesnt make much sense. Do they forget the pivot of Toyota is Japan? Directive should come from Japan, nowhere else.

TMG is in charge of WEC and some main stream hi tech motorsport research, and delivery of GT86 CS-R3 to privateers etc. Meanwhile Toyota has full fledged motorsport R&D in Japan as well, dont forget, that's not only designing sports cars like 86 but also making engines for Super Formula and developing Super GT cars, etc. So nothing strange if TMC design and/or build test mule based on 86 and use Makinen racing or whatever outfit to test it, while TMG is doing their own assigned role of WEC and developing and conducting tests using Yaris as well as new customer 86 rally car for delivery. Directive, for many of technologies and components on their WEC cars too, come from Japan as well.

Also from a practical point of view it makes sense to use one of active rally teams and potential future partner that actually is to run the race team for testing their WRC cars. Also it seem Makinen racing have some relationship with Subaru, that's now under Toyota.

So not so strange at all. Looks to me that it's about allocating role and resource.



#3 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 15:43

I think it's better to think of TMG as Toyota Europe rather than Toyota Global, in these examples.

 

And the Makkinen WRC thing sounds like a privateer effort with some factory help?



#4 BRG

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 19:23

It seems to show a real lack of co-ordination to develop two different WRC cars.  Toyota clearly have money to burn even after paying all the claims against them for run-aways etc. The WRC Yaris makes plenty of sense, but I am struggling to see how a GT86 can even be made to meet the WRC rules. It would attract attention of course but will people rush out to by a Yaris, Auris or Avensis becuase they see a GT86 on a rally?



#5 TF110

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 21:25

So tmc falling out of love with tmg, yet the yaris (built by tmg) is scheduled to have another test? That makes 0 sense. Seems likely these are two different projects aimed at rallying but in different classes or groups. The TMG GT86 CS-R3 was just released this week and will partake in rally germany. I dont think theres anything resembling a fallout between the two. Its all controlled by TMC anyway.

#6 Myrvold

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Posted 31 July 2014 - 23:37

Yaris WRC is fitting to the rules that will last until the end of 2016. The GT86 WRC - would be more fitting to the idea of the 2017-> rules.

I'm not so sure that it is so incredible stupid after all.



#7 DanardiF1

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 07:08

Considering the success (okay a Le Mans win still eludes them) that TMG have had with the WEC effort, the last paragraph doesn't seem to make much sense... and seeing as the WRC Yaris has always been and is still an unofficial project, building another car seems absolutely fine, even if it's not built by TMG.

 

Toyota is a huge company with engineers all over the globe, and it'd be a waste to not use those resources on unofficial stuff like this. TMG has got enough to keep them busy with the WEC effort and their other stuff. I don't see this as indicative of anything...



#8 AlexLangheck

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 09:36

Maybe they are just evaluating all possibilities. A Yaris WRC/ R5 , a GT-86 CS-R3 and a GT-86 WRC….

Depending on the future 2017 car regs and/or customer programmes for all cars?

I'd rather see a GT-86 based WRC.... and if the proposed 2017 regs allowing up to segment D cars - this might well be a possibility.


Edited by AlexLangheck, 01 August 2014 - 09:37.


#9 Wingcommander

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 10:07

http://t.co/V1LKRUzLx4

 

There it is.



#10 DanardiF1

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 10:14

Wow. Cool as ****!



#11 muramasa

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 10:20

This 86 car is 4WD, so different config, effectively different car and still very early prototype obviously, whereas GT86 CS is a customer car that's nearly finished and ready to deliver, and Yaris is a testing bed.

That 86 WR car been researched and developed secretly means very little in terms of internal relationship. It's just a strategic choice by Toyota.

as I said above, Toyota Japan has more than enough capability to research and develop a car like this, so nothing strange if Toyota Japan develop this "on its own".

 

Besides Makinen and Subaru relationship is no secret, also it seems he visited Japan earlier this year for an event. This 86 could be as/for Subaru, who knows.

 

They place GT86 and Lexus RC F etc as strategic model to promote motorsports. Maybe joined by new Supra. Interesting time ahead from Toyota actually.



#12 Wingcommander

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 10:31

Talking about Toyota's image... I doubt it would even matter if the GT 86 was slower than the shopping cart Yaris WRC. Because it's sexy. It doesn't matter how many rallies the Polo wins, I still wouldn't buy one because of it's WRC success. But if they had a Scirocco or something... It's all about emotions, and the GT86 would definitely be a step into the right direction.



#13 AlexLangheck

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 11:38

The Manufacturers are in it to sell more cars; in this case Polo, Fiesta, DS3, i20…….

Wow, I must rush down to the forecourt to buy one…… Okay, maybe not….FWD hatches aren’t really doing it for me.

 

However, the GT-86 has got what those cars haven’t.



#14 DanardiF1

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 11:49

The Manufacturers are in it to sell more cars; in this case Polo, Fiesta, DS3, i20…….

Wow, I must rush down to the forecourt to buy one…… Okay, maybe not….FWD hatches aren’t really doing it for me.

 

However, the GT-86 has got what those cars haven’t.

 

That's the point... no-one wants to buy these hatchbacks off the back of their rallying exploits, they buy them because they're affordable and functional. What manufacturers are selling by competing in WRC is that their brand has sporting credentials, and really they don't even need a road car base to use for their racer. They easily create something that is a 'VW' but looks nothing like what they sell as it doesn't really make a difference, especially seeing as you can't buy a 4wd Polo/Fiesta... there is already a split between the road and rally car so why not make the rally car more exciting looking, more like the prototype it is under the skin.

 

That's what Group B had so right... the manufacturers only had to produce a tiny amount of road cars to get their racer homologated, and the cars looked so exotic and wonderful because of that... nowadays, why even bother with the homologation?



#15 BRG

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 16:18

That's the point... no-one wants to buy these hatchbacks off the back of their rallying exploits, 

 

That's what Group B had so right...

 

As I recall, most Gp B cars WERE hatchbacks - 205, Delta, Metro. And the current WRCs are considerably faster than any of the Gp B cars which were frankly pretty primitive devices.