Supra RZ ‘20
The Toyota Supra ended production in 2002 to the dismay of many fans worldwide, but the car made its comeback in the 2019 North American International Auto Show.
This flagship Toyota model, which carries over the inline 6-cylinder engine and rear wheel drive, is headed by chief engineer Tetsuya Tada, who also brought the Toyota 86 to life. Under the slogan “Numbers are one thing, feeling is what matters”, he proceeded to create a car that speaks to the sense of the driver.
Optimally balanced with a 50:50 weight distribution and a low-center of gravity, it provides powerful acceleration with a twin scroll turbo.
The quick handling enabled by the wide body and short wheelbase is a result of a pursuit to achieve an ideal sports car, and its glamorous and elegant form and straight six engine sound combines to gives it an aura that is unrivalled by others.
The GR Supra RZ was developed for not only real motorsports but also with competition in Gran Turismo Sport in mind. The further refined 2020 model will also come in highly anticipated new body colors.
Now on sale in Malaysia, the GR Supra variant retails at RM589,987* exclusively at GR Garage outlets across Malaysia.
FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo Gr.3
Based on the the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo, this variant of the FT-1 is homologated to the Gr.3 Class to be eligible for the Gran Turismo Manufacturer’s Cup.
The designers’ original intention in designing the FT-1 was to unabashedly appeal to the die-hard car enthusiasts. In the same way, the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo Gr.3 is designed for die-hard Gran Turismo fans. The designers focused on keeping the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo Gr.3 authentic for the virtual racetracks of the game, to maximize their driving pleasure.
Because the bones and architecture of the FT-1 already lend itself to cooling and down force through “function-sculpting,” the vision version just needed to be enhanced as a pure racing car. The designers extensively studied racetracks and racecars and applied their research into the styling. A deep sense of rawness is evident in the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo Gr.3, due to its purely function-driven design aesthetics. The fenders and tires are wider for extreme grip on the track. The enlarged air intakes provide increased cooling, and a larger rear wing and additional front canards have been added for even more down force. The rear diffuser has been enlarged with multiple vertical fins, and is moved further back for cleaner airflow.
The FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo Gr.3 looks and feels the way it performs, so the driver can speed through the racetracks with the same sensation and thrill of real racing.
TS050 Hybrid LMP1
The TS050 Hybrid is a prototype racing car, developed by Toyota in 2016 to compete in the LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championships, which includes the famed Le Mans 24-hour race. Two years prior to this, in 2014, Toyota became the series champion in the TS040 Hybrid. In 2015 they ended the season in 3rd place, and the TS050 was developed from scratch to attempt a return to the top once again, which it later conquered Le Mans in 2018 and 2019.
As with its predecessor, the car was still an all-wheel drive hybrid with a MGU in the front and rear wheels, but the powertrain was greatly changed from the previous naturally aspirated 3.7 liter V8 to a twin turbocharged direct injection 2.4 liter V6. The battery was changed from the super capacitor with fast charge and discharge characteristics to a high-power lithium-ion battery developed for racing, with a high-power storage capacity. The total system output, including the engine and front/rear motors, is 986 BHP, making it equal to the TS040 in this respect, but the torque had been increased significantly due to the turbocharging.
Also, the MGU of the front wheels was made more compact, which allowed design changes to redirect the airflow under the car, further improving its aerodynamic performance.
Two TS050 Hybrids participated in the World Endurance Championships from the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. One was driven by Kazuki Nakajima / Sébastien Buemi / Anthony Davidson, and the other car was driven by Kamui Kobayashi / Stéphane Sarrazin / Mike Conway. In 2016 the Kobayashi team showed great speed and were a contender for the Driver’s Championship, but in the end, they finished 3rd in the season rankings, and placing 3rd in the Manufacturer’s rankings. And the finally the breakthrough was achieved with a back-to-back victory at Le Mans in 2018 and 2019 piloted by Fernando Alonso / Sébastien Buemi/ Kazuki Nakajima in the No. 8 car – redeeming Toyota’s 2016 heartbreak final-lap retirement.
Dallara-Toyota SF19
The top-level Formula Racing in Japan, the Super Formula Series switched the chassis of their race cars to the Dallara SF19 for the 2019 Season competition.
The SF19 is a successor to the SF14 that was used from 2014 to 2018, also designed by Dallara of Italy. Carrying over the agile and light weight concept, the new car was made to meet the F1 safety requirement established by the FIA in 2016, including the introduction of the HALO cockpit protection system for improved safety. It also incorporates revisions in its aerodynamics to balance competition and entertainment value, improving controllability when in close proximity to other cars so that it will be easier to overtake.
The car continues to use the NRE engine introduced in 2014. This is a turbocharged 2 litre inline 4 cylinder with direct injection, specially developed by Toyota under a common regulation and sharing the same components such as the turbine and ECU. The maximum output is unchanged at over 542 BHP, but there is a very fierce development competition within the narrow range allowed between the two engine producers.