[GoingTooFast]

Just for the record:

Toyota's First Sports Car - The Sports 800

The road-going Sports 800 was launched alongside the 2000GT at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, having been developed from the Publica saloon. Toyota’s first sports car, it featured a neat, aerodynamic two-seat body with a detachable roof panel. At the front, the recessed lamps with chrome surrounds echoed the styling of its more powerful stablemate.

It was powered by a 790cc flat-twin air cooled engine with twin carburettors and its output of 45bhp enabled a top speed of 155km/h (96mph). Drum brakes were used and the suspension featured double wishbones at the front and a rigid axle at the rear.

Its competition potential was quickly realised and it claimed victory in Japan’s biggest race of the year, the 1965 All Japan Car Club Championship. Tojirou Ukiya’s battle to first place against more powerful competition became a Japanese sporting legend.

Following this early success, the Sports 800 went on to feature regularly in domestic motor sport events. In 1966 the car’s low 9km/litre (25.4mpg) fuel consumption allowed Shihomi Hosoya to finish the Suzuka 500km race without having to stop to refuel, delivering a victory over rivals including the Prince Skyline GT, Nissan Fairlady and Triumph TR4. The same year it achieved a 1-2-3 finish in the GT-1 class in the third Japan Grand Prix, competing against Porsche 911, Lotus Elan and Honda S800 entries.

In 1967 the gallant racer completed a Toyota top three in Japan’s first 24-hour race, following a brace of 2000GTs to the chequered flag and taking the class honours. This was to be the works Sports 800’s competition climax, successfully achieving its ambition of demonstrating the durability of Toyota vehicles. Its achievements had a lasting impact, providing valuable inspiration for Toyota to develop and expand its motor sport activities.

The Sports 800 went out of production in 1969, but privately entered cars continued racing until 1970. The model enjoyed a brief revival in 1977 when it provided the platform for a prototype hybrid power system combining a gas turbine engine with an electric motor. This was the forerunner of today’s Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system which powers the Prius model.