Recent from talks
Toyota 7
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Toyota 7
The Toyota 7 was a series of racing cars developed by Toyota Motor Company in cooperation with Yamaha Motor Corporation. Designed primarily for use in FIA Group 7 competition, it was Toyota's first purpose-built racing car project.
The first iteration of the Toyota 7, known by the internal code 415S, began development in the second quarter of 1967. Jiro Kawano, the head of Toyota's motorsports activities and the lead engineer of the 2000GT, once again collaborated with Yamaha to develop and construct the Toyota 7. Yamaha constructed the 415S' aluminium monocoque chassis. The initial bodywork was similar to other Group 7 cars, with an open two-seater cockpit and large intakes behind the doors. Exhaust pipes were placed directly on top of the engine, exiting straight off the tail of the car - mimicking the exhaust layout of the Ford Indy V8. A simple rollhoop protected the driver. Toyota designed a new aluminium-block V8 engine, the 3-litre 61E. This engine was capable of producing up to 224 kW (300 hp; 304 PS), thanks to the addition of a dual overhead cam design and four valves per cylinder. Thanks to an amendment in the FIA sporting regulations for 1968, Toyota's 3-litre engine would also be eligible to compete in the FIA International Championship for Makes under the Group 6 Sports Prototype regulations.
The first 415S chassis was completed in January, and made its testing debut on 3 February 1968 at Suzuka Circuit. Testing then moved to Fuji Speedway on 4 March. While the 61E powerplant was being completed, the 415S tested with the two-litre, six-cylinder 3M engine from the 2000GT. On 28 March, the 61E engine was installed in the 415S for the first time. During testing, it was discovered that rivets holding the 415S' monocoque structure together would start to loosen under lateral load, compromising the car's rigidity. More reinforcement structures were added in response, resulting in the car being much heavier than its initial 680 kg figure. Testing continued through April, as Team Toyota carried out race simulations, and Yamaha purchased a Ford GT40 as a reference vehicle.
Four 415S made their debut at the 1968 Japan Grand Prix Car Race at Fuji Speedway, for drivers Shihomi Hosoya (red, number 1), Sachio Fukuzawa (green, number 2), Hiroshi Fushida (white, number 3), and Yoshio Otsubo (cream, number 5). The 61E engine in the 415S proved to be much less powerful than the Chevrolet small block V8 engines powering their main rivals, the new Nissan R381, and the Lola T70s fielded by Taki Racing Organisation. The added weight from testing also meant that the car was much heavier than the two-litre sports prototypes, including Taki Racing's Porsche 910 and 906, and the Nissan R380-IIIs. Fukuzawa was the fastest Toyota in time trials, qualifying sixth with a lap of 1:56.21. His time, however, was two seconds slower than the 415S' fastest time from preseason testing, and over five seconds slower than the fastest time set by Kunimitsu Takahashi in his R381.
In the race, Fushida was running sixth when he suffered a puncture, while Otsubo was suffering from a lack of oil pressure. After half-distance, Fukuzawa was running in second place, and Hosoya, who started tenth, was running fourth. However, Hosoya retired on Lap 44 from an overheating issue, and Fukuzawa suffered suspension and driveshaft failures on Lap 59, completing enough laps to be classified fourteenth. Fushida and Otsubo recovered from their early troubles to finish the race. Otsubo finished eighth, five laps down, and Fushida finished ninth, six laps down. Although the 7s finished, they were well behind their main competitor, Nissan, who had not only two new R381s, but also three older R380-IIIs finish ahead of them in the top six, led by the R381 of race winner Moto Kitano. Taki Racing's two-litre Porsches, led by runner-up Tetsu Ikuzawa in second, also finished ahead of Otsubo and Fushida.
The 415S continued racing in endurance races and other domestic events. Hosoya scored the 415S' first competition victory on 30 June at the All-Japan Suzuka Auto Racing Tournament, leading a sweep of the top four positions with Otsubo second, Mitsumasa Kanie third, and Fushida fourth. Fushida and Kanie won the second annual Fuji 1000km on 21 July, and two weeks later on 4 August, Hosoya and Otsubo won the Suzuka 12 Hour Race, in a 1-2 finish ahead of Fushida & Kanie. Fushida then won the second All-Japan Suzuka Auto Racing Tournament on 25 August. On 23 September, Fukuzawa and Fushida took a dominant victory in the third annual 1000km Suzuka.
An invitational 200-mile (320 km) race was held at Fuji on 23 November, the inaugural World Challenge Cup Fuji 200 Mile Race, which became known colloquially as the "Japan Can-Am" race. Toyota entered five 415S, with newcomer Minoru Kawai (number 35) joining Japan Grand Prix drivers Fushida (#31), Fukuzawa (#32), Otsubo (#33), and Hosoya (#34). The field featured several top drivers from the Can Am series in America, as well as two Lola T70s entered by Taki Racing.
While Peter Revson's Shelby American McLaren M6B-Ford took the win after battling Mark Donohue's Sunoco Special McLaren-Chevrolet, Fukuzawa finished fourth as the highest-ranked Japanese driver, earning ¥1,152,000 from the prize purse. Otsubo finished fifth, Hosoya sixth, Fushida eighth, and Kawai ninth, as all five Toyotas made it to the end of the race around Fuji's shorter 4.3 km course (run counter-clockwise).
Hub AI
Toyota 7 AI simulator
(@Toyota 7_simulator)
Toyota 7
The Toyota 7 was a series of racing cars developed by Toyota Motor Company in cooperation with Yamaha Motor Corporation. Designed primarily for use in FIA Group 7 competition, it was Toyota's first purpose-built racing car project.
The first iteration of the Toyota 7, known by the internal code 415S, began development in the second quarter of 1967. Jiro Kawano, the head of Toyota's motorsports activities and the lead engineer of the 2000GT, once again collaborated with Yamaha to develop and construct the Toyota 7. Yamaha constructed the 415S' aluminium monocoque chassis. The initial bodywork was similar to other Group 7 cars, with an open two-seater cockpit and large intakes behind the doors. Exhaust pipes were placed directly on top of the engine, exiting straight off the tail of the car - mimicking the exhaust layout of the Ford Indy V8. A simple rollhoop protected the driver. Toyota designed a new aluminium-block V8 engine, the 3-litre 61E. This engine was capable of producing up to 224 kW (300 hp; 304 PS), thanks to the addition of a dual overhead cam design and four valves per cylinder. Thanks to an amendment in the FIA sporting regulations for 1968, Toyota's 3-litre engine would also be eligible to compete in the FIA International Championship for Makes under the Group 6 Sports Prototype regulations.
The first 415S chassis was completed in January, and made its testing debut on 3 February 1968 at Suzuka Circuit. Testing then moved to Fuji Speedway on 4 March. While the 61E powerplant was being completed, the 415S tested with the two-litre, six-cylinder 3M engine from the 2000GT. On 28 March, the 61E engine was installed in the 415S for the first time. During testing, it was discovered that rivets holding the 415S' monocoque structure together would start to loosen under lateral load, compromising the car's rigidity. More reinforcement structures were added in response, resulting in the car being much heavier than its initial 680 kg figure. Testing continued through April, as Team Toyota carried out race simulations, and Yamaha purchased a Ford GT40 as a reference vehicle.
Four 415S made their debut at the 1968 Japan Grand Prix Car Race at Fuji Speedway, for drivers Shihomi Hosoya (red, number 1), Sachio Fukuzawa (green, number 2), Hiroshi Fushida (white, number 3), and Yoshio Otsubo (cream, number 5). The 61E engine in the 415S proved to be much less powerful than the Chevrolet small block V8 engines powering their main rivals, the new Nissan R381, and the Lola T70s fielded by Taki Racing Organisation. The added weight from testing also meant that the car was much heavier than the two-litre sports prototypes, including Taki Racing's Porsche 910 and 906, and the Nissan R380-IIIs. Fukuzawa was the fastest Toyota in time trials, qualifying sixth with a lap of 1:56.21. His time, however, was two seconds slower than the 415S' fastest time from preseason testing, and over five seconds slower than the fastest time set by Kunimitsu Takahashi in his R381.
In the race, Fushida was running sixth when he suffered a puncture, while Otsubo was suffering from a lack of oil pressure. After half-distance, Fukuzawa was running in second place, and Hosoya, who started tenth, was running fourth. However, Hosoya retired on Lap 44 from an overheating issue, and Fukuzawa suffered suspension and driveshaft failures on Lap 59, completing enough laps to be classified fourteenth. Fushida and Otsubo recovered from their early troubles to finish the race. Otsubo finished eighth, five laps down, and Fushida finished ninth, six laps down. Although the 7s finished, they were well behind their main competitor, Nissan, who had not only two new R381s, but also three older R380-IIIs finish ahead of them in the top six, led by the R381 of race winner Moto Kitano. Taki Racing's two-litre Porsches, led by runner-up Tetsu Ikuzawa in second, also finished ahead of Otsubo and Fushida.
The 415S continued racing in endurance races and other domestic events. Hosoya scored the 415S' first competition victory on 30 June at the All-Japan Suzuka Auto Racing Tournament, leading a sweep of the top four positions with Otsubo second, Mitsumasa Kanie third, and Fushida fourth. Fushida and Kanie won the second annual Fuji 1000km on 21 July, and two weeks later on 4 August, Hosoya and Otsubo won the Suzuka 12 Hour Race, in a 1-2 finish ahead of Fushida & Kanie. Fushida then won the second All-Japan Suzuka Auto Racing Tournament on 25 August. On 23 September, Fukuzawa and Fushida took a dominant victory in the third annual 1000km Suzuka.
An invitational 200-mile (320 km) race was held at Fuji on 23 November, the inaugural World Challenge Cup Fuji 200 Mile Race, which became known colloquially as the "Japan Can-Am" race. Toyota entered five 415S, with newcomer Minoru Kawai (number 35) joining Japan Grand Prix drivers Fushida (#31), Fukuzawa (#32), Otsubo (#33), and Hosoya (#34). The field featured several top drivers from the Can Am series in America, as well as two Lola T70s entered by Taki Racing.
While Peter Revson's Shelby American McLaren M6B-Ford took the win after battling Mark Donohue's Sunoco Special McLaren-Chevrolet, Fukuzawa finished fourth as the highest-ranked Japanese driver, earning ¥1,152,000 from the prize purse. Otsubo finished fifth, Hosoya sixth, Fushida eighth, and Kawai ninth, as all five Toyotas made it to the end of the race around Fuji's shorter 4.3 km course (run counter-clockwise).
Recent media