1990 Toyota Eagle

Toyota GTP Mk II

>>> First Toyota GTP car to win a race <<<

"During the 1980's, Toyota had gradually moved up the IMSA ranks with Celicas built and raced by Dan Gurney's All American Racers (AAR).  Having successfully competed in the GTU and GTO categories, the next logical step was the GTP class for full prototypes.

Following a hugely successful, championship winning season with the GTO Celica in 1988, a full GTP program for 1989 received the green light from Japan.  Tasked with the design of the GTP car were engineer Ron Hopkins and aerodynamicist Hiro Fujimori.  Using their initials, the car was officially named the HF89.  Key in GTP design of the day was ground-effect aerodynamics, which AAR had valuable experience with on the team's Indy cars.

Conventional in design, the GTP Mk II was built around an aluminium monocoque, which featured a honeycomb core for reinforcement.  A separate rear subframe was used to mount the engine and gearbox.  Suspension was by double wishbones on all four corners.  Noteworthy was that the springs and dampers were mounted out-board to make more room for ground-effect tunnels.  At the rear, they were mounted almost vertically for this very reason.

The only viable engine Toyota had available was the same four-cylinder, turbocharged engine as previously used on the successful Celica GTO.  Based on a production unit, it displaced 2,140 cc and featured fuel injection, twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder.  It was mated to a Hewland five-speed gearbox.

Clothed in a very clean carbon-composite body, the first example was ready for testing late in 1988.  The best result in 1989 was a second at San Antonio for Juan Manuel Fangio II, while a fourth was the best the GTP car could muster at Del Mar.

During the following winter, development continued and a revised body with additional cooling was fitted to create this car, the HF90.  Reliability had drastically improved and by round four, at Heartland Topeka, Fangio managed to score the program's very first victory, beating Nissan's Geoff Brabham in a straight fight.  The Argentinean would score three more wins and Toyota ended the year third in the manufacturer's standings.

The GTP Mk II would soldier on into the 1991 season, while back at the AAR factory a brand new GTP machine was readied.  Fangio took one more win the the Mk II before he switched to the Mk III late in the season.  With five overall wins in close to three seasons of racing the GTP Mk II provided vital lessons for the development of the GTP Mk III, which would become one of the most successful sports racing cars of all time."

SPECIFICATIONS

Team:  AAR / Toyota
Drivers:  Juan Manuel Fangio II
Chassis Number:  89T004
Engine:  2,140 cc Inline DOHC Turbocharged 4-Cylinder
Horsepower:  768
Torque:  614 ft/lbs
Weight:  2,080 lbs



*Text copied from poster on display

Photographed at the Canepa Motorsports Museum
Scotts Valley, California