Toyota 2000 GT

Toyota
2000GT
Production period:	1967-1970
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Combi coupe
Engines:	Otto engine : 2.0 liters (110 kW)
Length:	4175 mm
Width:	1600 mm
Height:	1170 mm
Wheelbase :	2330 mm
Empty weight :	1145 kg

The Toyota 2000GT was a sports car from the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota , which was largely co-developed by the motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha Motor .

history

Toyota 2000GT (1969)

The model was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965 . The production time was between 1967 and 1970. The model is traded by today's automobile collectors at very high prices, as only 351 units of the vehicle were produced.

The exterior of the Toyota 2000GT is determined by its curved lines, the magnesium wheels, the pop-up headlights and the so-called "double-bubble" roof shape (roof sections bulging over the driver and front passenger), which are also used in subsequent models - such as B. the GR Supra (2019) - were used. The two unusual side flaps behind the front wheel arches, which should facilitate maintenance, also catch the eye.

The backbone of the 2000 GT manufactured by Yamaha was a central tubular frame that was forked at the front and rear . An in-line six-cylinder engine with two overhead camshafts and a displacement of 1,988 cm³ worked under the long bonnet . It delivers a maximum of 150 hp (152 hp, 112 kW) at 6600 min ^-1 . The manual gearbox has 5 gears, the power is transmitted to the rear axle via a cardan shaft. Disc brakes all around were used for deceleration; the front and rear independent suspension on double wishbones with coil springs provided the comfort desired by the Americans. With the streamlined body, the Toyota 2000GT reached a top speed of 220 km / h.

The last vehicles made in 1969/70 had enlarged front indicators and rear side marker lights.

A replica reminiscent of the Toyota 2000 GT has been built by the Japanese car manufacturer Duesen Bayern since 2009 . The vehicle parts and engines are manufactured by local automotive parts suppliers from Nagoya , who also supply the nearby Toyota plant.

World records and racing successes

Toyota started with the 2000GT with a third place at the Grand Prix of Japan 1966. In June 1966 the first endurance race of Japan over 1,000 kilometers took place in Suzuka. The first two places each went to a 2000GT. In 1967 it was the winning vehicle in the Fuji 24-hour race. In addition, some of the cars set three FIA world records and 13 international records for speed and endurance on the high-speed test track at Yatabe in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo.

The record-breaking vehicle was destroyed in another speed test and eventually scrapped. The FIA ​​world records achieved did not last long, as Porsche broke these records with a specially prepared 911R .

World record	Average speed km / h	old record  km / h (through)
72 hours	206.02	202.21 (Ford Comet)
15,000 km	206.04	201.75 (Ford Comet)
10,000 miles	206.18	200.23 (Ford Comet)

International records	Average speed km / h	old record km / h (through)
6 hours	210.42	202.39 (Cooper)
1,000 miles	209.65	186.59 (Porsche)
2,000 kilometers	209.45	186.13 (Porsche)
12 hours	208.79	186.25 (Porsche)
2,000 miles	207.48	164.15 (triumph)
24 hours	206.33	164.33 (triumph)
5,000 kilometers	206.29	164.91 (triumph)
5,000 miles	204.36	164.94 (triumph)
48 hours	203.80	165.02 (triumph)
10,000 kilometers	203.97	165.02 (triumph)
72 hours	206.02	153.09 (triumph)
15,000 kilometers	206.04	121.889 (AC Cobra)
10,000 miles	206.18	111,201 (Jacco Rosalie)

The Texas racing legend Carroll Shelby also wanted to prepare some 2000GTs for racing in the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) in the C-category (production car). First, Shelby built three cars, including one as a reserve. In addition to Dave Jordan, the pilot Scooter Patrick , who regularly reached the finish, stood out in the races . Despite performing well, 1968 was the only season the 2000GT competed in the United States. Toyota took one of the vehicles back to Japan and converted it into a replica of the destroyed record-breaking vehicle. Shelby's two remaining vehicles survived in the United States.

1968 SCCA Class C results

run	meeting	place	placement
1	25.02.	Las Vegas	2 + 4
2	10.03.	Willow Springs	3
3	March 31	Tucson	3 + 4
4th	04/21	Stuttgurt	1 + 2
5	June 24th	Saint Louis	2
6th	07.07.	River Side	2 + 3
7th	07/21	San Diego	3 + 5
8th	April 8th	River Side	3
9	08/26	Salt Lake City	-
10	08/31	War bonnet	1 + 2
11	09.09.	Mid Ohio	1 + 2
12	15.09.	Odessa	2 + 5
13	13.10.	Phoenix	2
14th	11/23	River Side	4th

The 2000 GT in the film

In the movie James Bond 007 - You Only Live Twice , an open copy of the 2000GT played the role of the bond car. The convertible version was a prototype built in two copies especially for the film and was never mass-produced.

gallery

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  Toyota 2000GT Coupe

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  Toyota 2000GT Coupe

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  Toyota 2000GT James Bond convertible

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  Toyota 2000GT dashboard

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  3M DOHC 2.0 liter inline 6 cylinder

literature

• James T. Crowe (ed): Toyota 2000 GT . In: Road & Track Road Test Annual . 1968, pp. 110-113.
• Chauvin, Xavier: Voitures Japonaises 1960–1975 . ETAI, Boulogne-Billancourt 2006. ISBN 978-2-7268-8662-5
• Press kit: Toyota 2000GT from 2004, page 20.

Web links

Commons : Toyota 2000GT  - Album with Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} press kit , Toyota 2000GT from 2004, page 20
2. ↑ TOYOTA 2000GT + SPORTS 800 . Book from 1977, page 155, Japanese