Category | Group 7 | ||
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Constructor | Toyota and Yamaha | ||
Designer(s) | Jiro Kawano | ||
Technical specifications | |||
Chassis | Fiberglass body on aluminium tubular chassis | ||
Suspension (front) | Double wishbone, coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar. | ||
Suspension (rear) | lower wishbones, upper links, trailing arms, coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar. | ||
Engine | 3,000 cc 4,968 cc 90° V8 4 valves per cylinder, DOHC naturally aspirated or twin-turbo Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted |
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Transmission | Aisin 5-speed manual | ||
Weight | 620 kg / 1366.9 lb | ||
Tyres | Firestone Indy | ||
Competition history | |||
Notable entrants | Toyota | ||
Notable drivers |
Minoru Kawai, Hiroshi Fushida, Tetsu Ikuzawa, Shihomi Hosoya Toshiaki Takahashi Vic Elford Hiroyuki Kukidome Sachio Fukuzawa Kiyoshi Misaki |
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Debut | 1968 Japanese Grand Prix | ||
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The Toyota 7 was a racing car developed by Toyota Motor Company and subsidiary Yamaha Motor Corporation. Designed primarily for use in the Japanese Grand Prix, the cars were Toyota's first custom-built racing car, competing under the FIA's Group 7 rules, similar to the Can Am series in North America and Interserie in Europe.
The 7, known by the internal code 415S was developed by Jiro Kawano, who had also developed the 2000GT that Toyota had previously entered in the Japanese Grand Prix. Yamaha constructed the chassis while the new 3.0-litre V8 engine was built by Toyota. The V8 that powered the 7 replaced the straight-six engine used in the 2000GT due to the higher power potential of the larger engine. This engine was capable of producing up to 300 PS, thanks to the addition of a dual overhead cam design and four valves per cylinder. However, the 3.0-litre V8 which was used in the early years was not powerful enough to compete with the Chevrolet and Porsche-powered competitors. This led to the development of a 5.0-litre version, capable of 600 PS (441 kW) at 8,000 rpm. 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. A simple rollhoop protected the driver.
The 7s made their debut at the 1968 Japanese Grand Prix, four entries starting and two of those finishing, taking eighth and ninth places. Although the 7s finished, they were well behind their main competitor, Nissan, who had not only two new R381s, but also three older R380-IIs finish in the top six.Porsche also managed to finish ahead of Toyota with their 906. Toyota entered the 7s in several other Japanese events that year, including the 1000 km Suzuka, where the cars took the top four positions. A 200-mile (320 km) event was held at Fuji against invited contenders from the Can Am series, with five 7s entered; the Toyotas finished fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth.