The Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion is one of my favorite automotive events on the calendar. There really is no better way to spend a weekend than track-side at Laguna Seca.
And while you might imagine guys battling it out in antique pre-war machines or sleek sportscars from the ’50s and ’60s, the more contemporary side of motorsport history is also well represented at this annual race meeting.
I’m talking in particular about race group 7A, which features a variety of sportscars and prototypes from the 1980s and early ’90s. It’s an eclectic group which includes everything from Porsche 962s to wide-body Mustangs and rotary-powered Mazdas, and it’s an absolute joy to watch. I’ve selected a few cars from this group for the spotlight treatment, and the first is this IMSA GTO Toyota Celica from 1986.
The Celica is one of many vintage race cars that our friends at Canepa brought out for this year’s reunion, and it looked quite at home parked next the familiar orange and yellow 240Z which was also in attendance.
The IMSA Celicas were famously built for Toyota by Dan Gurney’s AAR outfit, and they represent the pinnacle of 1980s race car goodness with wide bodywork, wide tires and big turbos.
Like most of the cars it competed against, the GTO Celica couldn’t have been more different from its production counterpart. Beneath the lightweight removable bodywork sits a tube chassis car built from the ground up for race use.
While the road car Celicas of this era had already switched over to front-wheel and four-wheel drive platforms, that wasn’t the case with the race car. Out back you’ll find a rear-mounted Hewland transaxle which sends the power to a pair of monster slicks.
And making that power is a race-bred 4T-GTE motor similar to the ones used in many other Toyota race cars, including the automaker’s Group B rally machines.
In this particular application, the heavily boosted four-cylinder is capable of up to 600 horsepower, and it’s powering a car that weighs around 2,000lbs.
This Celica has popped up many times over the years, but to see out there on the race track battling against the same cars it did in the ’80s was quite special – and one more reason why the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion is such an unforgettable event every year.
Next time the flashback will continue with more spotlights from group 7A, including a flame-spitting RX-7 and a very unusual Ford Mustang. But in the meantime, check out the video below of the #99 IMSA GTO Celica being raced by Willy T. Gibbs in 1987 at Circuit Del Mar in San Diego, to get an in-car taste of what these Toyotas were all about.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: japanifornia_media
mike@speedhunters.com
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
That white second-gen Trans Am is sweet, and I love the transaxle-mounted alternator in the Celica.
That white second-gen Trans Am is sweet, and I love the transaxle-mounted alternator in the Celica.
That white second-gen Trans Am is sweet, and I love the transaxle-mounted alternator in the Celica.
My mother had a red Celica exactly the same as this in the early 90's, when i was growing up at school back then i loved that car, she sold it and brought an Austin Metro
My mother had a red Celica exactly the same as this in the early 90's, when i was growing up at school back then i loved that car, she sold it and brought an Austin Metro
That Turbo is MASSIVE!!! Awesome stuff, gone a bit weak at the knees.....
That Turbo is MASSIVE!!! Awesome stuff, gone a bit weak at the knees.....
That Turbo is MASSIVE!!! Awesome stuff, gone a bit weak at the knees.....
Interesting engine, didn't understand what I was looking at until I realized the configuration was IL4 DOHC with twin spark plugs! Very cool!
mk4 lew because street legal IMSA GTO Celica.
The driver in the video is Willy T Ribbs.
Really stoked to see a few details shots of this car, cheers.
Love the paint scheme.
Love the paint scheme.
That's a real car!
Now IMSA and the rolling starts...idk about that.O_o
WERE THOSE CARS RACING?? or were they in another class?? this guy is flying past them! holy crap! real race car there
would be nice to get hold of any of those oldschool racing muscle cars. would make an awesome base. so sweet looking with those wide kits
3 top level Celica, 3 days in a row, good work speedhunters
3 top level Celica, 3 days in a row, good work speedhunters
Always loved the IMSA/sports sedan type race car for one reason- unadulterated pure speed. As fast as a time attack car and can maintain that speed for 15 laps, says a lot about these things being the best and fastest class of tin-tops.
Always loved the IMSA/sports sedan type race car for one reason- unadulterated pure speed. As fast as a time attack car and can maintain that speed for 15 laps, says a lot about these things being the best and fastest class of tin-tops.
Ice Age I need to know more on this. Why? What is it powering since it will only generate with the wheels moving? Cool as hell tho. mind awaiting to be blown.
Chris 'Haffy' Hafner Serious. Between these and the Can-Am cars, they had very little restrictions and always were at the absolute forefront of development and experimentation. God bless 'em for it too.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question: if the same IMSA GTO, GTX, and GTP cars raced today, same drivers, same format, same rules, how would we react?
mk4 lew One bright side I see with that Metro: it had a rally version.
That track! Talk about unforgiving....
That car! I feel like going down to my garage and hug my 79' Corolla, just for being a Toyota. Strangely enough I don't feel the same about my 08' Yaris...
That track! Talk about unforgiving....
That car! I feel like going down to my garage and hug my 79' Corolla, just for being a Toyota. Strangely enough I don't feel the same about my 08' Yaris...
The engine will pull power from the battery while under low/no speed, which is minimal with a purpose built racecar like this. The idea with the rear mounted alternator is but, not limited to:
-engine packaging
-weight distribution
-reduced direct engine load
-reduction of engine accessories
-adjustable pulley motion ratio
These cars are meant to stay moving, therefore this system works well.
Similar, current F1 cars don't use radiator fans. The lack of idle and minimal stops only means a fan is extra weight and extra load on the electronics, which in turn, cost the engine power.
The engine will pull power from the battery while under low/no speed, which is minimal with a purpose built racecar like this. The idea with the rear mounted alternator is but, not limited to:
-engine packaging
-weight distribution
-reduced direct engine load
-reduction of engine accessories
-adjustable pulley motion ratio
These cars are meant to stay moving, therefore this system works well.
Similar, current F1 cars don't use radiator fans. The lack of idle and minimal stops only means a fan is extra weight and extra load on the electronics, which in turn, cost the engine power.
90nissanS13@my350z Old F1 cars didn't have fans didn't either. In Niki Lauda's book he says things get so hot during a standing start that the clutch will expand enough that it will engage even with the pedal all the way down, creating a false start.
90nissanS13@my350z Old F1 cars didn't have fans didn't either. In Niki Lauda's book he says things get so hot during a standing start that the clutch will expand enough that it will engage even with the pedal all the way down, creating a false start.
The great Niki!
Thanks for the input! =]
I had to say current, im going off of what i know without referencing anything. I didn't realize the fanless radiator went back so late in F1 history.
Rikard Lagerberg Goddamn consumerism
90nissanS13@my350z Thank you good sir! Makes complete sense to me, just had not seen it before. LOVE this stuff.
BIG turbos and BADASS WIDE bodies.
That's the reason why I particularly love the racing cars from that awesome era.
These fire-breathing monsters even embarrasses the race cars of today.
BIG turbos and BADASS WIDE bodies.
That's the reason why I particularly love the racing cars from that awesome era.
These fire-breathing monsters even embarrasses the race cars of today.
I love this car, tempted to do the OG TRD color theme on my '76 Celica. I love everything about this car.
I love this car, tempted to do the OG TRD color theme on my '76 Celica. I love everything about this car.
Mmmm, nothing like a heavily boosted 4-cylinder.
Mmmm, nothing like a heavily boosted 4-cylinder.
My buddy and I at last year's Sibiu Rally Challenge held on Transfagarasan road ( Google it, it's worth it) in Romania. First place in our class with the Celica (unfortunately only 3S-GE engined FWD...).Lots of fun though, especially downhill !
didn't understand what I was looking at until I realized the configuration was IL4 DOHC with twin spark plugs! Very cool!
That thing is is a weapon, I wish they would have done this treatment on the later ST185 series Celica, they could gone AWD with it.
the car was very good
really really like to see the car that shiny new car fits like made for walking trailsthe car was very good http://utamadomino.com/app/img/peraturan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/peraturan.html and very fast http://utamadomino.com/app/img/jadwal.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/jadwal.html mix of colors http://utamadomino.com/app/img/promo.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/promo.html from which to http://utamadomino.com/app/img/panduan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/panduan.html make want pobud http://utamadomino.com/ see hatnya http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/peraturan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/peraturan.html kecepatanya http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/jadwal.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/jadwal.html was very nice ,http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/promo.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/promo.html suitable for a "http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/panduan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/panduan.html sharp bend http://dokterpoker.org or not sharp I guess motorists http://633cash.com/Games like this is http://633cash.com/Pengaturan" very skilled in the speed I hope I can membilinya someday will whether http://633cash.com/Daftar http://633cash.com/Promo there are http://633cash.com/Berita new cars http://633cash.com/Livescore are better I http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/peraturan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/peraturan.html 'll wait for it , with a stylish car classic http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/jadwal.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/jadwal.html style I http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/promo.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/promo.html also like http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/panduan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/panduan.html to see would be http://raksasapoker.com/ whether there is a http://yakuza4d.com/peraturan" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://yakuza4d.com/peraturan car that is http://yakuza4d.com as fast and forius http://yakuza4d.com/home like in the "http://yakuza4d.com/daftar movie , the car very http://yakuza4d.com/cara_main good car http://yakuza4d.com/hasil designed a way apparently hopefully http://yakuza4d.com/buku_mimpi there will be new cars more good and the price is quite pantastis then chances are I can membilinya the same as you have at this time
as Judy explained I am stunned that a stay at home mom able to earn a large amount in a few weeks on the internet .
see more at---------->>> http://tinyurl.com/hqp45wu