Le Mans Yesterday and Today: Toyota

Roarington's journey through the most successful manufacturers in the 24 Hours of Le Mans today reaches Toyota, ranked seventh in the all-time standings. The Japanese automaker's adventure in the world’s most famous and challenging endurance race began in 1985 with prototypes developed according to Group C regulations, in collaboration with Dome, a company specializing in the preparation of closed and open-wheel race cars, and Tom's, Toyota's official tuner since 1975. However, the decision to use a small 2.1-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, derived from a production model, proved to be a weak point, relegating their four cars to the back of the pack without enough competitiveness or reliability to challenge for victory.