The Toyota 2000GT was a sports car produced in very limited numbers by Toyota in Japan. First seen at the Tokyo Motor Show of 1965, production vehicles were built between 1967 and 1970. It revolutionised the automotive world's view of Japan, formerly seen as a producer of imitative and stodgily practical vehicles, and showed that the Japanese makers could produce a sports car to rival those of Europe.
Reviewing a pre-production model in 1967, Road & Track magazine summed up the 2000 GT (sic) as "one of the most exciting and enjoyable cars we've driven", and compared it favorably to the Porsche 911. Today, the car is seen as the first seriously collectible Japanese car, the first "Japanese Supercar", and examples change hands for fairly high prices.
Background
Much of the work was done by Yamaha, who in addition to their wide product range of the time also did much work for other Japanese manufacturers. The German-American designer Albrecht Goertz , a protege of Raymond Loewy, had gone to Yamaha in Japan in the early 1960s to develop a two-seater sports car for Nissan. A prototype was built, but Nissan decided eventually not to pursue the project. Yamaha also worked for Toyota, then perceived as the most conservative of the Japanese auto makers. Wishing to improve their image, Toyota accepted the proposal instead.
Styling
Many attribute the Jaguar E-Type as an influence on the Goertz lines, but the design is widely considered a classic in its own right. The smoothly flowing bodywork was executed in aluminum, and featured pop-up headlights as well as large driving lamps in fixed locations either side of the grille, with plexiglas covers over them. The design scarcely featured bumpers at all, and the plexiglas driving covers in particular are rather easily damaged. The car was extremely low, just 45.7 in (116 cm) at the roof, giving it a dramatic look that drew attention.
Technical details
The engine was a 2.0 L (121 in³) straight-6 (the 3M) based on the engine the top-of-the-line Toyota Crown sedan. It was transformed by Yamaha with new double overhead camshaft heads into a 112 kW (150 hp) sports car engine. Carburetion was through three two-barrel Solex 40 PHH units. Nine special MF-12 models were also built with the larger 2.3 L 2M engine.
The engine was mounted longitudinally and drove the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. A limited slip differential was fitted, and in a first for a Japanese car, all-round power-assisted disk brakes. Unusually, the emergency brake gripped the rear disc directly.
The interior offered comfortable, if cramped, accommodation and luxury touches like a rosewood-veneer dashboard and an auto-seeking radio tuner. At the time, Road & Track felt that the interior was up to par for a "luxurious GT", calling it an impressive car "in which to sit or ride - or simply admire."
Production
An absolutely minuscule number (351, approximately) were built, figures as low as specialist Italian supercar construction. All were actually built by Yamaha; it took two years for production vehicles to emerge. It is believed that no profit was made on the cars despite their high price; they were more concept cars and a demonstration of ability than a true production vehicle. About 50 cars reached North America and the others were similarly thinly spread worldwide.
Racing
Toyota entered the 2000GT in competition at home, coming third in the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix and winning the Fuji 24-Hour Race in 1967. In addition, the car set several world records for speed and endurance in a 72-hour test.
Movie appearances
Two convertibles were built, and featured in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice.
Today
Although not nowadays quite as well known to the general public as later Japanese sports cars like the Nissan Z, the 2000GT is regarded by many collectors as possibly the first highly collectible Japanese car. As of 2004, good examples can reach prices over US $100,000, even though parts availability is problematic.
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