**CAR OF THE WEEK! Friday 15/06/12**

160
United Kingdom
Manchester/England
webbithegooner
Announcing the 19th installment of the Car of the Week series.


A chance for everyone on GTPlanet to get behind the wheel of the same car and give it a thorough going over. The aim is to get people driving what they wouldn't usually drive, or cars that may have been overlooked. They may be great, they may be terrible, but as part of GT5 they deserve discussion right here.

People can show off their amazing photos, trade tuning tips, race one another and review that weeks nominated car. Lap times can be posted, top speeds and acceleration times compared and tips on handling discussed.

We are starting to develop a brilliant bunch of regular contributors but I very much encourage everyone to get involved and have their say. Every week a poster will be picked for their contribution in that weeks thread to pick the star car for the following week. Ask anyone that has so far been chosen to pick and I am sure they will tell you what an honor it is! So get involved and it could be you!

So, without further ado, this weeks star car of the week.

This week I took note of a poster who who always appeared on the thread but didn't have much input. So, to reward their perseverance, I gave them the chance to pick. So thank you Baron Blitz Red for this weeks choice.

And it's a corker...

2000gt_high_res.jpg


The Toyota 2000GT '67.

Possibly the most beautiful Japanese car ever? Maybe...
 
Last edited:
Oh snap! Great choice, although nothing I look at now is equally as beautiful. This thing looks better than a mute version of Megan Fox.
 
It's Friday already?:odd::lol:

Love the car.
Here is a link to a tune I did for a 400PP Tuner Shootout at Nurburgring. The car is surprisingly fast but as with most classics suffers from the skinny tire syndrome. With a couple minor adjustments to the tune it should do well in the recent FR Seasonal races at the faster tracks like High Speed Ring.👍👍
 
-McClarenDesign's-

Very Serious SLS AMG Review of the Car of the Week N Stuff

"Formula One is just another job, but treated properly it can also be terrific fun, and as the teams sump up about 99.9 percent of the costs, it's a wonderfully cheap way to see the world too!" -Steve Matchett

Week 19: 1967 Toyota 2000GT

You might remember that in our last review, we found ourselves in Japan, at the famous Suzuka Circuit. We were testing the 1967 Prince Skyline, and falling in love with my wife again. Well, I was falling in love with my wife. If you were, we're going to have serious problems, and not of the Very Serious SLS AMG kind, either.

Despite the exotic locations and iconic cars that you've come to love, we're still under the restrictions of a budget. Repairs and restorations aren't cheap, and neither are hotel accommodations, travel expenses, insurance, legal fees, bribes, recreational drugs, hookers, more insurance, lawyers or traffic violations. These expenses add up very quickly. By the time we'd completed our third review, we'd already surpassed the annual Gross Domestic Product of several nations.

So rather than travel all the way back to our nice, comfy beds in our comfy homes, our producer and accountants have kept us here in Japan for another day, and have arranged what may be the most sought after drive in all of Japan. Although tired and ill from the effects of jet lag, I've been assured that the stay will be well worth the effort, and beyond rewarding.

Turns out our producer's credit card was declined when booking the trip home.

SpecialStageRouteX-8.jpg

If the 1957 Chevy Bel Air sparked America's love affair with the car, then the 2000GT is Japan's equivalent. Who could blame them? Anyone without an automotive degree would easily mistake this car as a Ferrari or Corvette from far away. It's not surprising that the styling was inspired heavily by the Italians, because the Italians are like the world's BASF. They don't make things, they make everything better... a trend that Japan once held as well.

The finest suits are Italian, the finest shoes are Italian, and the same with motorcycles and cars. You might remember that the great Lamborghini designer Giorgetto Giugiaro from our 117 Coupe review, interestingly enough a 1968 model, worked in Japan for several manufacturers. Although he didn't pen this, the Italian influence on Japanese automotive culture had begun, and we are all much, much better off for it. Pity that only 351 were built, and that Yamaha isn't making cars today... unless you consider the LFA... which is also a Toyota.

According to Polyphony Digital via Translator-san:
Translator-san
Called Japan's first exotic or supercar by some, the Toyota 2000GT was certainly revolutionary as far as Japanese cars went. The smooth, flowing lines of the 2000GT were reminiscent of Ferraris of the day, and it was built on a backbone chassis, which was used extensively by Lotus at the time.

Underneath its long hood was a 2.0-liter DOHC inline-6, based on the top-of-the-line Crown power plant, which produced 148 HP. This engine was jointly developed by Yamaha. The famous motorcycle/musical instrument maker also provided the wood grain on the car's dashboard with materials it used for its world class pianos.

The car's suspension was also first rate, with double wishbones at both front and rear. But the Toyota 2000GT was not all about beauty. this highly tuned machine was able to win several times on the Fuji Speedway and Suzuka circuit, even establishing the international speed record on the Yatabe test course going as fast as 137 mph. Two special convertibles versions were produced for the James Bond movie "You Only Live Twice," giving the Toyota sports car worldwide appeal.

Sales of such a high-end sports car were not stellar, especially one with a price tag of 2,380,000 yen, which was twice as expensive as the luxury model Crown, and Toyota was faced with the hard reality of ceasing the car's production after making only 300 cars.

TokyoR246_1.jpg

Ah, yes, James Bond. During filming, it became quite clear that Sean Connery's head wouldn't quite fit in such a cramped car. They toyed around with the notion cutting out squares in the roof to make a targa top but that looked silly, so they cut the rest off completely. Since it's essentially a film prop, it's not even actually a convertible. There's no top that raises, just a cover to give the impression of one beneath.

I actually appreciate the lack of a convertible or targa option. Slicing away the roof sacrifices structural rigidity, and this car is absolutely begging to be thrown around the track. Despite its low power, we've known Toyota to make cars tailored specifically to make the driver a hero. Having Bond sign on certainly adds a bit of street cred, doesn't it?

But if I'm honest, there's something bothering me about this review... something not quite right. Over the past few reviews, we've had plenty of examples from the sixties, so the suspension shouldn't be an issue. We've dealt with plenty of 6 cylinder engines, so that should be...

...waitaminute...

1967 Mercury Cougar.. 1967 Prince Skyline... 1967 Toyota 2000GT... (expletive).

TokyoR246-1.jpg

No one will ever accuse me of being a religious man, but even I've learned to avoid certain signs, and I'd refused to go any further with testing until we could get Father Bishop here to ensure the car was safe. I may drive like a bat out of hell, but that certainly doesn't mean I'll be ringing my travel agent up for reservations anytime soon. Despite the expense, we arranged to have the good Father flown that day, and he'd even agreed to carry out our testing.

We weren't able to source a Toyota rep for our testing, nor any factory support. Apparently racing uses up an awful lot of resources, and endurance racing had taken its toll on what little they had left. Fortunately, we were able to source the aid of a local mechanic by the name of Ken. While we were waiting on the good father, he'd ensure our car was free from any lingering mechanical demons.

Performance as Purchased: December 24, 2010, Pegasus White (White)
Displacement: 1,988 cc
Max. Power: 146 hp @ 7,000 rpm
Max. Torque: 123 ft-lbs. @ 5,000 rpm
Drivetrain: FR
Length: 4,175 mm Height: 1,160 mm Weight: 1120 kg
Tires: Comfort (Soft)
Performance Points: 366
Mileage: 16,104.8 mi.

M_Bishop.jpg

Father Martin Bishop- Still not a member of MidNight Club, but working on it.​

The next morning, after we'd picked up our priest from the airport, we met with Ken at our test track to find out exactly how much damage 16,000 miles had done. The good news: the engine was fine, and we had an extra 15 ponies, 13 ft-lb. of the twisty stuff, and 13 more Performance Points... which Ken tells me will lower our insurance rates. The bad news: 211,500 Cr. worth of body work. Simply sitting in our garage unprotected had cause some rather expensive damage, and that's damage our wallet simply can't afford to take.
For those keeping score at home, other notable data includes: Max. hp: 161 hp, Max. Torque: 136 ft-lb., Max. Performance Points: 379 PP


On a wing and literally a prayer, Father Bishop climbed aboard the 2000GT, prepared to exorcise the demons on the track. With the Bible in the glove box, and St. Jude around the rear view mirror, our kamikaze Catholic was off in a flash, nailing the quarter mile in only 0:16.990, and a 60 mph time of 0:08.996. Even though there wasn't the earth-shattering kaboom you'd get from a Ferrari, there was sufficient squealing from the tires for us to feel comfortable with the Father's talents.

In fits of rage, clouds of anger, and screams of pain, the demons were gone.
For those keeping score at home, other notable data includes: 0-1 mi.: 0:40.760, 0-100 mph: 0:21.443, Max. G-Force: 0.52G, Top Speed: 136.4 mph

TsukubaCircuit.jpg

Confident that whatever was before is now no more, we transported our lovely Toyota to the Tsukuba circuit for a quick few laps. Behind the wheel, I'm instantly appreciative that the car is rear-wheel drive. It'd be such a shame to waste such a beautiful design on a front-wheel drive design. Despite the dodgy tires, the car still felt very responsive, and communicative.

When you're in tune with a car, you begin to develop a dialog and lexicon very specific to you both. Every subtlety and nuance recorded for future repair, adjustment, or even just plain appreciation. Sure, the plexiglass fog lenses may be easily broken, but that's just another excuse to spend more time with the car. Ken tried to fix the fog lights, but a lack of available parts prevented the car from being 100% perfect.

In an American sports comedy, actor and legend Rip Torn is quoted as saying "if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." When I began pushing the 2000GT to its limits, she began to take on eerily similar traits to one Shelby Cobra, albeit with much less power. Upon investigation, its no shock that Shelby raced a few in the latter part of the 1960s, with one recently for sale. I began to think of this car as the Microsoft Cobra Simulator, and sure enough my times began to plummet.

Diet Cobra.

ToscanaTarmac-1.jpg

I'm not the least surprised that this car continues to inspire designers. In fact, as an enthusiast, I demand it, and you should too.

You don't need 1,000 bhp to arrive like a rockstar, what you need is taste. Any idiot can go out and buy an Italian suit off the rack, but not every idiot can have one tailor made on the streets of Maranello. The 2000GT exudes class and sophistication, taste, and elegance without reducing itself to the "look at me, look at me" debauchery of today's upper class white trash.

Instead, why not arrive gently, slowly, and with the woman every man would stab each other for. If push comes to shove, you can have confidence that she'll let you in on whatever clever scheme she's cooked up, and somehow you'll appear as the knight in shining armor. Pegasus indeed! Just try not to stare when she begins to wiggle her rear, and for god's sake, pick your chin up off the floor and stop looking like an idiot.

If you have to drive, you should demand this sort of reward from the car you choose. When you pull into your driveway at the end of a hard days work, you should feel as though you've slayed a dragon, won the world championship, cured cancer and AIDS and baldness, and have had sexual relations with a lingerie model.

Isn't that what you deserve?




Week 1: 2001 Alfa Romeo Spider 3.0i V6 24V

Week 2: 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto
Week 3: 2000 Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (S. Shigeno Ver.)
Week 4: 2007 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 Quattro
Week 5: 1983 Nissan Silvia 240RS (S110) and 1985 Nissan 240RS Rally Car
Week 6: 1973 BMW 2002 Turbo
Week 7: 2004 DMC DeLorean S2
Week 8: 1971 Nissan Fairlady 240ZG (HS30) and 1971 Nissan 240ZG (HS30)
Week 9: 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Rally Car
Week 10: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5- 16 Evolution II and 1992 AMG Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5- 16 Evolution II Touring Car
Week 11: 1999 Lotus Motor Sport Elise and 1996 Lotus Elise and 1998 Lotus Elise Sport 190
Week 12: 2001 Audi RS4
Week 13: 1968 Isuzu 117 Coupe
Week 14: 1969 Camaro Z28 and 1969 Camaro Z28 RM and 1969 Camaro SS
Week 15: The Shelby Cars
Week 16: 1979 Honda Civic 1500 3door CX
Week 17: 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7
Week 18: 1967 Prince Skyline 2000GT-B


*The views and opinions expressed in this editorial do not reflect the views and opinions of gtplanet.net, any of its members, nor anyone with an IQ above 3. All views, comments, statements, accusations, claims, data... you know what, just forget you read the whole thing and direct your hate mail/Tame Racing Driver applications, to McClarenDesign@gmail.com. For ticket information, please include a S.A.S.E. NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. The statements made above are similar to your parents; both are fictional. May cause rash or skin irritation. :gtplanet: This ad paid for by Friends of Global Morals support for presidential candidate Jenkins. :gtpflag: GTKitty4Prez :gtpflag:. Please consult doctor before use. Some assembly required. Wardrobe provided courtesy of Hugo Boss. McClarenDesign registered very serious SLS AMG. DO NOT ATTEMPT. Consult manual before use. Your mileage may vary. Some restrictions may apply. Parental supervision is advised. Offer valid with approved credit. Please rinse after use. This product is not guaranteed to cure baldness or any other medical condition. All stunts performed on public roads without law enforcement supervision. Void where prohibited. All terms and conditions are subject to late fees and penalties. All your base are belong to us. See store for details. If not entirely satisfied, please return unused portion for a partial refund. Sorry, no C.O.D.s accepted. Offer not valid to those that breathe air. May cause drowsiness. Check your local listings for times and dates. Some portions of this show have been filmed before a live studio audience.

Ed. Note- Thank you, Polyphony Digital and Scion, for the FR-S. I love it!
 
Last edited:
Here's a few pictures of the car running on the ring in case anyone doesn't feel like checking out my tune.:lol:
N25C325BCrburgring2520Nordschleife-3.jpg

N25C325BCrburgring2520Nordschleife-1.jpg

N25C325BCrburgring2520Nordschleife-2.jpg

N25C325BCrburgring2520Nordschleife_1.jpg
 
The Toyota 2000GT '67.

Possibly the most beautiful Japanese car ever? Maybe...

Probably the best looking one in GT5, and deserving of lots of photos...

First up was a trip to GTAuto for an oil change and an engine overhaul which yielded 160bhp with a PP of 378.




Suzuka first on the stock comfort soft tyres and a lap time of 2:55.320. I put some sports hards on and improved my lap time by 5 secs.

We say it a lot on COTW but this really is a great car to drive, turns in very quickly and precisely.

Better looking than an E-Type? From the rear I think so.

Paint choice this week, a change from Solar Red to Black Mica. I didn't fancy any of the wheel choices so left them stock.

Then back out on track in Tokyo.




For a better look at the pop up headlights I went to one of my own tracks.


Bit of overcooking on this corner but dap of oppo..... etc.


Another good COTW as it's overlooked, but after all these Japanese cars perhaps we can have something British next?

Cheers
 
Awesome car... Makes for a really nice low hp classic drift car... Two thumbs up for this one!

-As always great pics guys
 
Toyota 2000GT 1967

Curvacious Bond beauty still wows.

Toyota2000GT_ToscanaTarmac_1.jpg



Even though I'm a bit of a classic fan, like many of the old Japanese cars I had never heard of this before GT4. I remember being behind one on that hateful City track, New York or Seoul - not sure. Now that we are all rich in GT5 I have a garage full of such cars and it's been interesting to learn about them.

This really is a rare car. Rare not only in the numbers produced, but that it is a Japanese car truly beautiful to behold. It is clearly inspired by the likes of the E-Type and Ferrari 250 GTO but somehow still looks Japanese. This car is classic 1960s curves, the bodywork looking like it was draped over the chassis in the manner of a Salvador Dali clock.

As with last week's more functional and boxy Skyline the beating heart of the 2000GT is a marvellous straight-six derived from the bigger saloons. That silky six sound issues from a pair of tailpipes that peer unhindered from beneath the car like the the barrels of a shotgun.

Toyota2000GT_ToscanaTarmac_7.jpg



Enough of this high-school metaphor, on to the garage! There are two in mine: a stock in Pegasus White and one already mildly tuned in Thunder Silver. After a rebuild the stock 2000GT comes out at 161BHP, 1120Kg and 379PP.

Firstly, on to Trial Mountain for the comparison lap. Again the car comes with Comfort Soft, which again seem very grippy. Turn-in is tight enough with slight understeer if you are pushing it. With the soft tyres I found I could power early out of many corners, but this could lead to a time-sapping loss of traction and oversteer on exit rather than a graceful mid corner drift. Maybe this is partly to do with the built-in LSD. Braking is plenty good enough being aided by the cars low weight.

The six cylinders pull nicely from around 4000rpm, with a noticable power band over 6000rpm. The gears are well spaced, with 4th and 5th dropping you into the power to keep your acceleration rate up as you breeze past 100mph.

Trial Mountain, stock with Comfort Soft was 1:53.8; a few seconds faster than the Isuzu or Skyline.


Toyota2000GT_TrialMountain_1.jpg



I took the stock car back to Trial Mountain in the old Japanese Classics seasonal. Unsurprisingly, not much competition apart the Dome which finished well ahead of my second place. Then I tried a couple of the current FR 500pp seasonals the Thunder Silver tuner. Sports air parts, sports exhaust and ECU get around 200 bhp and 397pp. I also installed clutch and flywheel and lowered it with adjustable sport suspension.

I managed 8th at Autumn Ring after being bullied by the GNX, and a hopeless 11th at the Cape Ring inside with too many offs - don't think I was concentrating! The extra HP does make it quite a bit more tail happy, so a bit more care is required. I think I will try a proper setup for this car, hopefully I'll get time to play with Desperado's tune.


Toyota2000GT_AutumnRing.jpg



Finally I took to a Toscana Touge track for a sunset cruise. Even in the game, this is what the car is about - it felt very much at home taking on the twisties and constantly shifting up and down the 'box. I could easily imagine blatting through some mountainous roads with the rasp of the straight-six bouncing of the rock face into the open windows...


Toyota2000GT_ToscanaTarmac_3.jpg



The Toyota 2000GT really is a great car: a rare and valuable exotic in real life, a good-looking and competitive classic in GT5 with plenty of track tuning potential.
 
Last edited:
1967 Toyota 2000 GT

Loose is fast!
DeepForestRaceway_2.jpg


What a beautiful car, clear design cues from the E-Type Jag, my favorite! Mine came to me with 143hp/364pp, after an oil change she was rated 150hp/370pp.

GrandValleyEast_10.jpg


Out at the test facility she posted the following numbers:
1/4 mi... 17.438
1.0 mi... 41.773
0 - 60... 9.675
to 100... 23.062
max G.... 0.52
max spd.. 136.8

GrandValleyEast_11.jpg


My best of ten laps at Deep Forrest was 1:40.056. Out at Grand Valley East I placed P4 at 1:26.384 and at Deep Forrest P2 with a lap of 1:43.346. My only real complaint with the stock ride was the gearbox, spread a little wide for my tastes at the track. She had plenty of tire shredding power though, especially with the stock rubber!

The edge of her limits
DeepForestRaceway_3.jpg


I gave her my standard mild tune: chip, intake/exhaust, adjustable shocks and the rest of the drive train. I did opt for the 5spd close ratio gearbox this time as I found the stock box geared a little tall. With this setup she was rated at 197hp/404pp and turned the following times at test:
1/4 mi... 15.360
1.0 mi... 37.521
0 - 60... 6.948
to 100... 16.450
max G.... 0.58
max spd..135.6

Beyond her limits
DeepForestRaceway_4.jpg


My best lap at Deep Forrest was a 1:33.213. After a slight de-tune (96.9%) to an even 190hp/400pp it was off to some 400pp events. I ran a 1:22.403 P2 at Grand Valley East and a 1:35.494 P1 at Deep Forrest.

DeepForestRaceway_5.jpg


I was having so much fun I decided to just keep on racing 👍

TsukubaCircuit_5.jpg


At Tsukuba for a 5 lap event I place P1 with a lap of 1:09.812.

AutumnRingMini.jpg


At Autumn Ring Mini 5 lap I ran a 46.259 for P1 also.

AutumnRingMini_1.jpg


What a great ride, my arsenal of 400pp seasonal racers is getting pretty deep since we started this COTW stuff :) and my poor, tired, old Eunos J is getting dusty in the back of the garage. Bring on more seasonals...and the next COTW!
 
WOW, did this week go by too fast! I didn't even get time to see if I have this car :(. Guess I'll be driving (or searching) the car this weekend. Looking forward to the next one 👍:dopey:
 
krenkme
WOW, did this week go by too fast! I didn't even get time to see if I have this car :(. Guess I'll be driving (or searching) the car this weekend. Looking forward to the next one 👍:dopey:

If you can't find one and want a taste I can put mine on share. PM if you want to borrow them 👍
 
I love this car, I think it looks better than the E-Type Jag actually. :P

400pp seasonals fall to it, and this car always puts a huge smile on my face, its just so easy to drive and so forgiving if you do get it wrong.

A 400pp tune is in my tuning garage if anyone is interested :)
 
Back