Toyota GT-One (TS020) '99

For the 1998 car, see Toyota GT-One (TS020) '98.

Toyota GT-One
Production Info
	Toyota 1999 Race Car Japan
Engine and Power
Engine Code	T836-9
Aspiration	Twin-Turbocharged
Displacement	3.6 L
Engine Type	V8
Power	764 BHP (570 kW)
Torque	605.4 lb-ft (820.8 Nm)
Gearbox	6-speed
Drivetrain and Weight
Layout	Mid-Engined
Drivetrain	Rear-Wheel Drive
Weight	1985 lbs (900 kg)
PWR	2.6 lbs / HP
Balance	49% / 51%
Performance
0-60 Time	3.6 seconds
Top Speed	217 mph (349.2 km/h)
PP in GT5/6	667 PP
PP in GT7	844.84 PP
Class	Gr.2
Dimensions
Length	4840 mm (190.6 in)
Width	2000 mm (78.7 in)
Height	1125 mm (44.3 in)

The Toyota GT-One (TS020) '99 is a Le Mans race car produced by Toyota. It first appeared in Gran Turismo 2 and has been featured in all subsequent mainline games except Gran Turismo Sport. In Gran Turismo 7 the car was included as part of Update 1.44.

In GT2 and GT3, the car appears to be the #1 that appeared at 1999 Le Mans Fuji 1000 km, driven by Ukyo Katayama, Keiichi Tsuchiya, and Toshio Suzuki. Starting from GT4, the car appears to be the #3 (chassis number LM804, previously the #28 car used in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans), driven by the same drivers at 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Description

"Toyota's endurance race machine that achieved a class win at Le Mans in 1999."

In the early 1990s, Toyota set out to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its Group C TS010 race car. A number of unsuccessful years followed, but the company would return for the 1998 season with the Toyota GT-One (TS020). During its Group C racing days, Toyota developed its race cars almost exclusively in Japan. However, it revamped its plans and entrusted this project to the group in charge of their World Rally Championship activities, German-based TTE (Toyota Team Europe), in an attempt to once again claim overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The new Le Mans car, the GT-One, was designed by André de Cortanze, a race-car design genius with a brilliant track record in top motorsports genres, including Formula 1, the WRC, and the WRC. De Cortanze designed the Peugeot 905B, the first Group C Peugeot car to claim victory at Le Mans in 1992 and 1993.

For the GT-One, Cortanze the latest in F1 technology into its design. Its carbon composite monocoque body was developed for aerodynamic performance. Providing the power was the same twin-turbocharged 3.6 liter V-8 developed during the Toyota's Group C days. The suspension had very long arms in the front and rear, allowing for ideal suspension geometry.

In its first out at Le Mans in 1998, Toyota entered three GT-Ones in the LM GT1 in a serious attempt for overall victory. While one of its cars led the race, a combination of mechanical trouble and bad luck kept it from taking the checkered flag.

The following year, a change in the race's technical regulations saw the GT-One entered in the LM GTP prototype class. Three GT-Ones were entered in the race, but two of them, including the favorite and its supporting cars, were forced to withdraw due to a host of problems.

However, the third car, driven by Ukyo Katayama, Toshio Suzuki, and Keiichi Tsuchiya managed to stay in the race and claim 2nd place overall. This was the highest finish ever for a Japanese car driven by an all-Japanese team at Le Mans.

Dealership (GT7)

Overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the greatest achievements for a manufacturer. This Toyota GT-One is one of many cars that sought to secure its place in the history books. It competed in Le Mans in the late 1990s under GT1 regulations, the highest category for production-based race cars. Having developed this Le Mans spec car specifically to compete in GT1, Toyota named it simply the "GT-One." Development of the GT-One, and the race team, was led by genius race-car designer André de Cortanze. Already an accomplished engineer, Cortanze had developed cars for F1, WRC, and Le Mans. What he created for Toyota was a beautifully advanced racing machine. His GT-One created combined formula car technology with the styling of a GT car. The Toyota GT-One competed in Le Mans twice, in 1998 and 1999. In its first outing in 1998, it finished 9th overall. Toyota returned in 1999 with the team of Ukyo Katayama, Toshio Suzuki, and Keiichi Tsuchiya taking 2nd in car No.3. Although the team wasn't quite able to reach its goal, fans will never forget the feats of the GT-One.

Acquisition

Game	Purchase location	Credits	Other methods
Gran Turismo 2	---	---	Complete the S-License with all Golds.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec	---	---	Win any of the Professional GT All Stars, Polyphony Digital Cup, or Professional Dream Car Championship events.
Gran Turismo 4	Toyota Legendary Dealership Late '90s Showroom	4,500,000 2,924,999	---
Gran Turismo PSP	Toyota Dealership	3,500,000	---
Gran Turismo 5	Used Cars Dealership (Lv. 23+)	2,927,445	Win the B-spec 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Gran Turismo 6	Toyota Dealership	1,700,000	---
Gran Turismo 7	Legend Cars	2,500,000	---

Trivia

• This car is also one of four Black Cars available for purchase during days 694-700 of the GT4 calendar cycle.
• From GT2 to GT4, in the NTSC-J and PAL versions, this car had ESSO Ultron as its main sponsor, like in real life, whereas it was replaced with Exxon Superflo in the NTSC version, due to ESSO branding issue in North America. However, from GTPSP to GT6, the replacement had been reflected in all regions, seemingly because non-American players could be connected with Americans with the games' online features.
  • However, in GT2, the only opportunity the players can use the Exxon version of the car in the US version is during license test S-10, as the prize car data was not changed from the Esso to Exxon variant in that version. This also affects the 1998 car.
  • The ESSO logos are present in GT7 however, following the precedent set by the Honda NSX CONCEPT-GT '16 in GT Sport.
• In the initial Japanese release of GT2, the Exxon version of the car (t2h9r) is instead an early version of the Esso version of the 1998 car.
• This version of the GT-One had a large double-chevron shape that covers its body, as in 1999 the entry was backed by Marlboro, despite the fact that France has tobacco (and alcohol) advertising bans. During the practice sessions, barcodes were used, but were dropped by the qualifying session. There were also no explicit mentions of Marlboro at 1999 Le Mans Fuji 1000 km on the car despite Japan having lax tobacco advertising laws at the time.
  • From GT3 onwards, the front chevron had the shape altered to reduce the Marlboro connection; this change is also seen on both Enthusia Professional Racing, Konami's racing game released after GT4, and Tamiya's scale versions of the car (both model kit and radio control versions), but not on other games or models produced by other companies. These changes were reverted in GT7.
• From GT4, the Mercedes-Benz Sauber Mercedes C9 '89 and this car share the same engine sound. In GT7, however, its engine sound has been dramatically improved.
• The #1 variant displayed in GT2 and GT3 is actually the version used in the 1999 Le Mans Fuji 1000 km, where only one GT-One with Esso sponsorship was entered, and lost against Nissan's R391 LMP, but won the LMGTP class nonetheless. Car #1 was originally sponsored by ZENT at Le Mans.
  • However, despite the #1 variant being based on the car which took part in the 1999 Le Mans Fuji 1000 km, the car lacks the ZENT sponsorship on the front and on the rear wing. Additionally, "24 Hours of Le Mans" stickers are clearly visible on the sides of the car, and the GT3 version adds a white box for the Marlboro sponsorship that was replaced with the Esso/Exxon logo in GT2, while also removing the Navisoft logo above the Japanese flag on the side of engine cover, as well as the Zenrin logo below the Esso/Exxon logo on the rear. This may suggest that the #1 variant displayed in GT2 and GT3 is a mix between the cars who have took part at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1999 Le Mans Fuji 1000 km.
• The GT-One is one of the most common cars used to perform the 2,147,483,647 mph glitch in GT3, the other most common car being the Suzuki ESCUDO Dirt Trial Car '98.
• In GT7, the car is classified as a Gr.2 car, due to its origins as a GT1 car that was grandfathered into the LMGTP class.
  • It is also the most powerful Gr.2 racing car, at 764 HP.
  • It also makes Toyota as the third marque that has cars in all racing car classes, after Nissan and Audi.
• In GT7's GT Auto, the option to remove front vent covers is available to make it resemble the 1998-spec car, although the 1998-spec top rear vents cannot be installed from there.

Pictures

The #1 variant of the Toyota GT-ONE Race Car (TS020) '99 as it appears in the NTSC-U version of GT2. Due to the non-existence of Esso in the United States, all the references to Esso Ultron are changed to Exxon Superflo. In addition, only in this game, the Exxon texts on the front of the car are only "Superflo", instead of being "Exxon Superflo", like in the later games of the Gran Turismo series. Additionally, this variant is used only by the CPU and the player during the S-10 license test.

The #1 variant of the Toyota GT-ONE Race Car (TS020) '99 as it appears in the PAL and NTSC-J versions of GT3. The sponsorship of the car now appears to be based on the car which took part at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans; the front chevron was also altered.

The #1 variant of the Toyota GT-ONE Race Car (TS020) '99 as it appears in the NTSC-U version of GT3. Unlike in GT2, the Exxon texts on the front of the car are now "Exxon Superflo".

The vehicle banner as it appears in GT4.

The interior view of the GT-One in GT7.