The Toyota Supra GT500 '97 is a race car produced by Toyota. It appears in Gran Turismo 5, Gran Turismo 6, and Gran Turismo 7.
The car is #36 driven by Michael Krumm and Pedro de la Rosa, winners of the GT500 Driver's Championship of the 1997 JGTC season. This is reflected by the name it had in the PlayStation 3-era games, Toyota Castrol TOM'S SUPRA '97.
In-game description (GT7)[]
Car Index[]
"The machine that ended the reign of GT-Rs and became champion."
The GT race series in Japan was renamed the 'Super GT' when it became an international series from 2005. Until 2004, it was called the 'All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC)', and from its start it boasted the largest number of spectators for a motorsport in Japan. For this reason, Japanese automobile manufacturers poured much energy into this championship series.
The Toyota Supra entered the championship from 1994, and it was like a direct challenge against the Nissan GT-R that had dominated the series 3 years in the row, from the first year of the championship in 1993. 3 years later in 1997, the Supra finally defeated the GT-R to become series champion. The historic machine that achieved this feat was the #36, Castrol Tom's Supra.
The drivers were Michael Krumm and Pedro de la Rosa, and they entered as the second machine of Tom's from the second round of this year. In the 5 rounds excluding the opening round, it came strong, winning 1st place twice, and placing once in both 2nd and 3rd place, to win the series.
The machine itself had not only changed greatly from the previous year. The only significant difference was the change from the H pattern gearbox to a Hewland 6-speed sequential transmission. Other than this, the engine displacement had been lowered to 2 L, in order to allow for a lower minimum weight under the race regulation rules. The 3S-GT engine producing nearly 493 BHP is almost as is, and its increased body rigidity, changes in suspension geometry, and improvements in aerodynamics, are all in the standard evolutionary process of a racing machine.
Legend Cars (GT7)[]
The 1997 Castrol TOM'S Supra is one of the most famous race cars in the history of Japanese motorsport. The All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship was a very popular event in Japan from the late 90s to the early 2000s, featuring[1] cars like the Nissan Skyline GT-R, the Honda NSX, and of course, the Toyota Supra. Nissan's GT-R had always dominated the series title from the start of the championships... And the first Japanese car that challenged and overthrew the GT-R was this 1997 Castrol TOM'S Supra. The Supra would go on to win the All Japan GT Championship four times in total. But it's this iconic TOM's Supra that I remember most fondly.
Café (GT7)[]
Chris[]
This won the title at the 1997 All Japan GT Championships, making it a truly valuable car indeed. It's also famed for being the first car to take the title from Nissan, who had long dominated the championships. The Tom's Supra debuted in 1994, meaning it took 4 years to reach this point. With its glorious race history and historical value, this is a real treasure.
Jeremy[]
Japan's GT Championship in the late 1990s was a three-way battle between the Nissan Skyline, Honda NSX and the Supra. The race in which this Tom's Supra won the title in 1997 was a real thriller! By the time of the final round, raced in the pouring rain, four teams were still in contention for the title! Even after the chequered flag was waved, it wasn't certain who had won it. That's because two teams were tied for top place, and their tally of second place victories was the same. This meant the tie breaker was the number of third place finishes they'd notched up over the season! This Tom's Supra Number 36 was the car that came out on top in that nail-biting 1997 title win!
Kagurazaka[]
What can one say about the A80 Supra...? As a coupé with very traditional sports car proportions, it's quite a rarity among Japanese cars. Its wraparound windshield gives it a proper greenhouse. What's more, it takes the classic, beautiful coupé, and drops the ride height while widening the tread. This turns it into a race car that looks like it could take off and fly right up to the heavens. The car's shape is simple and well suited to the Castrol livery. The lights, which look a little too close to the centre in the original model, are camouflaged and unobtrusive. With all the tuning parts the A80 Supra has available, it's no wonder so many young enthusiasts are charmed by it.
Acquisition[]
| Game | Purchase location | Credits | Other methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 5 | Toyota Dealership (Lv. 19+) | 900,000 | Win the B-Spec Super GT event. |
| Gran Turismo 6 | Toyota Dealership | 900,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 7 | Legend Cars | 1,800,000[2] | Received as a pre-order bonus. Anti Social Social Club livery: Redeem ASSC clothing collaboration code. |
Trivia[]
- Despite this being a JGTC GT500-class car, it is classified as a Gr.3 car in Gran Turismo 7.
- The car that appears in the games is equipped with high downforce aero kit for Fuji Speedway, as shown in public exhibitions such as at Amlux (closed after 2013) and Mega Web (closed after 2021).