Motorsport News Issue 136 - 25 September-8 October 1998

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4MP Issue 136 (NZ$5.95 inci GST)

25 September-8 October 1998

Toyota and Mazda wanttojoin the race THE FUTURE FACE OF TOURING CARS? This is how the forthcoming Australian-built Toyota Avalon could look on the race tracks if A VESCO Stakes the challenge of allowing makes other than Holden and Ford into V8 Supercar'racing.\ 'j (Illustration by Bernie Walsh)

V8 Supercar racing in 2001 could well expand to include three or more manufacturers. Before the end of the year, the board of Toyota Australia will consider an internal motorsport plan which recommends an approach to V8 group AVESCO. Mazda is also keen to join the V8 brigade. .Toyota is to launch its Australian-built "big car", the Avalon, in 2000 and newlyappointed Senior Manager for Toyota Conversions, Accessories and Motorsport (TCAM), Peter Evans, told Motorsport News this week that V8 Supercar rac ing represented a strong means of putting the car "out there in front of the public". Evans said he would be putting a strong recommenda tion to the Board to pursue the issue with AVESCO. For the Toyota to race, the rules would have to be changed significantly to allow the Avalon to use rear-wheel drive and a

By CHRIS LAMBDEN 4.7-litre Toyota V8 quad-cam engine. But now that the V8 Supercar category has adopted a Control tyre and has a standard wish bone front suspension layout under discussion, the category s undercar package, engine aside. is becoming standardised, making the introduction of additional vehicles simpler. Commercial considerations aside, the technical barriers will need to be overcome for Toyota (or any other manufacturer) to become involved. V8 team group TEGA has already discussed casually the issue of converting front-drive cars such as the Toyota Avalon, but the acceptance of non pushrod V8 engines will be the crucial factor and a major philo¬ sophical decision. While Toyota will not consider using either of the current Ford Continued Page 3

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