Historic Toyota 92C-V Sports Prototype To Race Again

Autosport this week reports the good news that another privately owned Toyota Group C car, a 1992 Toyota 92C-V, is currently being restored by Hugh Chamberlains Chamberlain/Synergy team to its original 1992 Le Mans 24 Hour race spec. Like the 1992 Toyota TS010 Group C car at the recent Goodwood Members Meeting some parts have been hard to source and the South African owner of the 92C-V has asked Toyota for any parts and assistance they can provide. The Chamberlain team must be confident they can complete the car because it is planned to enter five of the six Group C Historic races this year. Hopefully they will fit a modern ECU rather than try and run the 20 year old Denso unit! With any luck there will be a chance to get a closer look at the Silverstone Classic at the end of July

Five 92C-V chassis were built for Toyota by Japanese manufacturer Dome and the #1 chassis was bought by the Trust Racing Team to enter the Le Mans 24 Hour race. I'd speculate that this was a backup plan by Toyota to their main challenger the new Tony Southgate designed 1992 Toyota TS010 'sprint' spec Group C which ran a near Formula 1 spec 3.5 litre engine. Confidence in the TS010 lasting the full 24 hours was probably less that the 92C-V which was equipped with the well developed R36V engine. Bizarrely the older spec car was handicapped, possibly to ensure the new sprint spec cars would finish ahead!

Specifications:
R36V, V8 (90 degree) cyl, 4 stroke, petrol engine
3576cc
650 bhp
aluminium block and head
DOHC, 4 valves/cyl - 32 valves total
aspiration, 2 x Toyota CT26RT turbochargers with Nippon Denso multipoint electronic fuel injection
dry sump
5 speed manual gearbox
carbon fibre monocoque Dome chassis
f/r suspension, double wishbones, push-rod actuated coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar
power assisted rack-and-pinion steering
carbon ceramic discs, all-round
length 4650 mm (183.1 in)
width 2000 mm (78.7 in)
Wheelbase 2770 mm (108.3 in)


The pic below shows Toyota 92C-V #1 at the 1992 Le Mans 24 Hours finished 5th and won its class in Category 2 driven by George Fouché, Steven Andskar & Stefan Johansson




The updated Toyota 92C-V #1 at 1994 Le Mans 24 Hours finished 4th driven by Bob Wollek, Steven Andskar & Stefan Johansson

_________________
Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

Blimey; I nearly bought one of them off ebay years back to have a look at it. Keeping these beasts going must be a real mission.

_________________
JP
GT4DC Treasurer

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