This Car Had Less Power. How did it Beat Everyone?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- The early 80s were wild times for motorsport, and Toyota were all in on the racing fervour.
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Written by: Fred Knight
Edited by: JD Minny ( @jdminny )
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Damn, those grids had some absolute gems of cars that were unknown to me! Surely some other worthy of dedicated videos!
Yeah when I heard a Fiero won a GTO race I was like “Woah, I’d like to see that thing”
Yeah I saw many cars in there that I would like to know more about.
These IMSA GTO CARS for sure are the hidden gems.
IMSA in the 80s was SO. MUCH. FUN. I lived in Florida for the latter half, where Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta and some others were close enough for a weekend trip, so I went to most of the races there. Met Dan Gurney, Dennis Aase, and most of the Toyota team, as well as others on other teams. What a blast! ... And it looks like the 2020s are shaping up to be quite interesting too!
You know what would be awesome? Watching the modern LMGTP/LMDh cars go head to head with the Super GT GT500 cars. With a little BoP adjustment, they could easily put on a really cool display of silhouette GTs versus full-blown prototypes.
New Selikah GeeTehhee
@@mcrichton46 believe it or not, the GT500's would perform, similarly to that one race they did with the last gen DTM cars in Germany, where the reason why they're slow was due to the lack of a hybrid system lol
@@3ormorecharactersmaybe5lack of hybrid system but additional downforce.
I love this car. Specifically because Willy T. Ribbs is my all time favorite racing driver. Man inspired me to go out and do things, and not to worry about the color of my skin or the money in my pocket.
Willy's career didn't reach the heights that I think it should have. Clearly far more talent than he ever fully tapped into. But man, I will never forget the first time I saw that footage of that comeback drive. Then I found out that the driver behind that footage was the only driver that looked like me. Even as recent as a few years ago I was seeing comments on videos of other black drivers derriding them. I always think about Willy's commitment and passion to drive when I see those comments.
I don't freak out about famous people or important figures, but Willy is my exception. Absolute legend.
A prime example of representation mattering. Good role models help people realize their potential in life. I'm glad Willy could be that for you.
looks alone the Celica GTO is one of my favorite racecars ever. Loved this era of wide body insanity, same with Group 5/ JGTC cars. Beautiful machines & thanks for the video
Even cooler is the AAR GTP Toyotas that came after. Same engine and they were so dominant it kinda killed the series
@@nathanchildress5596 Personally, prototypes can never be as cool as silhouette cars. IMSA GTO/GTU was peak.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 As far as racing excitement, totally agree, IMSA, Trans Am and Touring cars is peak racing, I just mean the Toyota American Eagle prototype was a badass machine and it looked great.
@ I can appreciate it for what it is, but don't find prototypes as relatable.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 Totally agree, classic classic touring cars and rally are my favorite to watch since it's cars you know driven within an inch of their life.
Fantastic video again! I was privileged to have a tour of AAR's race shops about 10 years ago. It's astonishing how many wins they cranked out of a small facility. In their mini-museum they had the '92 Eagle-Toyota GTP car. What a BEAST!
1992 Eagle Toyota GTP Car has around 750bhp.
@ Held the road course record at Daytona for about 20 years also until Mazda broke it for Rolex 24 qualifying a few years ago. Amazing 🤩
That pronunciation change is such a difference that a Brit friend from Uni told me about his Celica several times and I had legit no idea what he was saying for several months lol. Just nodded my head “yeah… a suh-LEE-ca
I know, right? Which parallel universe am I from exactly?
Thank you from New Zealand! Our Steve Millen drove those Celicas too sometimes but New Zealand never followed his IMSA races on TV (New Zealand has sometimes had a funny attitude to the USA and we had only two or three nationwide channels back then, therefore limited sports coverage by today's standards.) so it is pleasing to view some of the IMSA footage of old! As an aside the Merkur of Scott Pruett was later raced in New Zealand Sports Sedans and won three titles here!
Rod Millen also drove that Celica quite often.
Love hearing about the Celica's racing history as a Celica owner myself
thank you as ever, mate! Great video about an underrated, yet excellent racer!
Yeeeesssss! The IMSA Celica!!! IMSA was excellent during this era and Willi T. Ribbs was a personal fave of mine, bit of a trail blazer for us.
Celica's are great I love my 2nd and 3rd gen Celica Liftbacks. Glad to see the Celica getting some love.
Another great video! Would love to see a vid of the AE86! From rally to circuit racing to birthing drifting, think it would be an awesome vid.
Another video covering endurance racing lore is another good day in the books.
Excellent video.... THANKS. I used to race an 84 Celica. Owned a few street versions also. Love this era of race cars.
These videos are always top quality. It's fantastic to see how much the channel has grown the past year.
The Celica GTO has always been one of those unrealistic dream cars I've had. This video was amazing.
I almost bought an 83 Celica GTS Coupe. The only problem was the body’s condition, but other than that, everything still felt just as good as when it left the factory. These things are built rock solid and they’re great cars.
Super cool video. If anyone's curious, the car shown at 10:16 is the AW11 MR2, not the supra as mentioned
I love your storytelling and always happy to see when you upload a new video. Keep up the great work!
That Celica looks like something that belonged to the ovals in NASCAR. Very niiiiiice
2:53 hey it's Smokescreen
For real
I finally know Smokescreens og car
At my old apartment someone owned a Celica Supra as seen at 1:02, damn thing was almost pristine considering its age and looked to still be totally OEM. I never saw the owner but they clearly loved that car.
that 2.1L makes a wonderful noise
I love Celicas so much. There's this 1993 on my sights right now...
My favorite generation
I know you've done the 787b but I'd love a video on mazdas imsa exploits, from cars like the rx3 all the way to the short lived rx792p, also love the vibe of your content!
Great video, thanks. In college, I had an '82 Celica notchback, all angles and such a fun car to drive. That crash at 8:13/11:00 was at the Charlotte GP in 1985. I was there and watched it happen right in front of me. Good times and great memories.
THANK YOU! Your 'correction' of saying Celica is much appreciated 👍
Pontiac raced the Fiero?????? That's so sick
Love those GTO cars...American Trans-Am Silhouettes for all!! :D :D
Is it just me or when a foreign car wins in IMSA, next year they will probably put restrictions directly against that car?
Happens everywhere. When Nissan brought gtr to Australia the same thing happened.
Hmm, new video idea!
~ How the BTCC Volvo managed to write it's name in glory ~
I didn't know Roush was racing outside of NASCAR back then, cool!
Australia has a locally famous singer named Jon Stevens. Frontmsn for Noiseworks and still lerforminf brilliantly at 63 years old.
Thumbnail photo reminds me of late 80s stock cars just like in Days of Thunder movie 😍
And then they went to dominate with the Eagle MkIII in the GTP Class. Another legendary car driven by the nephew of another legendary driver.
It's hard to find a cooler car than a 70's to 80's toyota. Fast? Debatable. Cool? For sure.
70´s and 80´s stickers and liverys are fire!even aestheticly the cars were more beautiful.
I loved the diversion to talk about the GTO entry - it's little things like this which make the whole story more interesting.
ooooh the celica supra mk2 is my low key dream car... but ima be real. we cant afford the cool cars of the 80's and 90's now a days. there are some still not in the spot light but most are rotting or rotted away.
MK2 Celicas are extremely rare, even though it was the Car of the Year in 1979. I just bought a 1984 Celica Supra for $8,000 though, so they aren’t too expensive yet
Yes you are pronouncing it right, the same we pronounce in most part of Asia. I have previously owned the TA22, TA40 and TA50.
Never throw a 4 Cylinder under the Bus. Toyota just didn't conquer F1 and Le Mans with a Damn 4 Cylinder which pretty damn Cool.
Nice fit💥💯‼️
But for real, very cool video never even knew much about that Toyota
YOU PUT OUT GREAT STUFF, SIR
great job covering this wonderfully boxy, lesser-known beast! somehow i only just noticed your icon has sunnies and not huge orange eyes.
Dude st185 is why i own one. I love 80s early 90s celicas. My dream is the TCT celica rally spec. I got an st185 but yeah a TCT widebody mmmm my dream
I like the style of your car videos, keep it up! You should do one about "Doc Hudson" if you know what I mean
Thanks for the entertainment absolutely love your Channel
As an American I pronounce it the American way but because it phonetically reminds me of acceleration. Idk what Toyota actually intends but the way UK English mangles non English words is as legendary as American cluelessness. And we both have great fun mangling French.
I died laughing when you cut back to when you said silica the American way
7:02 didnt know there was a gtu pontiac fiero :O that's so cool
Where are your Trademark Glasses? :)
still on holiday. bloody part-timers!
@@automobilistic you looks so much different without glasses 😂
@@automobilistic handsome devil
Love from Italy
Cause Weight and Suspension Setup is more important than HP
Late 80s early 90s was the peak of all motorsports, you can't convince me otherwise. There wasn't a series that wasn't kicking ass.
If you haven’t already, it’d be fun to watch a video on how the Mercury Cougars beat the Audi 90 quattros in IMSA 1989. Everyone talks about the quattros and its dominance, but it was still beaten…
By a MERCURY COUGAR.
The Celica GTO is a pretty good looking car in my opinion
I think the MK3 Celica is way cooler than the MK4, but the GT4 and Celica All-Tracks are awesome and are dream cars for me
@nathanchildress5596 I'm surprised that Gran Turismo games didn't have this car
@@neddy1287 I think Gran Turismo just came a little after, plus rally cars were introduced in Gran Turismo 2, so by that time they had the ST205 Celica GT4 with the awesome Castrol livery instead of the earlier models.
@@nathanchildress5596 I remember that but it never featured the racing Celica like the ones in the video
@@neddy1287 Yeah true, shame because the earlier Celica All-Track with the pop-up headlights and the marlboro livery was also a sweet looking car.
The cheat Toyota did with the Sleeker rally car was genuis!....
That Celica GT4 with that Castrol livery is one of the coolest race cars of all time
@nathanchildress5596 Total badass and they sold loads of metal off the back of it....
10:16 isn't that an MR2 though? Not complaining, just had to do a double take because my ears were not matching what my eyes were seeing.
The only real important piece of information: this car looks cool.
Willy T. Ribbs is also a sick name, shouts out
4:56 Rest In Peace, Rolf.
@11:18 Nissan got the idea for their next Silvia but with ca18det, how sneaky.
This car drives lovely in rFactor2
i think we require a setup tour
Bring back the glasses!
Can you make a clip about WTCC, i mean i realy loved this competion back in the day, i remember watching a lot of races. But nowadays nobody gives that series some credit so i would love to see a clip about it.
That car was the whole reason I fell in love the GTO/GTU cars from IMSA. I wish the Celica Turbo GTO could get more recognition in videogames.
Also, i always found very cool the tag "Technology on a fast track" located in the rear of the car.
I have that IMSA GTU livery on my Gr4 GR86 and GT500 Supra on Gran Turismo 7
Where did you get the thumbnail picture of the T16 Celica IMSA? Would look great as a poster!
Good stuff
"Muscles beat imports every time. You know what I'm saying?" -Dwight Mueller
As for my critical thought, never underestimate the power of Japanese imports.
Not on topic, maybe video idea, because as Ferrari is synonymous with motorsport, it made me wondering what are all racing series did they enter and if they won in them
Nice welcome back 🫡🫡
Where do you get model cars from, they look awesome!
The Supra you showed at 10:16 is a Toyota MR2
Thank you for addressing your pronunciation of “Celica” 😆
Those were the days, when things were still explorative and inventive and developmental and pure racing. Unlike today where everything is formulaic and sterile and "game-ified" with video-game like gimmickry. Always went to the IMSA races at Sears Point and Laguna Seca in those days.
If Porche/Penske killed can am, Toyota/AAR killed gtp with the eagle mk3. Hoping to see a video on that program as well.
I just can't do it man, celeeka. I have to many sharp things around and don't want to accidentally ST A B out my ear drums.
It's only a Sellecka when Tom Selleck is driving it.
need a video of mazda gto adventures
New upload yay!!!
2:36 what is that all black car in the background
Corvette 😅😅
Corvette C3 from the looks of it
You're like the Nuadwar of the mini car doc youtubers! Respect
10:16 You can CLEARLY see this is an MR2...
I would rather listen to this pronunciation of Celica than have to hear another Australian day skeletal again. 😂
How to get a Celica 1980/81 liftback 1/18 scale diecast ?
What happened to the glasses chief! It's not the same😭
This car was geared properly, no need to be the biggest or fasteset.
Ok so where do you explain why and how they won with an under powered car?? This was just a history of the car in racing
this car is awesome
Funny considering the 3s even turbo'd didnt make that kind of power
The British pronunciation is much appreciated in yet another excellent video. Ten out of ten, buddy.
Ah, the Toyota SEL LEAKA.
hahah the pronunciation joke hit, good job
My first car was a MK2 supra.
IMSA in 1980s > F1 since 2014.
Willie T Ribbs!
I love how you go back in reference that you used to say it the American way and now say it the proper way you are too good brotha 😂
It’s not proper, just British. In Japan they say it CELica, not ceLICa. Another example of Brits going “I don’t care, I say it like this”
Love his expression at the end of it
@@nathanchildress5596 Like Jaguar. Brits mangle it into three syllables.
In Japan it's pronounced like "serika" so American way mo betta
Lol if it was meant to be pronounced that way then they'd have spelled it celeeeeeeeka
Im from cenral america (costa rica) and we can say celica like the "wrong" form because we speak spanish
Making fun of your previous self. . You get a like good sir