Jump to content

SARD MC8-R

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SARD MC8-R
CategoryFIA GT1
ConstructorSARD
Technical specifications
ChassisHybrid steel aluminum
Suspension (front)Double wishbone
Suspension (rear)Same as front
Length4,540 mm (178.7 in)
Width1,920 mm (75.6 in)
Height1,132 mm (44.6 in)
EngineToyota 1UZ-FE 4,000 cc V8 Twin turbocharged Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted
TransmissionHewland 6-speed manual (1995, 1997)
March 5-speed manual (1996)
Power580 ps @ 6,100 rpm (1995)
580 ps @ 7,000 rpm (1996)
664 ps @ 7,000 rpm (1997)
Weight1,273 kg (2,806 lb) (1995)
1,061 kg (2,339 lb) (1996)
1,000 kg (2,205 lb) (1997)
TyresDunlop, Yokohama, Michelin
Competition history
Notable entrantsSARD
Notable drivers
Debut1995 24 Hours of Le Mans
Last season1997
RacesWinsPolesF/Laps
6000
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Sard MC8-R was a modified and lengthened version of the Toyota MR2 (SW20) built for GT racing by Toyota's SARD (Sigma Advanced Research Development) works team.

SARD heavily modified the front half of the MR2s chassis and completely replaced the rear with a custom setup in order to fit a twin-turbo version of the 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE V8 producing 600 bhp (447 kW).[1] This is the first car which only used the frontal chassis of production and was effectively a purpose-built semi-sports-prototype that successfully got GT1 homologation. The MC8-R lacked pace and was very unreliable which made it often finish at the bottom of the race. Competitors such as the McLaren F1 GTR and Ferrari F40 LM outperformed it along with the GT1 Toyota Supra that was also constructed under Toyota Team SARD.

Since the custom rear chassis and numerous dedicated components will lead to significant differences from the original MR2, a homologation car was constructed in order to compete. SARD built one MC8 road car in order to meet homologation requirements. This car disappeared from the public eye within a year of its construction, but resurfaced again on the Japanese collector car website SEiyaa in 2015, two decades after its disappearance.[2] The car is currently in possession of a private collector, who has registered the car for road use in Japan.[3][4]

1995 and 1996

[edit]
SARD MC8-R - Alain Ferte, Pascal Fabre & Mauro Martini on the run down from Dunlop Bridge to the Esses behind TWR WSC-95 Porsche - Michele Alboreto, Didier Theys & Pierluigi Martini at the 1996 Le Mans

1997

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Sard Racing MC8R". Midengine-motorsports.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
  2. ^ "1994y サード MC8 ホモロゲーション" [1994y SARD MC8 Homologation] (in Japanese). SEiyaa Thayer. 2015-02-15. Archived from the original on 2015-02-15. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  3. ^ "The SARD MC8". Shakotan Today. 15 September 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  4. ^ "MC8 channel (@mc8_channel) • Instagram photos and videos".
  5. ^ "Le Mans Register – 1997". Formula2.net. Retrieved 2010-10-15.