Toyota has become the first Japanese manufacturer to officially enter vehicles into the 1000 Miglia Gran Turismo Experience, a support event for the legendary Italian race.
The Japanese automaker has brought a curated selection of five models from its heritage fleet to tackle the historic rally in Brescia, Italy.
The 1000 Miglia has traditionally been dominated by Italian legends like Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia, and Maserati, alongside German contenders such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Porsche.
Toyota's participation marks a significant cultural exchange between European motorsport and Japanese car culture.
The Five Heritage Models
The most recent model in the lineup is the Lexus LFA supercar, introduced in 2010 with a naturally aspirated V10 producing 553 hp (412 kW / 560 PS).
The LFA was developed at the Nürburgring and has five class victories at the Nürburgring 24 Hour race.
Next is the iconic A80 generation Toyota Supra, a sports car that defined the 1990s and enjoyed success in the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (later Super GT).
The 2000GT, from the 1960s, is considered one of the best-looking Japanese cars ever made.
This grand tourer features a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine and achieved many records, including a one-two finish at the Fuji 24 Hours Race.
The Toyota Sports 800 is a rare baby sports car produced between 1965 and 1969.
It has an aerodynamic design and a tiny 790cc engine producing 44 hp (33 kW / 45 PS) sourced from the Publica city car.
The racing version won the inaugural Suzuka 500 km race in 1966 without a single refueling stop.
The oldest model is the first-generation Crown Model RS sedan, introduced in 1955 as the first passenger vehicle fully manufactured in Japan.
It proved its durability by completing a 50,000 km (31,069-mile) drive from London to Tokyo in eight months in 1956.
The original 1000 Miglia was a racing event held in Italy from 1927 to 1957, covering 1,000 miles (1,600 km) on public roads.
Today, the historic rally is only accessible to cars that participated in the original editions.
The 1000 Miglia Gran Turismo Experience support event is organized by Polyphony Digital, the creators of the popular Gran Turismo driving simulator for PlayStation consoles.
Toyota describes the 1000 Miglia as one of the origins of "ever-better carmaking rooted in motorsports."
