The rally legend liked his driving.
On Saturday, Toyota officially presented its new Rally2 car in connection with the World Rally Championship in Japan.
As Iltalehti already reported in early October, the Toyota rally team with its headquarters in Jyväskylä had quietly developed a competitor in the Rally2 classification. The first tests of the car were done a little over a month ago in central Finland.
Four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen got the honor to present the novelty to the world on Saturday. Kankkunen got to roam around with the racer at the Okazaki City special stage of the World Rally Championship in Japan before the actual competitors.
– A fun car and it’s really easy to drive, Kankkunen described.
The development of the car is still in the early stages. Toyota team manager Jari-Matti Latvala told Iltalehte before the start of the World Rally Championship in Japan that the car will hardly be seen in special tests next year.
– The preliminary plans are that the car will not be available for customers until next year. That year is purely testing, Latvala said.
– I also have to remember that the competitors are really strong. Skoda and also Hyundai and Ford have been there for a very long time. They have a lot of experience in that class.
Cars of the Rally2 classification compete in, for example, the WRC2 class of the World Rally Championship and in several national rally series, such as the domestic SM series. Toyota’s purpose is to build and sell cars to customer teams, as long as the car can be classified at some point at the end of the long development and testing work.
Juha Kankkunen received an honorary position. Toyota Gazoo Racing
The four-time world champion gave Toyota a ride. Toyota Gazoo Racing
The Japanese brand’s Rally2 car has now been officially presented to the world. Toyota Gazoo Racing