Following the collapse of the World Sportscar Championship and the dissolution of the immensely popular Group C category that made it big, the European endurance racing scene was at a crossroads. Without a major championship and with muddled regulations, prototypes all but disappeared.

Realizing the opportunity this power vacuum presented, Porsche Cup organizer Jurgen Barth and Venturi Cup officials Patrick Peter and Stephane Ratel decided to form a new premier series based around traditional production-based GT-cars. Initially this BPR Global GT Series was made up of little more than a motley crew of former Cup cars and cobbled-together private projects, but major names like McLaren, Lotus, Porsche and Ferrari quickly took notice.

Toyota was inspired by the rising popularity of BPR Global GT. Toyota was inspired by the rising popularity of BPR Global GT.

The meteoric rise of the series soon enticed another motoring giant to join the fold. As a longtime competitor in endurance racing on both sides of the Atlantic, Toyota couldn't resist the opportunity to go head to head with the world's finest supercars on their own turf at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Knowing it would be a tough fight, the company decided on a two-pronged attack on the European establishment. For outright speed it decided to develop the SW20-generation MR2 into a twin turbo V8 powered homologation special, released as the SARD MC8-R. But as the SARD was a high-risk exprimental project, and didn't represent the brand directly, Toyota decided to field its flagship sportscar as well.

The Supra was chosen to properly defend the brands honor at Le Mans. The Supra was chosen to properly defend the brands honor at Le Mans.

The fourth generation Supra was many things, but it wasn't exactly a racing car right off the bat. The closest thing Toyota had to a competitive GT-racer was its GT500-development, a sprint racer designed for the All-Japan Grand Touring Championship. Unwilling to expend too much time and money as Japan's economy was in a shambles, Toyota elected to try and adapt the GT500 to the grueling nature of the famous 24 hour race.

Unlike the road car, the GT500 version did not use the famed 2JZ-GTE 3.0L twin turbo straight six. Although the 2JZ was a great engine, it hadn't been developed with racing in mind. Its length and size made it unsuitable for such a purpose, since it would place too much weight on the front axle. Instead, the GT500 features an engine which had already proven itself in countless endurance races all over the globe.

Toyota opted for the venerable 503E-engine straight from their successful prototype campaigns. Toyota opted for the venerable 503E-engine straight from their successful prototype campaigns.

Since 1985, Toyota had used the tiny 2.1L, 16-valve 503E four cylinder engine to power virtually anything it could fit in. From Group C and IMSA GTP, to Pikes Peak, JGTC, Group S and IMSA GTO machinery , the little boosted maniac propelled them all, with power levels reliably reaching up to 850 horsepower. Though never very successful in Europe, the unit took America by storm, dominating IMSA racing in the early 90's in the Eagle MkIII GTP

With such an engine lying around, it was a no-brainer for Toyota to simply drop it into the racing version of the Supra and call it a day. In JGTC-racing, intake restrictions limited the car to 480 horsepower, but GT1-regulations permitted a much bigger one. The end result was 650 horsepower, delivered to the rear wheels through an X-Trac sequential six speed transmission.

The body was virtually unchanged from its GT500 origins, and suspension was based on the double wishbone setup from the older TS010 Group C-car. Another advanced feature was the use of carbon ceramic brakes. A total weight of 1245 kg (2744 lbs) was on the lardy side, but the extra power more than made up for it.

The Supra waiting on the grid, Le Mans 1995. The Supra waiting on the grid, Le Mans 1995.

Although four chassis were built, only a single car was entered into the 1995 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans under the Toyota Team SARD banner, the same outfit running the MC8-R. Toyota decided against using an all-Japanese driver team and instead used their factory Group C racers Jeff Krosnoff (USA) and Mauro Martini (ITA) alongside Marco Apicella (ITA), the man with the shortest F1-career of all time (just one corner).

Because Toyota Team SARD was registered as a factory entry, it was not required to attend the pre-qualifying session a month before the race. As a result of this, problems with the Supra 503E-engine coupled to issues with the carbon brakes lead to several spins. Eventually the team sorted the issues well enough for the car to qualify in a low 30th on the grid.

The Supra GT LM was not the only Japanese entry looking to shake up the established European order. Nissan had taken a similar approach with their GT500-based Skyline GT-R LM, and Honda had entered a twin turbo NSX GT1.

The big three of Japan had to face off against proven names like the Ferrari F40 GTE, McLaren’s F1 GTR, Jaguar’s XJ220 LM, the Venturi 600 SLM, Lister Storm GTS and the Porsche 993 GT2 Evo. Almost all of these cars were faster than the Supra, with only the SARD MC8-R behind it. The GT1-leading F40 GTE qualified 6th overall, 15 seconds faster than the Supra.

The Supra engaging in battle with one of the top dogs of the era, the Ferrari F40 GTE. The Supra engaging in battle with one of the top dogs of the era, the Ferrari F40 GTE.

During the race the car performed admirably, climbing up to as high as 12th overall. Five hour into the race, the Supra's luck turned. The unproven gearbox failed, leading to costly repair which lost the car a full hour. Adding insult to injury, the aerodynamic flat floor kept breaking loose. As the piece flapped under the car, it severely disturbed the airflow, a huge issue on the long straights of Circuit de La Sarthe. After numerous stops to try and correct the issue, Toyota Team SARD was granted permission from the stewards to remove the floor altogether.

This caused the interior of the car to heat up to unbearably hot temperatures, making long stints impossible for the drivers. Another stop to replace a broken radiator slowed the car even further. Despite all the setbacks the car managed to finish in a respectable 14th overall and 8th in class, some 34 laps behind the winning McLaren F1 GTR of Yannick Dalmas (FRA), Masanori Sekiya (JAP) and JJ Lehto (FIN).

Phillipe Alliot / Henri Raphanel in the controversial Marlboro colors, Zhuhai 3 Hours 1995. Phillipe Alliot / Henri Raphanel in the controversial Marlboro colors, Zhuhai 3 Hours 1995.

Impressed by their surprise victory, Toyota hired J.J. Lehto and Yannick Dalmas to drive a second car together at the Zhuhai 3 Hours, the twelfth and final round of the 1995 BPR season. The former F1-drivers were joined by familiar faces, as fellow Formula One refugees Phillipe Alliot (FRA) and Henri Raphanel (FRA) were selected to drive the sister car.

The cars were decked out in the colors of cigarette brand Marlboro, despite a recent crackdown on tobacco advertising by the Chinese government. The harsh street circuit wreaked havoc on the cars, and pace was consequently lacking. Owing to the explosive power of the turbo four, the Supra was unable to properly attack the course. Even with former Grand Prix drivers at the wheel, the Marloro-liveried cars didn't even make it into the top 10.

Alliot/Raphanel were the fastest of the bunch with a 1:50.566, some seven seconds slower than the pole-sitting Ferrari F40 GTE of Anders Olofsson (SWE) and Luciano Della Noce (ITA) and only good enough for 11th place. Lehto/Dalmas were a further 1.3 seconds behind in 13th. The race itself was similarly disappointing, as Lehto/Dalmes dropped out with handling problems, and Alliot/Raphanel dropped 20 laps behind the winning McLaren F1 GTR of Andy Wallace (GB) and Olivier Grouillard (FRA) to finish 11th and second to last..

The revised GT LM, Le Mans 1996. The revised GT LM, Le Mans 1996.

For 1996 the car was significantly improved. The overall body shape was widened and lowered and a bigger front and rear spoiler was fitted to increase high speed stability. Ventilation was improved with extra ducting to decrease cockpit temperatures, and larger brake ducts served to increase the longevity of the brakes as well. Power steering was added along with revised dampers. A smaller factory turbo was also fitted to make power delivery less savage. The slight loss of power was compensated with a 50 kg (110 lb) weight reduction.

The run down to Indianapolis. Note the Skyline GT-R LM in the background. The run down to Indianapolis. Note the Skyline GT-R LM in the background.

Apparently unsatisfied with their international driver line up, Toyota this time went with an all-Japanese squad. Last years winner Masanori Sekiya was joined by Masami Kageyama and Hidetoshi Mitsusada would have the honor of driving the improved machine. The trio sadly did not improve the Supra’s chances.

The car’s competitors had also developed further, and the introduction of Porsche’s insane 911 GT1 homologation special pushed the Supra further back down the order. The 4 seconds of improvement the car had made resulted in no more than 36th on the grid

On race day the team again ran into problems. The flat floor stubbornly refused to stay under the the car, again leading to many a pit stop to repair it. Further problems with the exhaust and again the carbon brakes condemned the car to running in no more than 25th overall. It was by then lapping a disappointing 10 seconds off its intended pace. With Mitsusada driving, the car went off the track twice. The second time finally finished the car’s race.

Le Mans simply wasn't too kind on the Supra. Le Mans simply wasn't too kind on the Supra.

The Toyota Supra GT LM was a cheap and easy way of entering a burgeoning racing series, or so the Toyota thought. Quickly adapted from a sprint-focused GT500 machine, the car was sent out into the highly competitive world of GT1-racing with little to no preparation. Despite a decade of experience at Le Mans, Toyota inexplicably decided to take the path of least resistance.

Unsurprisingly, their failure to properly address the stresses of running for 24 hours on end resulted in a car that fell apart at the slightest provocation. Despite having the engine famous for producing massive heaps of power, the car wasn't even on speaking terms with the fastest cars in the field, meaning the lack of reliability was both a blessing and a curse. In all the car turned out to be an irredeemable disappointment. After entering the war with one hand tied behind its back, the Supra simply couldn't keep up with the dazzling speed at which the seasoned competition developed.

Following the unfortunate string of failures, Toyota licked its wounds and put its sensible hat back on again. The plagued Supra GT LM project was abandoned after the 1996 season in favor of a far more rigorous approach.

Taking a page from Porsche's handbook, the company took a few years off to construct the ultimate GT1 homologation special. With little to no ties to any sort of road going vehicle, this TS020 GT-One would take the Japanese giant to a level of raw speed never seen before.

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