World Beating, Crowd Pulling Toyota Super Tourer Spotted on side of road !

[Buckshot]

Was driving home when I spotted this on the side of the road. Thought I'd take a couple of piccies for the Super Touring fans out there.

If you want bigger shots email me and I'll send them.

Enjoy,
Cheers Buck.

[Buckshot]

And again...

[Buckshot]

And finally...

[Morris 1100]

How did you push your way through the crowd to get those pics!
I also saw a couple of Supertourers today.
I saw the Volvo team cars parked at Minto, in the "Prix Car Services" yard with thousands of Hyundai's and other imports, they just looked abandoned. (as they should be) Pity I didn't have my camera.

[Crash Test]

I was getting all excited that it was going to be a Carina!

That old show car has been going around since 1998...shame the show car was the wrong model to the race car

[Buckshot]

So it's just a mock up ? Not a real race car ?

The body kit on this looked really awesome.

[Crash Test]

Yeah, she's a fake.

Tinted windows are a dead giveaway. For one they are banned, and two, they stop you from looking in at the roll cage that isn't there

Below is a pic of the race car

[Crash Test]

I stand corrected- the show car dates back to 1997, here it is in action...

You were jibbed

[racer69]

Buckshot, Where abouts was the car at.

[Buckshot]

Down near the roundabout of Peach Tree Road and Coreen avenue. Out the front of Sydney Metro Truck Tyres.

[D.R.T.]

Peach Tree ay, I shall check it out. Thanks for pointing it out.

[kmchow]

Actually, a complete,FULL SUPERTOURING SPEC version of that Camry bodystyle does exist. A pair were commissioned by Toyota NA/TRD to race in the '98 NATCC. Rod Millen was contracted to race the cars. Sadly, those 2 Camrys never saw the racetrack. I wonder where they are now???

[twig]

damn, i remember those sweet days of super touring, pity the Quattro was banned, but i am pretty sure that the telecast went from 10 to 7 in oz, where is it now!?

[kmchow]

Twig wrote:

>where is it now!?
>
If you're referring to those pair of Camrys', I'm not sure. But it's gotta be in the hands of either Rod Millen or Toyota? Last year, a rumor had the cars being converted to run in the every growing sport of Import Drag Racing. What a sad and pathetic end for Supertouring cars. Already, one of the ex-NATCC, ex-JTCC Supertouring Honda Accords have appeared once or twice in the local import drag races.

It's like having Elizabeth Hurley or Tom Cruise (equal opportunity world!!) wash dishes in the local restaraunt.

[Buckshot]

I was surprised at the body kit - I never thought I'd ever see a butch looking Camry.

[Crash Test]

As to where is it on TV- since the series went bust, they have only raced at Winton and at Calder, and will be shown on SBS/Foxtel in Speedweek.

I do believe that Jamie Miller now owns the Camry, with him owning another, blue one, which he currently races.

[racer69]

I think the Camry body kit was possibly made by the team.

It was unfortunate that the NATCC didn't run in 1998. The two Camry's were built, and i believe that there was talk of factory support for the cars. Then Dodge pulled out and they pulled the pin on the series.

[kmchow]

Racer69 wrote:

>I think the Camry body kit was possibly made by the team.
>
It looks like the aerokit from the older 92-'96 bodystyle of the ST Camry, but that it was custom fitted to the new bodystyle???

Crashtest wrote:

>I do believe that Jamie Miller now owns the Camry, with him owning >another, blue one, which he currently races.
>
So he bought the blue one from the States from Rod Millen? Were there 2 or 3 cars in total? The blue one was listed as being for sale?? I think they were asking for $75KUS for the car as of 2 years ago??

[Crash Test]

That would sound about right. The original car that Adderton, Bates, Searle etc drove (as shown in my above post, the pic taken at the top of the eastern loop at Lakeside) was originally brought into Australia from South Africa.

[racer69]

The blue one also raced in South Africa in 1996. One went to Australia and one went to USA. The one that went to the USA was also meant to come to bathurst in '97 so they could be a two car team, and they were both meant to be upgraded to the new body style, but obviously none of that eventuated

[Crash Test]

I remember back a few years ago, after a round, I think it was at Winton, where the old Camry broke a few uprights and generally started to fall apart, that they were going to take it to the dump.... I guess that never happened either

[racer69]

That's right, Phoenix said that they weren't going to run it again unless they got some factory help or until they were able to get the other car (Miller's blue one) out from America to use for spares. The car was missing from the last round in 1998 & also from Bathurst, and missed 1999 as well & only came back for the Bathurst 500 with Miller & Kilpatrick driving. Maybe the hibernation cured the problems, like magic

[Crash Test]

Hehe...perhaps it took them that long to bog it up?

And what ever happened to Kilpatrick? There are some funny stories about him... but hey, he cleaned up in class B of the Porsche Cup in 1999.

[kmchow]

Racer69 wrote:

>That's right, Phoenix said that they weren't going to run it again >unless they got some factory help or until they were able to get the >other car (Miller's blue one) out from America to use for spares.
>Maybe the hibernation cured the problems, like magic
>
Wasn't the car heavily rebuilt/renewed for the '00 or '01 championship season? I forget which year. I was the under the impression the car ran much nicer after the ground up rebuild? Just like the Mondeos back in '99 when they were rebuilt by Peter Hills.

[Crash Test]

I don't think the presentation on the Mondeos has ever been the same since Quinn stopped preparing the cars.... but saying that, I think the Mondeo's speed which came in 1998 had a lot to do with Hillsy improving as a driver.