With Toyota’s announcement of the Yaris WRC and their subsequent return to rally, perhaps it’s time to look back at Toyota’s history in the competitive scene. Most people know of TRD, or Toyota Racing Development, which was Toyota’s main motorsport development arm. But lesser known is TMG, or Toyota Motorsport GmbH, which handles a large portion of Toyota’s European motorsport endeavors.
They’ve been working quietly for years. Their rally development days started way back with the TA22 generation of the Toyota Celica, progressing all the way until the last Celica GT4. Controversy surrounding the breaking of FiA regulations are what eventually forced Toyota to retire from rally- along with a looming recession.
But much like Audi did when they left the world of rally, Toyota turned to a multitude of other motorsports. They attacked track racing and touring cars, and eventually worked their way up to developing Le Mans prototypes and F1 cars. They developed a number of one-off prototypes that may never see the production line or even the light of day, but they soldiered on. And while TRD may get the lion’s share of worldwide attention, TMG is an equally strong contender and just as relevant.
Suffice to say, a lot of people are looking forward to seeing how the new Yaris WRC performs on the world stage. But before that- perhaps a bit of history is in order. XCAR, a UK based outfit, produced a nice film detailing the history of TMG, and their secret underground car collection. Check it out below.
