We settled on a not-so-sporty, but certainly compact 2007 Toyota Yaris S sedan. It's the ideal econobox platform, with probably the least guts of any car we can think of. Just the kind of thing the Japanese would consider cool enough to be turned into a spec race car-the Vitz-precisely where we'll find our suspension bits. So the plan was to baseline the Yaris sedan, bring out the parts we'd need, and make changes on the spot to have the Yaris break the magical 1g barrier.
TEIN's crew came out to the track with a set of their unfortunately named Super Street coilovers developed from their Yaris hatch race car. The simple bolt-on suspension and minor changes to the factory alignment brought the Yaris from a pathetic 0.76g to an impressive 0.85g on the 200-foot skidpad. All with just springs, dampers and no anti-roll bars, in typical Japanese fashion.
Obviously, no amount of suspension would make the Yaris' stock grocery-run mommy tires break a g. So we called up the wheel and tire experts at Tire Rack to find the right pair of shoes. We weren't surprised that no one had any idea about what fits a Yaris, but that's what's so cool about Tire Rack. If they don't know, they'll find out. Even after fitting a set of 15x7 Enkei RPF1 with 225/50R15 Hoosier A6 compound tires in a computer simulation, Tire Rack went to the extreme of bringing in a stock Yaris sedan into their headquarters in South Bend, Indiana, to make sure the set-up worked with no interference issues regarding the stock suspension and chassis for the entire range of suspension travel. They even made sure there was enough clearance for the TEIN coilover suspension we were planning to stuff in. Special treatment, we thought, but it's a service they perform for any of their customers.
With the Hoosier autocross A6 compound and cheater slick tread design, our little Yaris went out and pulled off 1.05g. Something few of our projects cars can claim and enough to beat even the phenomenal new 997 Porsche 911 Turbo. So what did we prove? Two things: a little tire goes a long way and, while you may not be able to make a turd go fast, it's pretty easy to make one stick. -JC
Williams Type FW08C
Not to be confused with the six-wheeled FW-08B that never saw a racetrack, the car you see here competed in Formula One in 1982 and 1983, helping the original 'Flying Finn' Keke Rosberg secure the 1982 drivers championship, despite just one win at Dijon over the course of the season.
The 1982 French Grand Prix was a hard-earned victory for Rosberg. The Cosworth engine was said to be more than 120hp down on the turbocharged competition Renault and Ferrari campaigned. Because the 3.0-liter V8 lacked the oomph to overpower heavy downforce, it had to be dialed out. As a result, the Goodyear rubber tended to spin into narrower doughnuts at high speed. According to the Finn, the car's deficiencies simply meant he'd have to take "massive risks" on faster tracks. The cars strong suit, predictably enough, was on tighter tracks where a lot of downforce could be used while not sacrificing top speed. Rosberg proved this in 1983 with a win at Monaco, albeit mostly due to a lucky tire choice.
Uniquely, the car is equipped with a Hewland six-speed transmission, installed to help deal with the turbocharged competition. As Frank Williams puts it: "The idea was that the driver could latch onto a turbo car in a corner in fifth gear and peak out of the corner with another gear still in hand to hold the turbo car until the end of the straight."
Avid F1 fans may note the absence of some of its original livery. The car is devoid of its most important historical sponsor, Bin Laden. You read that right-it was the father of a global terror who paid for this car to rocket around the world's race tracks. Now owned by Erich Joiner and campaigned in many illustrious rich-guy racing series, the reviled family name was removed, but the Saudia stickers are retained-like building a Messerschmitt model without the swastikas.
The car still gets to stretch its legs on a regular basis. Crew chief Thomas Griffith sees to it the car is kept in tip-top condition and offered his expertise here. Catch up with Joiner and his storied car at www.historicgrandprix.com. -James Tate