1992 Toyota IMSA GTP Eagle MKIII Coupe

This 1991 AAR-Gurney Eagle Mk-III Coupe is chassis #002 and car #98. It is powered by a Toyota 3S-GTM 2.1-liter in-line four-cylinder engine with a single Garrett AiResearch turbocharger and intercooler developing 750 horsepower and coupled to a Ray Eades/March 5-speed manual gear-box.

Key to the success of the MKIII was the sophisticated aerodynamics developed by Hiro Fujimori with Dan Gurney himself taking a very hands-on approach. Early cooling issues were cured by a prominent air-intake in the nose which fed the side-mounted radiators through large ducts. The intake also doubled as a front wing. The air that passed over the wing was channeled into the wheel wells where the spinning wheels further accelerated the airflow increasing the effectiveness of the wing. Although restrictions came into effect at the start of the 1993 season they had little effect as the Toyota Eagle GTP Mk III won every race it was entered including Daytona and Sebring. More substantial rule changes rendered the Toyota Eagle obsolete at the end of the 1993 season. It remains one of the most successful competition cars of all time, winning 21 races in just 28 starts.

Grand Touring Prototypes have long been rolling laboratories experimenting with the 'lessons of tomorrow.' 'All American Racers' Toyota Eagle MK-III is the last, and arguably the best of the breed: A car that proved so overwhelmingly dominant that the class for which it was created has now been assigned to history.

The IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars in many ways represented the pinnacle of American sports car racing and were often blazing new technology trails. At the front of this illustrious pack stands the All American Racers' Toyota Eagle MKIII, a car that utterly dominated the GTP class and set records that stand to this day.

Under the direction of AAR team boss Dan Gurney, designers John Ward and Hiro Fujimori created a car that made best use of the rulebook and the small but mighty Toyota 4-cylinder twin-cam. Everywhere you look, the efficiency and intelligence of the basic design is on display: A rigid carbon fiber structure with a tidy pushrod and rocker arm suspension layout; a compact driver canopy to maximize airflow to the large rear wing; and careful packaging of the various components. The design also allowed a wide range of aerodynamic configurations making it easier to adapt to the variety of race tracks around the country.

The diminutive Toyota 2.1-liter turbo engine was greatly underestimated but Toyota Racing Development relentlessly refined the little powerhouse to produce amazing performance on the track. So much so that the MKIII won 21 of 27 races entered - including an IMSA record 14 straight victories. Toyota and driver Juan Fangio II earned manufacturers' and drivers' titles in 1992 and 1993.

The Toyota Eagle MKIII was later voted the car of the decade on On Track Magazine, and many believe that the Eagle MKIII was the best of its breed in the greatest era of American sports car racing history.

Only six MK-III Eagle chassis were ever built and campaigned by Dan Gurney All American Racers. This chassis number 002 is powered by a Toyota turbocharged inline four-cylinder with a displacement of 2100cc producing 750 bhp at 8000 RPM.

Chassis 002 did extensive team testing but ran in only one race, driven by Rocky Moran at Del mar in October of 1991, where it was crashed and never raced professionally again.

In 2003, the current owner purchased the car from Dan Gurney's All American Racers. It is driven at various vintage events.

Drivers
PJ Jones, Juan Fangio II, Andy Wallace, Kenny Acheson, Rocky Moran, Mark Dismore

- Won 23 out of 27 races entered
- Set the GTP record with 14 straight victories
- Back-to-back Driver's and Manufacturers' Championship (1992 & 1993)
- 12 Hours of Sebring Champion (1992 & 1993)
- 24 Hours of Daytona Champion (1993)
- Holds track record at Daytona International Speedway (Road Course; Time 1.33.875 / 135 mph)
- Holds track record at Lime Rock Park (Time 43.112 / 128.59 mph)