JDM Traditional Japanese Car Toyota Sports 800

The Toyota Sport 800 was a small sports car manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation from 1965 to 1969. It was commonly known as the “Yota Hachi” because of its charming exterior.

The name "Toyota Sports 800" was chosen from a public contest held at the 11th Tokyo Motor Show in 1964.

The Toyota Sport 800 was developed based on the compact car "Toyota Publica" of the time, using as many of its components as possible. The concept was to "getting the performance of a sports car by thorough weight reduction and aerodynamics". The result is a compact size of length 3580 mm and width 1465 mm. Also it is adopted a thoroughly rounded and charming design aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag. Furthermore, as an aerodynamic measure, the headlamps were covered with plastic, the shape of which was reminiscent of the fog lamp treatment on the Toyota 2000GT.

The interior of the Toyota Sport 800 is compact and simple, with only the necessary controls and instruments. The four-lens instrument panel in front of the driver's eyes gives the car a sports car feel, as do the short shift lever and low seating position.


The power unit of the Toyota Sport 800 was initially considered to be the U-type air-cooled, horizontally opposed, two-cylinder, OHV, 700 cc engine for the Publika. However, its output of 28 hp was too weak to achieve a top speed of 150 km/h or more. Therefore, the engine was increased in displacement by approximately 100 cc and equipped with twin carburetors to boost its power to 45 hp. Combined with an ultra-light aerodynamic body boasting an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.35, it achieved a top speed of 155 km/h. The only transmission available was a 4-speed manual, and the drive system was FR.

At the time, automobile racing was becoming popular in Japan, and with the Honda S600 as a worthy rival, the Toyota Sports 800 was used in many automobile races in Japan.
In the first Suzuka 500 km race in 1966, the car won the race without making a single pit stop, thanks to its aerodynamic body, which reduced fuel consumption and tire wear, resulting in less frequent pit stops than other cars.

I would like to drive first mass-produced sports car from Toyota, the Toyota Sports 800, if I have the chance.