View source for SARD MC8-R

{{improve categories|date=October 2022}}
{{Racing car
| Car_name          = SARD MC8-R
|  Image            = SARD MC8-R - Alain Ferte, Pascal Fabre & Mauro Martini in the Esses at the 1996 Le Mans (51816270238).jpg
|  Category         = [[Group GT1|FIA GT1]]
|  Constructor      = [[SARD]]
|  Designer         =
|  Team             = [[SARD]]
|  Drivers          = {{unbulleted list
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Alain Ferté]]
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Kenny Acheson]]
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Mauro Martini]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jeff Krosnoff]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Pascal Fabre]]
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Naoki Nagasaka]]
}}
|  Chassis          = Hybrid steel aluminum
|  Front suspension = Double wishbone
|  Rear suspension  = Same as front
|  Engine name      = [[Toyota]] [[Toyota UZ engine|1UZ-FE]]
|  Capacity         = 4,000 cc
|  Configuration    = [[V8 engine|V8]]
|  Turbo/NA         = Twin turbocharged
|  Engine position  = [[Mid-engine layout|Mid-engine]]d, [[longitudinal engine|longitudinally mounted]]
|  Power            = 580 ps @ 6,100 rpm (1995)<br>580 ps @ 7,000 rpm (1996)<br>664 ps @ 7,000 rpm (1997)
|  Gearbox name     = [[Hewland]] 6-speed [[manual transmission|manual]] (1995, 1997)<br>[[March Engineering|March]] 5-speed manual (1996)
|  Gears            =
|  Type             =
|  Differential     =
|  Length           = {{convert|4540|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
|  Width            = {{convert|1920|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
|  Height           = {{convert|1132|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
|  Weight           = {{convert|1273|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} (1995)<br>{{convert|1061|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} (1996)<br>{{convert|1000|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} (1997)
|  Fuel             =
|  Tyres            = [[Dunlop Rubber|Dunlop]], [[Yokohama]], [[Michelin]]
|  Debut            = [[1995 24 Hours of Le Mans]]
|  Races            = 6
|  Wins             = 0
|  Cons_champ       = 0
|  Drivers_champ    = 0
|  Poles            = 0
|  Fastest_laps     = 0
|  Last_season      = 1997
}}
The '''Sard MC8-R''' was a modified and lengthened version of the [[Toyota MR2#Second generation (W20; 1989–1999)|Toyota MR2 (SW20)]] built for GT racing by Toyota's [[SARD]] (Sigma Advanced Research Development) works team.
SARD heavily modified the front half of the MR2s chassis and completely replaced the rear with a custom setup in order to fit a [[twin-turbo]] version of the 4.0-liter [[Toyota UZ engine#1UZ-FE|1UZ-FE]] V8 producing {{convert|600|bhp|abbr=on|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.midengine-motorsports.com/Competition/Toyota/MR2/MC8R.htm |title=Sard Racing MC8R |publisher=Midengine-motorsports.com |access-date=2010-10-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714090906/http://www.midengine-motorsports.com/Competition/Toyota/MR2/MC8R.htm |archive-date=2011-07-14 }}</ref> This is the first car which only used the frontal chassis of production and was effectively a purpose-built semi-[[sports-prototype]] that successfully got GT1 homologation. The MC8-R lacked pace and was very unreliable which made it often finish at the bottom of the race. Competitors such as the [[McLaren F1 GTR]] and [[Ferrari F40 LM]] outperformed it along with the [[Toyota Supra in motorsport|GT1 Toyota Supra]] that was also constructed under Toyota Team SARD.
Since the custom rear chassis and numerous dedicated components will lead to significant differences from the original MR2, a homologation car was constructed in order to compete. SARD built one MC8 road car in order to meet homologation requirements. This car disappeared from the public eye within a year of its construction, but resurfaced again on the Japanese collector car website SEiyaa in 2015, two decades after its disappearance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ichiba.geocities.jp/seiyaa_desk/sardmc8-seiyaaaz.html |title=１９９４ｙ サード ＭＣ８ ホモロゲｰション |trans-title=1994y SARD MC8 Homologation |language=ja |publisher=SEiyaa Thayer |date=2015-02-15 |access-date=2015-05-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215171653/http://ichiba.geocities.jp/seiyaa_desk/sardmc8-seiyaaaz.html |archive-date=2015-02-15}}</ref> The car is currently in possession of a private collector, who has registered the car for road use in Japan.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://shakotantoday.com/home/2019/9/14/sard-mc8|title=The SARD MC8|date=15 September 2019|work=Shakotan Today|access-date=1 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/mc8_channel | title=MC8 channel (@mc8_channel) • Instagram photos and videos }}</ref>
{{anchor|1995|1997}}
== 1995 and 1996 ==
[[File:TWR WSC95 - Didier Theys, Michele Alboreto & Pierluigi Martini, SARD MC-8 - Alain Ferte, Pascal Fabre & Mauro Martini and Nissan Skyline GT-R LM on the run down from Dunlop Bridge to the Esses at the 1996 Le Mans (51716933887).jpg|thumb|SARD MC8-R - Alain Ferte, Pascal Fabre & Mauro Martini on the run down from Dunlop Bridge to the Esses behind TWR WSC-95 Porsche - Michele Alboreto, Didier Theys & Pierluigi Martini at the 1996 Le Mans]]
* The MC8-R participated [[1995 BPR Global GT Series]] which is the first purpose-built semi-[[sports-prototype]] that successfully got GT1 homologation which inspired 911 GT1 that kind of homologation specialists which planted a foreshadowing for the cancellation of GT1.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
* The MC8-R made its first outing in the [[1995 24 Hours of Le Mans]] piloted by [[Alain Ferté]], [[Kenny Acheson]], and [[Tomiko Yoshikawa]]. It retired after 14 laps. Later that year the car attempted the [[1000km Suzuka]], this time managing to finish 26th overall.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
* One MC8-R was entered in the [[1996 24 Hours of Le Mans]], piloted by [[Masanori Sekiya]], [[Hidetoshi Mitsusada]], and [[Masami Kageyama]]. The team qualified 37th and finished 24th, the second-to-last team of those who had finished.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
== 1997 ==
* The team also entered the [[1997 24 Hours of Le Mans]], but driver [[Olivier Grouillard]] failed to make it past pre-qualifying.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.formula2.net/1997.htm |title=Le Mans Register – 1997 |publisher=Formula2.net |access-date=2010-10-15}}</ref> Two cars were also entered in the [[FIA GT Championship]] round at the [[1997 Suzuka 1000km]] (one by Team Menicon SARD and one entered by IDC Ootsukakagu SARD), but neither car managed to finish. It was replaced  the following year with the [[Toyota GT-One]].
== See also ==
* [[Toyota MR2]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Toyota in motorsport]]
[[Category:Toyota racing cars]]