Toyota TF107 unveiled

[WebberForWDC]

Originally Posted by neilap

Their soul has no racing. Its marketing, thats all this sport means to Toyota.

How does that explain Mitsubishi who couldn't care less once it turned out their WRCar was absolutely woeful, or Subaru who took their "pride and joy" colour scheme from their sponsor and use the idea of AWD and rallying as a marketing ploy farmed out to a third party company provided with a cut-down budget compared to their rivals?

[cmifsud]

Sorry for being way off topic, but Mitsubishi are coming back to the WRC for 10 events in 07, before a full campaign in 08. And your reference to Subaru in the ARC was a bit unfair. After you win the national rally title 10 years in a row, there'es not much else to do! Now, back on topic

I think Toyota are going wrong with this car. The trend at the moment is for low nose cars. All the top teams have them these days, except them. The last high nose car from a top team was the Williams FW27 and that was a piece of junk.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

Problem is, everybody else had that already for last year.

So it is a step forward then.

[Last2LiftOff]

I've always liked the Toyota paint scheme. As crappy as the car's been, the livery's just fine by me. I think it's great.

[JeremySmith]

I like the Toyota livery and don't see a problem with it.

[Adam43]

neilap in not liking Toyota shocker!

[Knowlesy]

It is white and a demented child has took a red paintbrush to it. If Super Aguri ran out of budget, their car would be painted like a Toyota.

That just about sums it up I think.

It's just a very lazy and uninventive livery. What does it represent exactly? Apart from corporate staleness and total mediocrity I'm not really sure.

The fact they haven't changed it at all into their sixth season...I mean, it's a link to the past really and the past is a murky thing indeed for Toyota in F1 terms!

[JeremySmith]

Does the paint job really make any difference to the performance of the car? no of course not.

[Matt]

Well, if the paintjob looks like someone has had a bloody nose all over it, then yes.

[Last2LiftOff]

Sure I get that Knowles and I'm as shocked by their lack of performance as the next guy, but there's a link too to how great it is having Toyota field a factory effort in Formula 1. That's what that red & white with its Panasonic sponsorship means to me; as demented as that may be

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Matt

Well, if the paintjob looks like someone has had a bloody nose all over it, then yes.

Well it's the technical changes that are a lot more important, and that must be their focus. A dog of a car with a new paint job is just that..

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Does the paint job really make any difference to the performance of the car? no of course not.

why not? the more aesthetically pleasing the car is, the better peoples response to it. as the car (regardless of its on track performance) is being used as a very powerful marketing tool, the "hype" that it can create will eventually help the team raise money and further develop the car.

but hey maybe this colour scheme is considered hot and cutting edge to the people Toyota are targeting as a fan base... i know lots of people who like hideous looking things so good luck to them

[Marbot]

If they can get the cars to finish every race in whatever position,I'm sure that they'll sell heaps of roadcars.

And remember that the car in front is a Toyota,only because there are so many of them out there.

Had another look at the car...........hmmmmm

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

why not? the more aesthetically pleasing the car is, the better peoples response to it. as the car (regardless of its on track performance) is being used as a very powerful marketing tool, the "hype" that it can create will eventually help the team raise money and further develop the car.

but hey maybe this colour scheme is considered hot and cutting edge to the people Toyota are targeting as a fan base... i know lots of people who like hideous looking things so good luck to them

This subject is completely subjective isn't it. The powers that be at Toyota like that livery and feel no need to change it..As far as money is concerned Toyota seem to be printing their own so that not not appear to be an issue does it

Now if you want to talk about crap livery let's start with STR

[Marbot]

I think that Toyota's grand plan is to eventually own all the teams and cars on the grid.....starting with Williams.So,for the moment,keeping a low profile may be best.

[TheNewBob]

F1's full of awful liveries these days. But I think the link here to the Toyota livery is namely the team, it's cars and their performances being so mind-bendingly dull and uninspiring year after year.

No wonder they keep Ralf.

[Marbot]

I wonder if the 'Toyota' lettering on the Williams will be bigger or smaller than that on the Toyota.Perhaps it's something that will vary as the season wares on.

You get the feeling with Toyota,that even if they won a race or a championship,no one would be particularly bothered!

[Peter Ford]

It looks good,but can it be a race winning car this year?.

[mac]

Originally Posted by neilap

The GT one never won LeMans so they quit. Their Celica got dq'ed for running an illegal turbo, the Carolla was not as competitive as they would have liked so they quit. Their soul has no racing. Its marketing, thats all this sport means to Toyota.

More of your Honda marketing drivel neilap!

Please! Marketing and selling cars is all motorsport is to any manufacturer! Why do you think manufacturers don't get involved in lower level motorsport, and can only be found in televised categories.

Go and read another Honda marketing brochure!

[mac]

I don't know anything about aero or whatever, but it looks pretty neat and tidy.

As for the livery - try a little test.

Walk up to an average punter on the street and show them a picture of a BMW Sauber, or perhaps even a Honda and ask them which manufacturer they are.

Then show them a pic of a Toyota livery - I bet more punters pick it as a Toyota than the other two.

Outside of Ferrari and McLaren, I reckon Toyota has the most recognisable livery.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by mac

Go and read another Honda marketing brochure!

I've recently been watching the TV ad with the little white robot (ASIMO).Jenson and Rubens beware!

Yes the manufacturers know that most motorsport watchers and potential car buyers are watching F1 in their millions.And despite the fact that F1 is probably not the most convincing way to show off your road car technology,they know it sells cars by the ship load.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by mac

I don't know anything about aero or whatever, but it looks pretty neat and tidy.

As for the livery - try a little test.

Walk up to an average punter on the street and show them a picture of a BMW Sauber, or perhaps even a Honda and ask them which manufacturer they are.

Then show them a pic of a Toyota livery - I bet more punters pick it as a Toyota than the other two.

Outside of Ferrari and McLaren, I reckon Toyota has the most recognisable livery.

A valid point. Toyota have gone for a consistant approach to livery design - similar to that taken in the 90's with their Rally & Touring programme in which all their cars contained red and green splodges on white (linked with their Castrol sponsorship).

The same approach that Ferrari & McLaren take with livery's (usually).

So - the next most predictable livery is up next - somehow I'm not expecting to see so many 'dull livery, seen it before, old and stale' posts when the Ferrari is unveiled

[WebberForWDC]

Really this Toyota is pretty radical. It's zero keel has the nuts angled front suspension plus the tail of the car tapers in very tightly.

[Smokey 6 litre]

im not very impressed, especially in the aero department which is an area in which toyota has suffered in the past few years, the 'coke-bottle' effect at the rear is quite aggressive following the trend of the top teams but the side pods are barely undercut at all which seems to be a mark of the top cars aerodynamicaly speaking.
I expect the toyota engine to be towards the top of the list but i think that the aero will let this car down into a 'middle of the table, could care less if you were there' result.
Sorry Toyota, you're not there yet!

[Knowlesy]

Well, perhaps we should wait and see how it goes.

I mean, I remember Ferrari getting absolutely panned on here when they launched the F2004. Autosport ran a famous headline "Ferrari's new challenger unveiled (and why Williams and McLaren will love it!)".

I still shake and shudder when I recall the reality at the first race of 2004!

And who thought the Renault R25 would win titles in 2005?

But the Toyota certainly looks pretty conservative to our armchair eyes. However, it could just be a very sound and well engineered little car.