She’s a Classic: Lady Behind the Wheel of a Toyota Sports 800

A heavy steering wheel for a light car

When she actually started test-driving the Toyota Sports 800, the first point that impressed her was its lightness.

“I can really feel how light it moves. It’s probably the most nimble of all the old cars I’ve test-driven so far. Also, to be honest, I think the engine torque is thin, but perhaps because of the light weight of the car and the crossed gear ratios, even though it doesn’t feel full of torque, it moves forward firmly.”

And in terms of footwork performance, she seemed to be able to get a solid feel for the Endless tuning.

“Maybe it’s because the suspension has changed, but it feels crisp and seems to take it well over bumps. I think the balance is good because it’s a light RWD, but I think the settings are also well set because the front and rear move in the same way. Also, the brakes are good! Not only does it stop firmly, but it’s easy to feel from the brakes, and it’s easy to control.”

By the way, this Toyota Sports 800 has an Endless Function X Plus-based one-off suspension installed at the front, and where the brakes are normally four-wheel drums, the front has been converted to disc brakes for official approval (with replacement shoes at the rear).

The car has also been driven on the Fuji Speedway racing track in the Super Taikyu Classic, so its performance has been proven. Other tuning points include an ‎Altrack muffler, exhaust manifold, and Raydyot mirrors.

Rami was pleased with the lightness of the car from start to finish, but some areas puzzled her a little.

“Initially, there is a sense of play in the steering response, but I was surprised that the steering is the heaviest it has ever been because there is no power steering. I knew it had S tires, so the higher the grip, the heavier the steering. However, I like the fact that there is firm information when the steering wheel is turned in. The feeling from this steering and the lightness of the ride make me want to go on the offensive!”