Toyota 2000 GT

By Anthony Crawford | November 04th, 2009

If you or your father has one of those James Bond box sets, and you‘ve watched all the old Bond movies, then you may have caught a glimpse of one of the rarest cars Toyota ever built, the 2000 GT in the movie You only live twice.

The world got its first look at the 2000 GT in 1965, at the Tokyo Motor Show. Production began in 1967, but only 342 cars were ever sold, of which 86 were exported.

Despite the 2000 GT’s good looks and equally good performance, it was more expensive than the superbly styled E-Type Jaguar and Porsche’s 911, but without the cachet of those brands.

Powered by a Yamaha enhanced 2.0-litre inline-6, the 2000GT had a top speed of 206km/h and a 0-60mph-sprint time of 10 seconds.

The car was designed by Japanese designer Satoru Nozaki and was the first double overhead camshaft (DOHC) that the Toyota had ever employed.

There is no doubt that the E-Type Jaguar and Lotus Elan influenced Satoru’s design, but the overall shape was original and well regarded in Europe and the United States.

But given its substantial price of US$6,800, the 2000 GT was impossible to market outside of Japan, where it didn’t sell that well either, as the Japanese were not yet interested in sports cars. They soon would be though.

In 1970, Toyota stopped producing the 2000 GT and put its faith in the more affordable Celica model, while Datsun came out with the iconic 240 Z sports car, which took the world by storm with its affordability, looks and high performance.

There’s no denying that this exotic sports car from Toyota is a great looking machine. If you want one, then be prepared to shell out over AUD$270,000 for a reasonable example.

JEKYL & HYDE

great to see a motor WITHOUT all the modern day plastic covers…
Acfsambo

Though Toyota didn’t offer the convertible to the public, it was a specially built one for the movie.

Minnow

The roof didnt actually work, it was a fake folded up roof.

Martin

I might go watch You Only Live Twice now, seeing as I am one of those people that has a 007 box set, haha.
Adam

This would certainly occupy a space in my dream garage.
Trump

Please make these automotive history articles a regular CA!
davie

I hired out the movie last week.

I think they made a convertible as it was too small for Sean Connery (in the movie his eyes height is the same as the top of the windscreen.

Nice looking car, classic lines with futuristic touches.
Jimmy James

The best Toyota ever made, bar none!

It proves the brand once had a pulse…now if they could only build something that steered and handled well, looked awesome, and was affordable, combined with Toyota’s reliability, they’d be unbeatable.

But, there’s far more money to be made in whitegoods like Corolla and Camry.

Ah the injustice….

JJ

toxic_horse

Yawn, can’t someone come up with a origional insult, the whole whitegoods thing is getting really old!!

DGS

Unfortunatly so is the last interesting car made by Toyota.

Toyotas designers should go and have a look at this thing, sit in it, maybe start it, and if allowed – drive it. Then be told: “recapture the spirit”. Toyotas now are well made reliable cars, But lack a certain something. Enough of “Oh what a Feeling” (what feeling?), how about “Oh Yeah!!!”

Astonalicious

People seem to be conveniently forgetting the Celica, Supra, MR2 and Sprinter. Toyota wasn’t always boring, and the 2000GT certainly wasn’t their “last interesting car”.

Allsport

I think it’s amazing that some clueless bogan feels justified to criticise the products from the largest and most successful car manufacturer in the world.
Thousands of R&D and engineering professionals producing cars that people actually want and can afford are obviously all getting it wrong!
DGS

I agree that Toyota has made interesting cars since, but I have not seen a new Toyota in the last 8 years that has apealed to me. They are of course a quality product, well engineered and designed well, yet seem to lack soul.

If I were upgrading right now: Toyota Corolla vs Mazda 3. Sorry, no contest…… Zooom zoom!

http://carz.com/ Carz

Nice…good thing we’re in the modern times now. I definitely appreciate new technologies/machines all the more now.
Anthony

Minnow, I believe you won the signed copy of the Jack Brabham Story, can you please send us your mailing address.

swampdawg

Minnow could you forward on your residential address ?

Captain Nemo

I read somewhere that Yamaha also did the real woodgrain dash seeing they make pianos aswell.

BTW i wonder how hard those mirrors would be to ajust being so far down the guards i’m guessing they wouldn’t be electric or even old style cable remote.
Safety Frist

This is, has been and always will be the ONLY Toyota I’d ever desire to own….. Pity they went into Fridges after this……..
Captain, just for the info, the remote adjustment of those mirrors (and most cars of that era) was by having a person standing at them with a phillips head screwdriver following (often confusing) hand signals from the driver as he or she tried to imagine what they could see behind them…… The screw driver was to lock them in place once finished. This was a very simple operation which only took about half an hour and three short drives, often culminating in a near divorce situation as each party accused the other of not understanding or giving simple directions…. :p (ahh the memories lol)

Andrew

Hahaha… Gold.

0-60 in ten seconds from a sportscar, makes you realise just how far cars have come in 40 years…
http://skyline The Salesman

What about the 1977 LT2000 R18 Celica. Looks like a Mustang but much, much cheaper.

Safety Frist

Go and drive one of those Sillycars (celica’s) THey looked really cool, loved the shape, bought one in ’85, really nice one owner example. Was soooo disapointed by it after the 180B SSS. Just not in the same league as far as handling went.
SM, is you email your name at your franchise or your dealership?? Got told you come here occasionally by a mutaul who is now over seas

Gilly

I loved the 180B SSS with its IRS, twin SU and 110hp L18 if I recall correctly.
http://skyline The Salesman

If you ask the Caradive team they will e mail it to you.

Gilly

In reality the car really belongs to YAMAHA who did the development work, Toyota put it into production.
The design was originally offered to Datsun who knocked it on the head due to the ridiculous construction and selling price, when they worked out how to produce a similar car for the masses they re-employed the same designer to work on the 240Z.
Looking at a 240Z you can see the styling cues from the 200O gt all over it.
Nissan used a simpler engine design with the L24 that was cheaper to produce and the car became the largest selling and most popular sports car from Japan in the USA at the time.

Robin Graves

The 240Z did what this car couldn’t – put Japan on the map as a serious car maker. The 2000GT was a good car in its day, but like the article said way overpriced and exclusive

blah

Used to own a 260Z 2-seater. Was a great little car, with loads of character.
240Z looks a lot nicer than this, too…much simpler and cleaner.
Don’t really understand the fuss over these things, other than the fact they didn’t make very many of them.

Jamison

Love this car.
One of my faves.

And yes, Yamaha did the initial designs, but back then they worked for many manufacturers, sort of a contractor per say. Toyota also had their designer(s) work on it with Yamaha.

Yamaha to this day, is a 3rd party type of manufacturer/supplier/designer to the major Japanese OEMs.

I’m still hopeful that they re-design the 3SGT-E and somehow make it available to the next batch of sports cars from Toyota. The FT-86 is Subaru engined… maybe the rumoured MR2 replacement, or heck… while they are remaking classics… why not the new 2000GT!!!

RdS

2000gt practically became the supra. all big 6cyl GT coupe\’s. no shame in that either..
why redesign the 3S when the beams 3s was so good. :p
i still prefer the 4AG when it comes to toyota 4bangers though..
Safety Frist

Don’t forget that Yamaha designs engine componetry (Particularly & Valves) for a lot of manufacturers. Ford has used them several times and I know for a fact the some rather special Euro’s have done as well.

RdS

how could we. :p
yamaha is responsible for the heads that put the ‘G’ in both the mentioned 3sGe and 4aGe. :p

Gilly

The ISF V8, The 2ZZ 1.8 engine as well!

http://www.carz.com/blog/ CarZ

I’d definitely give Toyota a 9 out of 10 for this ride. I heard that Yamaha was largely responsible for the design of this vehicle though.