Tamiya 1/24 SCALE TOYOTA CELICA LB TURBO Gr.5

The Celica LB Turbo was a Group 5 racing car developed for the Deutsche Rennsport-Meisterschaft (DRM) in 1977. It was based on Celica Liftback 2000GT road car and attached aerodynamic parts such as bulging over fenders and a rear wing. The entire body was redone in lightweight FRP with the exception of the hood, roof, door and rear panel components; the car weighed a mere 860kg. The Toyota inline-four engine with a capacity of 1,968cc (18R-G) was modified by German outfit Schnitzer. They added their own 16 valve cylinder head to the engine: the powerplant had a 2,090cc capacity and was paired with a mechanical fuel injection system and KKK turbocharger, resulting in an impressive output of 560hp. It debuted in the eighth DRM race at Hockenheim in 1977. In October, it even beat the mighty Porsche 935 in the ADAC trophy race at Zolder, Belgium. This distinctive Japanese-German silhouette racing car was one to keep an eye on.