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The Toyota Mark X is a 5 door sedan manufactured by Toyota for the Asian market. In Japan, it is sold only at Toyotpet locations. The Mark X was introduced in 2004 and is manufactured in Kanegasi, Iwate, Japan.
The Mark X is a combination of previous Mark II siblings, the sport-oriented Toyota Chaser, and the luxurious Toyota Cresta in one vehicle, letting the Camry appeal to buyers who traditionally purchased the conservatively styled and equipped Mark II in the past, repeating an approach previously attempted by the short lived Toyota Verossa that used Straight 6 engines, whereas the Mark X uses V6 engines.
The Mother Chassis platform is Super GT’s blueprint for the future of GT300. Though all cars have the same monocoque, same 4.5 litre Nissan-derived engine, and same Hewland sequential gearbox, each has their own unique flair to them.
Best of all, in just two seasons’ time, the Mother Chassis (MC) has accomplished its stated goal – to provide a competitive, cost-effective alternative to customer GT3 cars. That goal was accomplished with VivaC Team Tsuchiya winning the 2016 GT300 Championship in a Toyota 86 MC.
Six MC cars will be on the grid this year: Four Toyota 86 MCs built by Dome Racing, one Lotus Evora MC by Mooncraft Engineering, and one brand-new Toyota Mark X MC by series newcomers, Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave.
Defending champions VivaC Team Tsuchiya come into 2017 as the fastest team in pre-season testing at Okayama, and a favourite to repeat as champions.
Finally, there’s Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave, a new Super GT team climbing up from the ranks of Super Taikyu. They’ve also built a new Mother Chassis car, based on the Toyota Mark X sedan – the flagship model of Toyopet dealerships across Japan.
They have a unique approach built around running a fan-friendly team, based on their best practices as a car dealership. Their race mechanics are all service mechanics at Saitama Toyopet shops – ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Former GT300 champion Taku Bamba returns to the series for the first time since 2012, partnering veteran Shigekazu Wakisaka for the opening round of the season. Owner/driver Takayuki Hiranuma will drive later in the season.
In the midst of a very, very, very busy week of Super GT pre-season testing at three different venues – primarily Twin Ring Motegi and Okayama International Circuit – it was Fuji Speedway that was the site of the unveiling of the stunning new livery for the Toyota Mark X MC of Super GT newcomers Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave.
The team also revealed their full participation plans for the 2017 racing season, with regular drivers Takayuki Hiranuma and Taku Bamba to be joined by veteran third driver Shigekazu Wakisaka in the 2017 GT300 class.
GreenBrave first announced their GT300 Mark X at the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon, now it’s been seen for the first time in its striking metallic racing green livery with gold and white accents.
Hiranuma and Bamba also had the chance to get their first track time in the Mark X MC – the first ever laps in a GT300 car for 43-year-old series rookie Hiranuma, who by day is the Senior Managing Director of the Saitama Toyopet auto dealership network, and has stated that his team’s breakthrough into Super GT fulfills a long-term goal for the team since it was established in 2013.
Joining Hiranuma, and 2011 GT300 Champion Bamba, is 41-year-old veteran driver Shigekazu Wakisaka (far right), younger brother of Juichi Wakisaka, the three-time GT500 champion.
Wakisaka has competed in 63 races over 11 seasons in both GT300 and GT500 classes. He has a single career GT300 victory for Racing Project Bandoh at Sportsland Sugo, and he is a two-time winner of the Suzuka 1000km in 2001 and 2002, the latter driving with his older brother at Toyota Team LeMans.
Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave also announced their intention to compete in the Super Taikyu Endurance Series again in 2017. Hiranuma and Wakisaka will join the legendary Naoki Hattori in the #68 Toyota Mark X in the ST-3 class. GreenBrave were ST-4 class champions in 2015.
They’ll also compete in the Toyota 86/BRZ Race series, with Hiranuma and Shogo Mitsuyama driving for the team.
Technical specifications
Body: Grand Touring Car
Length: N/A
Width: N/A
Height: N/A
Weight: 1100 KG
Wheelbase: 2520 mm
Engine: Nissan VK45DE 4.5 V6
Aspiration: Turbocharged
Power: 400+HP
Torque: N/A
Drive: Front Engine Rear Wheel Drive
Transmission/Gearbox: 6 Speed Manual Sequential
