New Zealand sadly lost the last of our 'Trio at the top' last year; Chris Amon.
His motorsport exploits have been well fleshed out over the years, including stints with Ferrari in Formula 1 and a famous 24 Hours of Le Mans win with Bruce McLaren and Ford. Amon's perhaps best remembered by the international racing community through the unwanted, but warranted pseudo title of 'best driver to never win a Formula 1 Grand Prix'.
But, the Kiwi's career in motorsport extended far beyond his racing peak through the '60s and '70s. Just after the turn of the millennium he formed a fruitful relationship with Toyota New Zealand in the '90s, and he remained a consultant with the manufacturer through their introduction of the now highly successful Castrol Toyota Racing Series.
And now Toyota New Zealand have signaled their desire to commemorate the late racer, with the new 'Chris Amon Edition' GT86 — announced today and limited to just 10 units. It's not the first time Amon's name has sat on a limited edition Toyota, with cars like the 'Corona by Amon' released through the '90s.
Chief of the performance upgrades are new Brembo brakes and Sachs shock absorbers. The ventilated Brembo discs are 32mm larger and 6mm wider at the front, and 26mm and 2mm larger in the rear than on the standard GT86 — helping source a 39 per cent braking gain. The 152kW boxer engine under the bonnet remains untouched.
On the outside, the Amon edition comes in a unique orange called 'Solar Flare', which is mirrored inside by the use of orange stitching. The exterior looks are further bolstered with new 10-spoke 17-inch wheels, and black highlights on the mirrors and spoiler. Amon stickers and badging throughout completes the package.
The limited edition car will set buyers back $55,990, but with a quantity of just 10, don't expect them to hang around.
“Chris enjoyed driving the 86 and we think he would approve of these changes to make it even better,” said Toyota New Zealand General Manager of Product, Spencer Morris. “Tish Amon has endorsed this limited edition model as a fitting tribute.”
“His legacy and patronage, both to local and to international protégés, continues through the Chris Amon Edition GT86,” added Toyota New Zealand Motorsport Manager Steve Boyce.
