You laugh, but these specially tuned Toyota Vios mean serious business. Exactly 24 candidates from the Vios Challenge Racing School have graduated today after weeks of rigorous training, and they’re all geared for the maiden leg in Batu Kawan, Penang next month.
Of the 24, eight are local celebrities – Venice Min, Shawn Lee, Danny Koo, Geraldine Gan, Janna Nick, Shukri Yahaya, Diana Danielle and Fattah Amin – but training is standard across the board. Each had to learn the fundamentals of racing, such as advanced car handling techniques, proper racing lines and safety protocols.
The Vios 1.5 J they will be driving aren’t street legal, and for good reason. They’re heavily modified (by Wing Hin Motorsports) with limited slip differential, brand new suspension and exhaust system, lightweight alloys, grabby-as-heck brakes and sharper throttle mapping. On wheel power is around the 109 hp region, but the exact specifications are kept close to chest. It runs on the factory five-speed manual transmission.
The objective Toyota Malaysia is trying to achieve here with the Toyota Gazoo Racing festival is to create a fair and level racing platform for all drivers and for the enjoyment of spectators. Again, the first leg will take place in Batu Kawan, Penang on 12 and 13 August 2017. Visitors can look forward to celebrity performances, a variety of fun activities, food trucks, test drives and an exclusive preview of the all-new Toyota C-HR.
Those who purchase a Toyota in the month of July can even stand a chance to win a trip to the Tokyo Motor Show later this year.
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