Leo Parente on Toyota Race Cars and Motor Sports (FT-86 included)

[Matador]

To be fair Toyota does support and sponsor TONS of grass roots racing, just not in the US right now.... yet.

Toyota is the company that people seem to love to hate nowadays. There are lots of things that I fault them for, but their motorsports legacy and involvement is not one of them. The fact that the do a lot of it without wringing every last marketing dollar out of it steps them up a notch in my book too.

[Matador]

Originally Posted by madfast

mazda is the main sponsor of laguna seca and they have their own race series like star mazda and mx-5 cup... they sponsor tons of grassroots racing. THAT is what a lot of manufacturers should do. no point in trying to beat ferrari or mclaren, and now red bull in F1... no point in trying to beat ford or citroen in wrc... etc...

While I agree that more manufacturers should get involved in grass roots racing, one has to remember that marketing money is what majorly pays the bills to go racing, not engineering money. This is why manufacturers will alwyas have a larger presence in top rung motorsports. That being said, I do believe there is an engineering benefit to participating in F1 (up to a few years ago at least), And knowledge acquired at that level is a trump card that not a lot of people can claim. Furthermore, the human resources developed is an intrinsic asset that not many on the outside would consider, but any company is effectively the sum of the quality of it's workforce.

[PAImportTuner]

Originally Posted by LionZoo

...and what has Subaru done in motorsports since they pulled out of the WRC? Yet we don't seem to have the hate directed at them. Motorsports participation is bunk in a lot of ways. Mazda makes some of the best affordable sports cars (not power cars) out there, yet they barely are in factory motorsports.

Uh Subaru has f'n given and continues to give the consumers sports models with 224hp-305hp AWD, Turbo, brembos, recaros, DCCD, etc., all that good shit. Don't you sit here and try to drag them in the same boat as Toyota. HAHAHAHA, I'm a little fired up now.

They may have pulled out of WRC.. but they are focused on rally america, rallycross, and SRRT(road race) with Phoenix which btw is 30mins from me. Which from a $$ POV is smart, WRC is a big resource hog they can retrieve the same data acquisitions, info, R&D with these other sports, WRC doesn't sell cars like RC, RR and Rally do, you know things normal consumer can do with their WRX/STI. So don't get me started.

THE POINT IS SUBARU HAS BEEN ACTIVE THIS WHOLE TIME IN MULTIPLE SANCTIONS WITH CURRENT, I REPEAT CURRENT MODELS.. THEY DON'T JUST SPONSOR, THEY HAVE AN ENGINEER/S WITH THE TEAMS UNLIKE TOYOTA THAT JUST GIVE $$$ TO A SHOP AND SAYS "DO WHAT YOU CAN AND MAKE US PROUD, AND OH PUT THESE STICKERS ON FOR US AND WE'LL PAY YOU WHEN YOU WIN"

MAZDA.. you don't get out much or watch TV for that matter.. So bringing up Mazda is asinine. Mazda has such a reputation there is NO need to even have to stand up for them. HAHA

[RRnold]

What do you guys find annoying about Leo? Is it his voice since he sort of sounds like he's whinning or is it his hand gestures that all Italians seem to do.

He does have a point and I give him credit for that! Toyota used to bleed high quality.

Leo Parente

• Gender: Male
• Industry: Consulting
• Location: New York City : NY : United States

About Me

A business growth consultant and corporate marketer. A practitioner of W. Edwards Deming's "PDCA" quality improvement principles and “The Toyota Process". A Boston College Accounting / Finance graduate, a Babson College MBA.

^good shit!

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by PAImportTuner

Uh Subaru has f'n given and continues to give the consumers sports models with 224hp-305hp AWD, Turbo, brembos, recaros, DCCD, etc., all that good shit. Don't you sit here and try to drag them in the same boat as Toyota. HAHAHAHA, I'm a little fired up now.

They may have pulled out of WRC.. but they are focused on rally america, rallycross, and SRRT(road race) with Phoenix which btw is 30mins from me. Which from a $$ POV is smart, WRC is a big resource hog they can retrieve the same data acquisitions, info, R&D with these other sports, WRC doesn't sell cars like RC, RR and Rally do, you know things normal consumer can do with their WRX/STI. So don't get me started.

THE POINT IS SUBARU HAS BEEN ACTIVE THIS WHOLE TIME IN MULTIPLE SANCTIONS WITH CURRENT, I REPEAT CURRENT MODELS.. THEY DON'T JUST SPONSOR, THEY HAVE AN ENGINEER/S WITH THE TEAMS UNLIKE TOYOTA THAT JUST GIVE $$$ TO A SHOP AND SAYS "DO WHAT YOU CAN AND MAKE US PROUD, AND OH PUT THESE STICKERS ON FOR US AND WE'LL PAY YOU WHEN YOU WIN"

MAZDA.. you don't get out much or watch TV for that matter.. So bringing up Mazda is asinine. Mazda has such a reputation there is NO need to even have to stand up for them. HAHA

Not only current, but also much closer to the actual cars you can buy than any WRC car. Much more relevant in my opinion.

From last summer:









Semi-local rally team, Rocket Rally.

[NikostC]

Leo uses too many stereotypes and cliche expressions when talking and just goes from one to another. He is very intelligent but he could make himself clearer without all the expressions...

[Matador]

Would the Subaru jock riders care to create a thread about Subaru's 50 years of motorsports in various categories and levels in the Subaru general section and go whinge there?

Thanks,
OP

[bigbcraig]

^lol, you're suprised there are idiots, haters, and fanboys derailing your thread (myself included!)? On this forum?

Sorry.

[Matador]

Originally Posted by bigbcraig

^lol, you're suprised there are idiots, haters, and fanboys derailing your thread (myself included!)? On this forum?

Sorry.

Not surprised at all, there is a reason I hardly come here anymore