Toyota Dealerships in Bangalore Host Exciting Motorsport Activities to Popularize Etios Motor Racing

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM) today exhibited the concept cars of its Etios Motor Racing (EMR) Series along with exciting motorsport activities at Nandi Toyota and Ravindu Toyota in Bangalore. This new venture is in line with its global philosophy of introducing ‘WAKU DOKI’, which in Japanese means ‘excitement, joy and fun.’ Unveiled for the first time earlier this year at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012, the new sporty avatar of the Etios will re-emphasize Toyota’s efforts in reaching out to the younger target group. And, more importantly take motorsports closer to its customers and the youth of the country. Apart from the EMR concept cars on display, there is a host of motorsport based activities for all age groups visiting the dealership. Racing simulators, remote controlled cars on race tracks, a children’s automotive learning area, and other relevant contests and activities.

This year will be dedicated to popularizing the EMR brand, apart from the dealership activations in 14 cities and 24 dealerships, there will be exhibition races, road shows and a whole lot of activities lined up before the Series next year. Mr. Hidehisa Nagae, Executive Managing Coordinator-Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said “We aim to exceed our customers’ expectations, and create many more happy customers. Recently, Toyota laid down its global mission, called WAKU DOKI which is to provide ‘excitement’, ‘joy’ and ‘fun’ through its products. Here in India, I am pleased that TKM has decided to start motorsports in the same global direction with the Etios brand.”

Going into detail about the EMR concept in India, RK Ramesh, General Manager Conversion & Accessories, said: “Motorsports is gaining popularity in India, commanding a growing audience among the young, educated and dynamic; the demographic that the Etios Brand also reaches out to. We would like to take this opportunity to promote motorsports in India through EMR and capitalise on our global motorsport heritage. The response we have received so far has been good and we are amazed at the fantastic young talent that has appeared for the driver auditions from across the country. I am sure once we are done with the training programme and the EMR Series we will have a few world-class drivers representing not only Toyota Motorsports but our country as well.”

About Etios Motor Racing (EMR)

Continuing the Company’s global legacy of motorsports, the EMR tourney will be supported by one of the most accomplished and acclaimed engineering companies in motorsport history – TRD (Toyota Racing Development), the corporate brand from the Toyota affiliate, Toyota Technocraft Co. Ltd. The EMR Trophy series that is slated to be held in the second half of 2013 will be based on a one-make racing championship platform. The cars will be FIA qualified with racing parts supplied by TRD, and their technical expertise will be utilized throughout the series. Toyota will also partner and work closely with Indian motorsport experts, Red Rooster Racing (International) Pvt., Ltd. based in Bangalore, to better understand the sport in India.

MRF – pioneer of motor racing in India – and DENSO – a Toyota affiliate that manufactures auto parts – are now on board as ‘Official Partners’ for EMR in 2012. The Etios racing platform will help talented young racers develop their skills, and further train them to gain a competitive edge for their future in motorsports. They will be mentored by experts in the field, and will be given an opportunity to compete amongst the best in the country. This series will not only highlight the technological prowess of the manufacturer, but also the endurance levels of the Etios and the ‘fun to drive’ aspect of the vehicle.

Driver Selection

1. Online applications were open for over a month and the response was a record number, 3303 registrations.

2. The first EMR camp just concluded after auditions in Pune, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore.
   
3. The second and third camps (planned for the May-June period) will enable evaluators to arrive at the final line-up of 25 drivers.

The first two camps will use go-karts to assess the applicants’ driving skills, and then those selected for the third camp will drive the Etios Motor Racing cars along with in-depth lectures as part of the training process. All the training will be conducted by professional drivers and instructors from Toyota and local racing experts. The study material will be a combination of what is used in Japan and required by FMSCI to ensure the drivers are trained to international standards.

Overview of TKM:

Overview of TKM 1^st Plant

Overview of TKM 2nd Plant

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