TOM'S Angel T01: Rare and Unique Japanese Sports Car

Rare ONES - Some time ago, we discussed the Tommy Kaira ZZ-II, a sports car from a Japanese automotive tuning and manufacturing company. Today, let's delve into another fascinating sports car from Japan, made by a company with a remarkably similar name. The car in question is the TOM'S Angel T01, created by TOM'S (Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport) Racing, a Toyota-supported race team and parts manufacturer.

The TOM'S Angel T01 created by TOM'S (Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport) Racing, a Toyota-supported race team and parts manufacturer to celebrate their 20th anniversary in 1994. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sportscars)

TOM'S has been a prominent name in motorsport since its establishment in 1974. Over the past five decades, they have achieved numerous victories, leaving a significant mark on the motorsport world. Their contributions include building Formula 3 engines and chassis.

The TOM'S Angel T01 was designed from scratch by Martin Oglivie and built at the company's UK factory. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sportscars)

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, TOM'S took a unique approach. While most companies might release anniversary-badged items, TOM'S decided to fulfill a long-held dream by creating their own mid-engine race car for the road. The plan was to produce one Angel T01 concept and then consider either low-volume production or selling the design and rights to another manufacturer. Unfortunately, neither plan materialized, resulting in only the prototype T01 being produced.

The TOM'S Angel T01 shares several design elements with Lotus cars, such as lightness, compactness, a low center of gravity, and chassis rigidity. (Picture from: Forum.Forza.net)

The Angel T01 made its debut at the 1994 Tokyo Auto Salon. It was built at TOM'S factory in the UK with a design by Martin Ogilvie, who had previously worked on the Lotus F1 T100. The Angel T01 shares several design elements with Lotus cars, such as lightness, compactness, a low center of gravity, and chassis rigidity. Despite its compact dimensions, the car was designed from scratch rather than using a kei car chassis.

The Angel T01 features a bathtub carbon composite monocoque and unique gull wing doors. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sportscars)

To manage production costs, the Angel T01 utilized several OE Toyota parts, the most noticeable being the AE92 Corolla hatchback taillights. However, what truly sets the car apart are the custom-designed elements by TOM'S.

The TOM'S Angel T01 uses double wishbone suspension with adjustable Spax dampers all around, along with four-wheel disc brakes that include bias adjustment. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sportscars)

The Angel T01 features a bathtub carbon composite monocoque and unique gull wing doors. It uses double wishbone suspension with adjustable Spax dampers all around, along with four-wheel disc brakes that include bias adjustment.

The TOM'S Angel T01 boasts a race-inspired interior that includes a removable steering wheel. (Picture from: SpeedHunters)

Powering the Angel T01 is a 1.6L 20-valve 4A-GE engine from an AE101 Corolla, producing 160 hp in its stock form. This engine is mounted in a rear-mid position and drives the rear wheels through the AE101's original 5-speed manual gearbox. A horizontally mounted Ford radiator sits under the front overhang.

The TOM'S Angel T01 features an air-conditioned cabin with fixed polycarbonate windows on the doors, which cannot be lowered. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sportscars)

With a weight of just 700kg (1,543lb), the Angel T01 is impressively quick. TOM'S initially claimed a 0-100km/h time of 5.5 seconds, though subsequent engine updates have likely made it even faster.

The TOM'S Angel T01 utilized several OE Toyota parts, the most noticeable being the AE92 Corolla hatchback taillights to o manage production costs. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sportscars)

Interestingly, air conditioning was a standard feature in the Angel T01, a necessity given that the doors' windows are fixed polycarbonate pieces that cannot be rolled down. The windscreen was sourced from a Lancia Stratos.

The TOM'S Angel T01 powered by a 1.6L 20-valve 4A-GE engine from an AE101 Corolla, producing 160 hp in its stock form. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sportscars)

The Angel T01 stands out as one of the more famous concept cars, partly due to its appearance in video games. However, it's just one example of many remarkable one-off creations. Other notable fantasy-to-full-scale concepts include Aston Martin’s Bulldog, the Saab Aero-X, Ferrari’s 512 Modulo, Yamaha’s OX99-11, and Alfa Romeo’s TZ3 Corsa, which was built to celebrate Alfa's 100th anniversary.

Most concept cars or celebratory vehicles are based on existing platforms, making TOM'S achievement of designing and building an entirely new car from scratch even more impressive. The Angel T01 remains a testament to TOM'S innovation and dedication to automotive excellence, showcasing their ability to create a unique and remarkable vehicle. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MOTOR1 | SPEEDHUNTERS | FORUM.FORZA.NET | CLASSIC AND RECREATON SPORTSCARS | K.SINA.CN ]

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