Toyota's forgotten rally king: the 222d that never competed

In the mid-1980s, Toyota was on the cusp of unleashing a rally car unlike any other when the Group S category was cancelled.

The 222d's untold story

Based on the MR2 road car, the Toyota 222D was a lightweight, mid-engined rocket built to dominate the feared Group S rally series. With its potent 650 horsepower 2.1-liter turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, this MR2 had the potential to leave even the mighty Audi Quattro in its dust.

However, due to the fatal accidents that plagued the Group B era, the FISA decided to cancel Group S before it even began. This left the 222D and other Group S prototypes like the Audi Quattro S1 V6 TDI in limbo, with only two 222Ds ever built.

Today, one remains on display at the Toyota Mega Web in Tokyo, while the other sits in the Toyota Motorsport GmbH headquarters in Cologne, Germany, a haunting reminder of what could have been.