One Lap of America has been held since 1984. It's a grueling seven-day race that takes entrants across a dozen states and almost 3,000 miles, with little sleep in between, and only one set of tires.
On Team Toyota Sienna, an exhausted Rutledge Wood declares, "What happens after One Lap of America? One nap of America."
Yet the sleepless hours on the road are worth it to show off what a modern minivan can do. The Sienna R-Tuned is a modified stock Toyota Sienna, using the original 3.5-liter V6 engine and platform, but significantly stripped and tuned for the track. Professional race car driver Craig Stanton pilots this family-van-turned-beast.
Top Gear host and comedian Wood, and Toyota Technical Center Chief Engineer Andrew Lund drive the more domesticated street version, the Sienna SE+.
With the significant disadvantage of a body style designed for hauling camping gear, plywood, furniture, seven passengers, and other cargo, nobody was expecting the minivan to perform well against pure-blooded sports car competition... yet the Sienna R-Tuned placed 21st overall, out of 75 entrants.
The surprise showing proved to the world that a minivan doesn't have to be dull. The steering, handling, and acceleration are all there to give you a dynamic driving feel, even when running errands, picking up groceries, or hauling your children off to baseball practice.
Looking for the happy place where fun meets pragmatism? Browse new Toyota cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans in Corsicana.
