The T-623 is a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

rear-engined

car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

, which was manufactured by Tatra. It was designed as a rapid response vehicle for use in motorsport and civilian operations. The car was based on second-hand Tatra 613-2 model, which was originally modified by ''AMK Narex'' (since 1992 ''Narimex'') who specialized in rescue operations. This business had been set up by former racer, Cyril Svoboda, who was notorious for having adapted a

Lancia Beta The Lancia Beta (Type 828) was an entry-level luxury car produced by Italian car manufacturer Lancia from 1972 to 1984. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969. The Beta was made in severa ...

for rescue duties. In 1984, AMK Narex had produced six T-623. The success of the T-623 resulted in Tatra carrying out further modifications, in collaboration with ''Narex'' and ''Kovoslužba'' rescue organizations. Because of the need of organizers for a car capable of keeping up with F1 cars on the opening race, the then T-623 was further developed into the 2-seat, lightweight and more powerful T-623 R. It led to a fleet of eight cars being used in

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

as the safety cars at the inaugural 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix. The latest

Hungarian Grand Prix The Hungarian Grand Prix ( hu, Magyar Nagydíj) is a motor racing event held annually in Mogyoród. Since 1986, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship. History Origins The first Hungarian Grand Prix was held on 21 ...

that T-623 R took part in was held in

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, where

Taki Inoue Takachiho "Taki" Inoue (井上隆智穂 ''Inoue Takachiho'', born 5 September 1963) is a retired Japanese racing driver. Biography Inoue was born in Kobe. He competed in the British Formula Ford Championship in 1988, followed by a spell in All- ...

was hit by the car. The car now featured a 3.8-Litre

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...

producing over , and was capable of a top speed of . Its features included: a removable steering wheel and racing seats; adjustable and lowered suspension; upgraded braking system and tyres. Its aluminum fenders, hood, and doors, plus plexiglass windows, contributed to a kerb weight of or a significant weight reduction of 350 kg (771 lbs). The rescue cars were eventually replaced mostly by modified

Škoda Octavia The Škoda Octavia is a small family car produced by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto since the end of 1996. It shares its name with an earlier model produced between 1959 and 1971. Four generations of the modern-era Octavia model have ...

models. Nevertheless, the T-623 went on to form the basis of the Czech first super-sports car, the

MTX Tatra V8 The Metalex MTX Tatra V8 also known as the Metalex MTX V8 GT 3900 in Western Europe was a Supercar, super-sports car produced by MTX (automobile), MTX in cooperation with Tatra (company), Tatra in 1991. It was designed by Czech automobile design ...

References

{{Tatra models Cars introduced in 1980 1990s cars Cars powered by rear-mounted 8-cylinder engines

623 Year 623 (Roman numerals, DCXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 623 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calen ...

See also

References