Toyota has had been gathering experience in Group C racing since 1983, without however leaving significant traces outside the Japanese borders. The car for 1988, the 88C, represented a significant technological advance, with the use of a carbon fiber body and a completely new engine, a 3.1-liter turbo V8. The braking system and suspension were also new. The 88C also proposed new solutions from an aerodynamic point of view, developing some concepts already undertaken on the 1987 87C.