AKIRA IIDA

Akira Iida, born on December 18, 1969, in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, is a highly accomplished Japanese racing driver. He is currently competing in the Super GT series in the GT300 class with LM corsa, which is a team under Toyota Motorsport's GAZOO Racing arm. Iida's career highlights include winning the 2002 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship GT500 class while driving for Esso Toyota Team LeMans alongside Juichi Wakisaka. Additionally, he secured a victory in the 2013 Asian Le Mans Series GTE class with Team Taisan Ken Endless.

Iida has been a consistent presence in Super GT since 1994, amassing five career wins and clinching the driver's title in 2002. His experience extends to Formula 3000 and Formula Nippon, showcasing his versatility across different racing categories. Beyond Super GT, Iida has participated in prestigious endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours Nürburgring, achieving class wins in VLN endurance races with a Lexus LF-A. Notably, in 2011, he set a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7:14.64 in a road-legal Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package, establishing a new record for production cars on standard tires.

Outside of racing, Iida was also a presenter on the popular Japanese automotive TV program, Best Motoring. His deep understanding of vehicle dynamics also led him to undertake a project to build his own AE86, pouring considerable resources into realizing his vision. He fondly remembers the AE86 as a pivotal car in his early racing career.