The 79E's design was derived from the Ford Cosworth DFV, and was capable of producing at 7,600 rpm, and 519.75 Nm of torque at 5,600 rpm. This now meant that they had a powerplant that could match the Nissan GRX-I V12 engine, which was still in development. The closed-cockpit 474S took its first victory in the 1969 Suzuka 500 km on 6 April, as Minoru Kawai took his first victory with Team Toyota. Two months after the open-cockpit body was completed, the revised 474S made its debut at the Fuji 1000 km, where the team of Fushida and Otsubo claimed Toyota's third consecutive victory in the event. On 10 August, Fushida won the NET Speed Cup Race at Fuji. 1969 Japan Grand Prix The New Toyota 7's main event for the year was the 1969 , held on 10 October. Toyota entered five 474S for the event, and because the race distance was extended to 720 km, teams could now register two drivers to a car. Kawai drove alone in the number 3 Toyota with the light blue stripe. Former Daihatsu works driver Hiroyuki Kukidome joined Hosoya in car #2 (red), Fushida was partnered by newcomer Harukuni Takahashi in car #5 (dark blue), Kanie was partnered by Kiyoshi Misaki in the #6 (yellow), and Vic Elford was recruited to drive the #7 (green) entry, joined by Toshiaki Takahashi. Nissan arrived with their revised R382s, which now had the new six-litre GRX-III V12 engine, and Taki Racing Organisation partnered with Porsche to field the new 917 and 908. Kawai, who qualified fifth for the race, led the first two laps of the race, and eventually finished in third, just one lap behind the R382s of race winner Motoharu Kurosawa and runner-up Moto Kitano. Elford finished fourth, while the Kukidome/Hosoya car finished fifth. Meanwhile, tyre problems left the Kanie/Misaki car in 13th (26 laps down), and Fushida spun off and retired after a suspension failure on Lap 5. Although Toyota was able to outperform the new Porsche 917 from Taki Racing, the Nissans once again proved too daunting, thanks to their late introduction of the GRX-III engine. 1969 World Challenge Cup Fuji 200 Mile Race The Toyota 7 had taken many endurance racing victories and had won many domestic sprint races, but hadn't won the Japan Grand Prix or the "Japan Can-Am", regarded as the two biggest races on the calendar at