Toyota has announced they will be making a return to the Le Mans 24 hour race.
Previously the Japanese giant showed plenty of promise when they competed in Le Mans with their famous GT-One prototype. The GT-One programme ran in 1998 and 1999, before the plug was pulled to make way for Toyota's entrance as a team in Formula 1.
The chassis will be constructed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH – their ex-F1 factory in Geneva – while the motor will be assembled by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. Although exact specifications of the 2012 prototype haven't been revealed, Toyota have announced that the car will be a hybrid.
- Charles Kha
Source: Autosport
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I hope they aren't planning an LMP1 effort.
Wonder if it will be diesel to compete for the win?
How did Cologne (where the F1 factory actually is) turn into Geneva in that post?
And the Mighty Toyota returns to Lemans! The legacy that the Toyota GT-1 left is beyond words. The Toyota GT-1 is the car that blurred the lines between GT and Prototype even more so than the Porsche 911GT1 It was an still is radical even to this day and age. If you take a look at the Toyota GT1, cars that have come after it carried on its designs traits and characteristics. Look at the Bently EXP speed 8 of 2001-02 COMPLETE Toyota GT-1 influence right there. 1999 I believe still has left Toyota with unresolved busines at lemans- after taking a 2nd place only to the BMW LMR. I see it as only a matter of time when Toyota and Nissan join Mazdas 787B as Japanese winners at the Lemans 24 hours. Toyota- welcome back! Lets get back to business boys!
very interesting...
the GT-One was a much better looking beast!
looks like they ripped off the areo of the 908 and the r18
I think if they can't put a campaign in Le Mans at the front with Audi and Peugeot then they should go back to the WRC or re-enter F1 with the new engine formula coming into effecr soon.
Hmmmm, now this is a LOT more interesting than Formula 1.
Isn't that precious. Toyota wants to go back to Le Mans, and with a hybrid drivetrain no less. They do know this isn't Super GT, and that the car has to run longer than a couple of hours.
@JoelManiac, No it's definitely a petrol-electric hybrid. That's not actually as bad as it sounds because having an electric motor means that it will have loads of low down torque (the reason the diesels are so quick). And it won't be a KERS-style push-to-pass system because the regs say that the electric motor must drive the wheels at all times. Don't forget that the diesels have their power restricted by 7% for2012. I reckon (as long as Toyota don't "do an Aston Martin") that petrol could finally be back.
I certainly hope so! I still want Audi and Porsche to dominate, but it would be nice to see Toyotas join the fray ;-P
Peugeot Audi Honda Toyota Porsche (2014) it's really cool, i want BMW lmp1
Its nice to hear the "expert" opinions around this topic. Toyota may just kill it this year with this model, I think it would add more interest to the Le Mans races.
Its amazing though, they haven't even built the car yet(or maybe they did) and people are already knockin it.
Toyota Racing has today taken the covers off the highly anticipated TS030 HYBRID. Based out of Toyota