Toyota is paving the way for a new era of racing, revealing the Toyota TS040 Hybrid. This revolutionary design, which represents the most advanced Hybrid racing technology, was unveiled at Paul Ricard, France on March 28. This new redesign allows Toyota Racing to continue competition in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championships.
Toyota Racing’s team president, Yishiaki Kinoshita says, “We are very much looking forward to our third season in the FIA World Endurance Championship When we will fight to accomplish achieve our dream of winning Le Mans and the World Championship… our new TS040 HYBRID… is the most technologically-advanced TOYOTA ever to compete on the track.” You may recall in 2007 when the four-wheel drive Supra HV-R hybrid was the first to win an endurance race, the Tokachi 24 Hours. The new design is reminiscent of this.
The launch generates a lot of buzz, as the Toyota TS040 Hybrid boasts 480 PS of four-wheel drive hybrid boost on top of the 520 PS 3.7L Petrol engine, giving it an outstanding maximum power of 1000PS. Motor Sports Development Unit Division, General Manager Hisatake Murata, says that “With 1000PS we have achieved very impressive performance… now it’s time to see what it can do against the competition.”
The all-new Toyota Hybrid System has been reconstructed and designed to adhere to the WEC Technical Regulations. These regulations were revised in order to add a focus on fuel economy, placing an emphasis on weight and reducing emissions 25%. Toyota Racing’s Technical Director, Pascal Vasselon says that “the main challenge has-been to create a more complex hybrid car with more hardware to accomplish achiev[ing] higher power hybrid and at the same time [to] reduce the weight significantly. That has-been a real headache. [We achieved our] goal [by] using lightweight materials and efficient design optimization processes.”
Toyota has gone above and beyond to comply to the new standards by redesigning powertrain, driving efficiencies, and exterior aerodynamics. You can find the all-new TS040 Hybrid competing at the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship, with the first race set to begin April 20. Driving Toyota’s groundbreaking TS040 Hybrid will be Alexander Wurz and Anthony Davidson.
Neal Gratton
Gateway Toyota
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