Toyota confirms hybrid 24 Hours of Le Mans race car

[El Calor]

Toyota is eyeing a return to the world's most famous endurance race, the French 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a hybrid race car: a first in the race's 84-year history. "We want to enter when we are confident of victory," said to Kazuo Okamoto, who heads up the company's research and development department. Such an attitude certainly fits in with the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" approach, as racing has been proven to test and improve technology that will trickle down to street cars customers can buy, not to mention boosting Toyota's "green" image.

The Japanese auto giant has not announced when it will return to Le Mans, with Okamoto saying only that Toyota's hybrid racing efforts may resume in 2009, as per Automotive News Europe. Participating in the race next year would mark Toyota's 10-year absence from Le Mans, where it finished second in 1999 before moving on to focus on Formula One.
Last year, a Toyota Supra hybrid won Japan's 24-hour endurance race, the Tokachi 24, though Okamoto is quick to downplay that accomplishment: "The Tokachi means nothing," he said. "Our goal is a step higher."
Okamoto went to say the company will introduce high-tech hybrid technology in street cars. "If you want to use hybrid systems in sports cars, you have to make cars lighter and more efficient," he said.
Like LLN reported in January, the candidate most likely to represent Toyota in the 24 hour race will either be its Lexus LF-A or FT-HS, both sleek, sports car concepts with hybrid technology believed to be the Supra's successors.



http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-d...f-le-mans.html

[EchoHoLiK]

This is great news This will serve as a big challenge for Toyota, since trying to finish at Le Mans 24 Hours is a huge hurdle in itself, let alone winning it.

[Christian87N]

here's to hoping that the "attainable exotic" becomes a reality. The LF-A will be in production, so i hope that they use the ft-hs.

[knj27]

Good luck to 'em! Man if you'd have told someone 20 or 30 years ago that we would be racing cars powered by batteries they would have scoffed at you. I hope hybrids become practical for someone like me in the future, cuz I went to the pump today and $40 barely managed to get me 12.5 gallons.

Toyota hybrid racer =

[dakmor]

So when is my hybrid corolla going on sale?

[Christian87N]

either people don't care anymore about the ft-hs, or this thread is on the wrong section....

[blacken]

its not that we dont care its just we dont know what to say about it
But if Toyotas Victory in WRX with the Celica Altrac and Nascar with the Camry and Tacoma are any indication that Toyota can win at a sport its new to. Then i don't doubt that they can pull it off.
Im acutally hoping that they can win. Do you have any idea what that will mean.
But in all any case they need to improve their technology for high performance as right now the technology is only suited for econoboxes
along with that the cars need to be bettr suited to better handle the electric motors
while electric motors can provide imense torque in the low end if to much weight is put on the car it will hamper performance.
so developing a adaquate balance between weight distribution and poweroutput as well as maintaining that power for a susteined period of time is crucial.
This is a 24 hour endurance trial and they need to be ready to go for it in the long haul'
so way to many variables to consider
and with Toyota not showing us any good sports vehicles its tough for many of us to swallow the idea that this is posible.
but then again toyota is very secretive
while other companys blast their new everywhere every time sometimes new is about to come out Toyota most of the times is hush hush up untill the point where its almost ready and them BAAAAM
hits you in the face and your all like huu? whaaa?

[knj27]

Originally Posted by blacken

BAAAAM hits you in the face and your all like huu? whaaa?

This has sig quote potential.

[blacken]

Originally Posted by knj27

This has sig quote potential.

be my guest

[knj27]

Alright tight, once I get sick of the quote I already have, you're headed for TN fame and fortune, baby!

[blacken]

Originally Posted by knj27

Alright tight, once I get sick of the quote I already have, you're headed for TN fame and fortune, baby!

omg i was right
everyone kept saying toyota wasnt gonna make a sports car and now baam there it is 2011 model

[rone_305]

toyota is a slow car the supra was a disappointment 3.0 2wd and got blow by a nissan skyline 2.6 4wd....nissan has won more races the toyota nissan has a better motor than the toyota...nissan is the next to win the Le mans

The most obtuse of corporate intelligence analysts would inevitably conceed, deep down inside, Toyota could really care less, about LeMans.

All that glitters in F1 (and NASCAR), is not necessarily gold. Like Honda, Toyota's in search for greener pastures. Hybrid-LeMans publicity stunt constitutes little more than a thinly veiled exit strategy, from F1...

Not much longer will Toyota be, in F1.


Acknowledged,
- Sammy, '88 Supercharged MR2

[Christian87N]

wow, talk about bumping up a year old thread. I agree though. Toyota probably doesnt care as much anymore. shame really. The FT-HS had potential.

... won't need to read very far, into this article, to figure out what's been going on lately, there at Toyota:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1235...cle-outset-box

Ominous sign, indeed. Heads are going to roll.


Courtesy,
~ Sammy, '88 MR2 Supercharged


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////