LE MANS: Toyota Unveils TS030 Hybrid

Le Mans / ALMS

LE MANS: Toyota Unveils TS030 Hybrid

Factory LMP1 hybrid to make debut at Six Hours of Spa in May, two cars confirmed for 24 Hours of Le Mans...

John Dagys | Posted January 24, 2012 Chicago, IL

Toyota took the wraps off its new LMP1 challenger, the T0S30 Hybrid, Tuesday at Paul Ricard. (Photo: TMG)

Toyota officially took the wraps off its newest Le Mans challenger Tuesday at Paul Ricard, as the Japanese manufacturer gears up for its comeback to top-flight prototype racing for the first time in more than a decade.

Further details about the factory program were also revealed, including confirmation of a two-car attack at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its debut at the Six Hours of Spa FIA World Endurance Championship race in May.

The all-new LMP1 contender, built at Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne, Germany, has been named the TS030 Hybrid, continuing its naming pattern from the TS010 and TS020 prototypes that competed in the twice-around-the-clock French classic in the ‘90s.

"Of course we would love to win Le Mans; that is the dream for all competitors in this race. But we are realistic and we know we need to develop and to learn in order to compete with some very strong competition,” said team president Yoshiaki Kinoshita.

“Everyone involved in designing, developing and preparing the car – both at TMG and at Motor Sport Division in Japan – has worked incredibly hard to reach this point and we are all very excited to be back on the race track again.”

The Toyota TS030 Hybrid will make its debut at the Six Hours of Spa WEC round in May. (Photo: TMG)

Featuring an all-new 3.4-liter V8 normally aspirated gasoline engine, the TS030 combines Toyota’s hybrid system powertrain, the first to be entered in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The rear-motor system, developed by Denso, will produce a maximum of 500 kilojoules between braking zones, as limited in ACO rules.

“The regulations for hybrid powertrains allow us to recover energy under braking and release this to improve acceleration out of a corner, delivering lap-time benefit,” explained technical director Pascal Vasselon. “For any given performance level, a hybrid powertrain will achieve this with less fuel so it is an extremely relevant technology and one we are excited to be bringing to endurance racing.

“Another key point in our development phase has been delivering aerodynamic efficiency. The development team at TMG has worked very hard to achieve an optimum aero concept using our state-of-the-art aero development processes based on combined wind tunnel testing and CFD.”

The car participated in its first roll-out at Paul Ricard on Jan. 11, with lead driver Alex Wurz taking the first laps. Since then, the two-time Le Mans winner and Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre have clocked miles in the LMP1 challenger. Third driver Kaz Nakajima has yet to test the TS030 Hybrid.

“It was cool to drive the TS030 HYBRID car for the first time,” Wurz said. “Just leaving the garage on the electric power is very futuristic, then when you let the clutch go and the internal combustion engine kicks in it is like an old friend has returned! When we put on the slick tire I could feel the car generates a very good amount of grip so I think we have a good base and I think we can turn this into a really fast car.”

Lapierre, who won last year’s Twelve Hours of Sebring in an ORECA Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP, also shared similar feelings to fellow former Peugeot driver Wurz.

“It is totally different from anything I have known before because the philosophy is different,” Lapierre said. “So our roll-out was promising and we saw the car’s potential on several levels; we still have plenty of work to do but I think that we will have a strong package. We are starting from a blank page so the challenge is exciting.”

Toyota says the TS030 completed “several hundred kilometers” in both day and night, which saw Hiroaki Ishiura also spend time behind the wheel. The 30-year-old Japanese driver is a candidate to join the driver lineup for races they run two cars, which would include Le Mans.

Additionally, Italian Andrea Caldarelli has joined Toyota Racing as a junior driver, with the final driver lineup for the second car yet to determined.

Despite Peugeot’s shock withdrawal from the factory prototype competition, Toyota will still only compete in a limited WEC season, skipping the Twelve Hours of Sebring and instead making its debut at the second round in Spa.

In addition to a two-car assault at Le Mans, further rounds have yet to be confirmed, although it’s a near certainty the squad will be present for its home race at Fuji Speedway in October.

PHOTOS: Toyota TS030 Unveil

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at

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