Toyota's 2012 Endurance Series LMP1 Entry
Toyota's 2012 Endurance Series LMP1 Entry
The FIA have announced a new "Endurance Series" which takes over the Le Mans series of races from next year. Endurance racing has outgrown the original Le Mans moniker, with the series of European races (6hrs of Silverstone for example) as well as the ALMS American series which has races at Sebring and Laguna Seca amongst others.
Toyota have announced they will be re-entering the world of endurance racing in 2012 with a new LMP1 prototype vehicle.
The car will be a hybrid, the first raced at Le Mans. It will be a unique new chassis designed by TMG (Toyota Motorsport GMBH), the remains of what was TTE.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95341
Yesterday they announced their driver line up of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima.
http://ms.toyota.co.jp/en/news/other/111107_news.html
Toyota are obviously not new to endurance racing, having done well with the GT-One before closing their Le Mans program to concentrate on F1.
They've also been supplying the engines this year for Rebellion Racing, who won the Le Mans Series with their Lola-built chassis.
is this the car they set a 7 minute time in round the nurburgring? thats now the fastest electric hybridy record?