Toyota working on a hybrid race car to win 24 hours of Le Mans

Toyota working on a hybrid race car to win 24 hours of Le Mans

Milking its hybrid image for all its worth, Toyota’s racing team is looking to a new hybrid race car to compete in the 24 hours of Le Mans race in France. According to Toyota’s R&D head Kazuo Okamoto, Toyota has not decided whether it will take place in the Le Mans race, but is currently developing a car that can win there.

“We want to enter when we are confident of victory,” Okamoto said.

Toyota’s came in second at the 1999 Le Mans race which was also Toyota’s last time at the Le Mans before it started to pursue Formula One.

Toyota’s focus is on a lighter and more fuel-efficient hybrid racing cars said Okamoto. He said Toyota’s main goal isn’t even to win the Le Mans, but to work on an efficient hybrid system that can be implemented into Toyota’s road-going hybrids.

“From now on, we will look to introduce the technology into regular cars,” Okamoto said. “If you want to use hybrid systems in sports cars, you have to make cars lighter and more efficient.”

Currently Audi holds the fame and honor of a green Le Mans race car with its diesel powered racers.

 

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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