Safe from Porsche direct competition at Le Mans – as the iconic German automaker is making a return to endurance racing according to the new LMDh regulations – Toyota has finally unveiled its latest hypercar for the new class that replaces LMP1. Still, we’re not dealing with the eagerly awaited GR Super Sport; instead we got treated to its track counterpart, the new Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Hypercar.
The name is a bit long, so we’re just going to cut short to GR010 because we need to get going with this new Le Mans and FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) contender that’s said to kickstart “a new era of endurance racing.”
Of course, all motorsport eyes are on the reigning world champions and three-time Le Mans titleholders, and we can bet the competition isn’t sitting idle either. Better yet, Toyota is officially hedging its bets across both the street and track realms, as the new GR010 is referred to as a racing version of the upcoming hypercar for the road, the GR Super Sport.
According to the Japanese manufacturer, the Gazoo Racing unit and the company needed just 18 months to develop the new hypercar built around the TS050 Hybrid powertrain technology. That and many other elements were further refined through close cooperation between the engineers in Cologne, Germany, and the electrified experts residing in Higashi-Fuji, Japan.
The beating heart of the GR010 is made from an all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain sporting a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 and a motor generator unit. The former can provide a maximum of 680 PS (671 hp) to the rear wheels, while the electric assistance unit developed by Denso and Aisin delivers up to 272 PS (268 hp).
There’s a catch, though, because total system power has been limited to 500 kW (680 PS/671 hp). That means the ICE’s contribution will be reduced when there’s an instance of electric boost. The Gazoo Racing driver roster for the ninth WEC season will remain unchanged, so the GR010 will be driven by the same teams.
As such, the newly designed (which now sports a GR livery to specifically mark the connection with the road cars) hypercar will see the No. 7 vehicle taken in custody by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López, while the #8 racer will be handled by Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Brendon Hartley.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News