Toyota was working on a street-legal hypercar inspired by its GR010 race-winning model. Unfortunately, an incident during a test held at the Fuji Speedway set the plans for the street model up in smoke. Information on the topic is scarce, but it appears that the prototype of the road car was severely damaged.
According to sources close to the matter, the incident on the Fuji Speedway track was described as serious, and others speak of a crash involving the prototype, while others refer to a fire. There is a possibility that both scenarios are true, which would mean that the prototype was crashed and then caught fire.
The prototype was preparing the Japanese brand for its first hypercar, which would have been a halo car with hybrid technology and Le Mans-inspired aerodynamics and powertrain. Fortunately for Toyota, the company still has the option to build that kind of model later, but it does not have to do it to continue racing in the World Endurance Championship.
Toyota's GR010 was built following regulations for a prototype-based hypercar, so the race model is cleared as rules are concerned. If the project had been registered under the road car regulations, then the automaker would have been forced to build and sell a minimum number of units (at least ten, in this case) through a parallel road car program. These regulations are complicated, but they do make sense, and any brand involved in racing follows them these days.
So, Toyota will continue racing its GR010 Hypercar in the WEC, where it has a multi-year commitment, as Racer notes. Some sources claim that the Japanese brand will consider the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting 2023. The latter has become a possibility once the FIA, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), and the Automobile Club de lÓuest (ACO) have aligned technical regulations between each other to allow more manufacturers entry to their championships.
The prototype was preparing the Japanese brand for its first hypercar, which would have been a halo car with hybrid technology and Le Mans-inspired aerodynamics and powertrain. Fortunately for Toyota, the company still has the option to build that kind of model later, but it does not have to do it to continue racing in the World Endurance Championship.
Toyota's GR010 was built following regulations for a prototype-based hypercar, so the race model is cleared as rules are concerned. If the project had been registered under the road car regulations, then the automaker would have been forced to build and sell a minimum number of units (at least ten, in this case) through a parallel road car program. These regulations are complicated, but they do make sense, and any brand involved in racing follows them these days.
So, Toyota will continue racing its GR010 Hypercar in the WEC, where it has a multi-year commitment, as Racer notes. Some sources claim that the Japanese brand will consider the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting 2023. The latter has become a possibility once the FIA, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), and the Automobile Club de lÓuest (ACO) have aligned technical regulations between each other to allow more manufacturers entry to their championships.