Toyota updates Le Mans-ready TS030 hybrid for 2013 season [w/video]

Fri, 22 Feb 2013

Toyota has polished up its TS030 hybrid Le Mans race car for the 2013 season. Once again, the machine uses a 530-horsepower 3.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 paired with a capacitor-based hybrid system with an additional 300 horsepower on hand. This year, engineers have tweaked the drivetrain to deliver more power and efficiency while bolstering reliability. The chassis has received a few updates of its own, though Toyota is keeping those changes under wraps for the time being. Fans can expect to see a new aerodynamic package at work on the prototype, and the chassis will conform to new regulations that increase the minimum weight of LMP1 cars by 33 pounds.

Last year, the TS030 won three events over six races, but ran into a number of issues during the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 8 Toyota suffered a spectacle of a crash that saw driver Anthony Davidson hospitalized with two fractured vertebra. And while the No. 7 car briefly held the lead over rival Audi, trouble in the pits and engine failure eventually saw that car sidelined as well.

This year, the No. 7 TS030 will be piloted by Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima while the No. 8 machine will fall to the hands of Anthonay Davidson, Stephane Sarrazin and Sebastien Buemi. You can view the full press release below as well as a quick video on the 2014 TS030.

Toyota Racing Reveals Updated TS030 Hybrid for 2013

[19-Feb-2013] TOYOTA Racing today unveiled the revised TS030 HYBRID car, which will spearhead the team's quest for victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) this season.

Following a successful roll-out earlier this month, TOYOTA Racing begins the first full test of the 2013-specification TS030 HYBRID at Paul Ricard in southern France tomorrow.

After an impressive debut in the WEC in 2012, which included three victories in just six races, the team returns with an ambition to win both the Le Mans 24 Hours and the WEC title. Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima team up again in the #7 TS030 HYBRID. The #8 will compete outside of Le Mans for the first time, with Anthony Davidson, Stéphane Sarrazin, and Sébastien Buemi driving.

The team will again utilise the TOYOTA HYBRID System - Racing powertrain, developed exclusively for motorsport by TOYOTA's Motor Sport Division in Higashifuji. A unique super capacitor-based hybrid system delivers 300hp of boost automatically, on top of the 530hp generated by a 3.4litre, normally-aspirated V8 petrol engine. Ahead of a completely new development for 2014 due to regulation changes, TOYOTA's Motor Sport Division in Higashifuji has fine-tuned this year's powertrain to improve power, efficiency, management of component usage and reliability. The race-winning TS030 HYBRID chassis has also been modified for the upcoming season, with increased performance, reliability and serviceability the priorities.

TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG), which designs, builds and operates the TS030 HYBRID, has used its extensive R&D testing facilities and experienced engineers to deliver the next evolution. A revised aerodynamic package, including an updated monocoque, will deliver improved performance whilst minimising the impact of updated regulations in 2013 which increase the minimum weight for manufacturer LMP1 cars by 15kg.

By Zach Bowman