Official: Toyota returning to Le Mans with hybrid LMP1 car

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Toyota, Racing

Toyota has announced that it is returning to the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's World Endurance Championship in 2012. The car it will be contesting the series with is a new prototype that will use a hybrid gasoline/electric powertrain. We can only hope the experience will equal more exciting future models under the Prius range...

The last time Toyota competed in Le Mans racing was in 1999, just before the Japanese automaker abandoned the GT-One program to focus on Formula One.

We don't expect Toyota's new LMP1 racer to have anything in common with the erstwhile GT-One, which was powered by a 600-horsepower 3.6-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. Though always fast, Toyota's last-gen endurance racer never quite put together a complete race. Here's hoping the effort produces more consistent results this time around. Check out the official announcement after the break.

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Toyota returning to Le Mans with hybrid LMP1 car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/14/toyota-returning-to-le-mans-with-hybrid-lmp1-car/

Roger Laurent Giovanni Lavaggi Chris Lawrence Michel Leclere Richard Lee Rudd