Toyota Racing has unveiled its TS040 Hybrid prototype sportscar that will compete in the LMP1 category for the Japanese manufacturer this year in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In its quest to win the famous French endurance race, Toyota has taken the decision to opt for a four wheel drive system on its car in order to maximize the amount of energy that can be recovered under braking from both axles.
The result is a car that is capable of producing 985 bhp thanks to a 512 bhp normally aspirated 3.4 litre, V-8 engine along with a motor generator that takes stores the recovered energy to deliver a staggering boost of 473 bhp.
To put that into perspective, current Formula 1 regulations have cars' power units producing 600 bhp through a 1.6 litre, turbocharged, V-6 and an energy boost through two motor generator units (harvesting exhaust energy and brake energy from the rear axle) of 160 bhp. That makes the energy boost of the Toyota TS040 more than twice that in an F1 car for a total power output in excess of 200 bhp higher.
The use of four wheel drive in F1 has been banned since the 1982 season, prior to which the technology was used with little success by teams like BRM, Lotus and Matra.
Like F1 this year, WEC has also had to a reduction in fuel consumption (25 percent less fuel consumption as compared to 30 percent less in F1) that will be regulated by fuel flow sensors. Yes, the same manner of sensors that Red Bull Racing is refuting following Daniel Ricciardo's exclusion at the season opening Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne.
Competing for Toyota in two TS040's will be Alex Wurz, Stephane Sarrazin and Kazuki Nakajima in one team while Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sebastien Buemi will form the second team.
The WEC calendar for this year will comprise of eight rounds starting with the Six Hours of Silverstone on April 20 to the Six Hours of Sao Paulo on November 30.
2014 FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
1) Six Hours of Silverstone (Great Britain) April 20
2) Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) May 3
3) 24 Hours of Le Mans (France) June 14
4) Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas (United States) September 20
5) Six Hours of Fuji (Japan) October 12
6) Six Hours of Shanghai (China) November 2
7) Six Hours of Bahrain - November 15
8) Six Hours of Sao Paulo (Brazil) November 30
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