Toyota Racing has revealed the details of its participation in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
In the WEC, the company will push the limits of hybrid powertrain technology in motorsport.
Toyota Racing entered two cars for the WEC season, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest is scheduled to confirm the full grid on February 13.
For the third consecutive year, Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima, Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin will drive for Toyota Racing.
The TS040 Hybrid prototype has been designed according to new regulations intended to keep the WEC and Le Mans at the forefront of road-relevant technology development, the company said.
Its first public appearance will come at the WEC official test session on March 28-29, when it will take to the track alongside prototypes from Audi and Porsche for the first time.
After the TS030 Hybrid established Toyota Racing as a pioneer in the field of hybrid powertrains for motorsport, its successor, the TS040 Hybrid, takes the technology to the next level.
The addition of an Aisin AW motor/generator on the front axle, in combination with the DENSO unit at the rear, means the Toyota Hybrid System – Racing now provides power to all four wheels.
Under deceleration, the motor/generators apply braking force in combination with traditional mechanical brakes to generate energy, which is transferred via a DENSO inverter to the Nisshinbo super-capacitor. During acceleration, the motor/generator reverses its function, acting as a motor to deliver a significant power boost.
The four-wheel-drive hybrid power is allied to a petrol-powered V8 engine, both having been developed by Motor Sports Unit Development Division at the Higashifuji technical centre, where next generation Toyota road car technology is also under development.
The TS040 Hybrid chassis is designed, developed, manufactured, built and operated by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Cologne. It represents a major evolution on the TS030 Hybrid thanks to advanced aerodynamics and lightweight design.
The company will release more details about the TS040 Hybrid, including technical specifications, immediately prior to the official WEC test.
Source: Toyota Racing
