Toyota will take on Audi and Peugeot at Le Mans next year
This blog doesn’t normally cover sportscar racing but there was big news today as Toyota confirmed its anticipated Le Mans 24 Hours programme for 2012, to be run from the former F1 base in Cologne.
TMG have designed the chassis, which will be powered by petrol hybrid engine. The team says the car will roll out ‘at the turn of the year.’
It’s a massively ambitious schedule given how tough Le Mans is for first timers. Toyota will also compete in ‘several’ other WEC races.
Tadashi Yamashina, Toyota Motor Corporation Senior Managing Officer and TMG Chairman, said: “Toyota Motor Corporation has entered Le Mans before but by using our hybrid technology this time will be a completely new challenge. We want to write a new page in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as in the FIA World Endurance Championship, through our use of hybrid technology.
“In addition, we aim to learn from the experience of competing in such a challenging motorsport environment to enhance our production car technology. Le Mans is a legendary race and I would like to thank the ACO and the FIA for their constructive and positive cooperation over the last few months.”
Adam Cooper F1 
It’s certainly very exciting for Le Mans, which looks to have a boom period coming up.
Hopefully this inspires Mazda to return with a rotary engine, or maybe Nissan as well!
Exciting stuff! 🙂
Good story. I sure hope we get the American Le Mans series to come here to Austin in the near future. I think Toyota would love coming here and showing off their hybrid technology.
This is excellent news for the category – it will help decide VW’s arguement that a turbo diesel road car is more efficient than the more fashionable petrol hybrid (unless Peugeot’s diesel hybrid competes).
The World Endurance Championship had the danger of becoming the sportscar equivalent of IndyCar i.e. one showcase event and lots that barely register (as Jeff Olson discusses on Autosport.com).