Showing posts with label Toyota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toyota. Show all posts
Audi Triumphs again at Le Mans!

Photo credits: Audi

What a great race it was! The 24 Hours of Le Mans proved its self once again as one of the best races of the year. The 2014's edition saw an epic battle between Porsche, Toyota and Audi. Each one the three giant constructors looked like a winner at some point of the race.


After Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo gave the drivers the chequered flag last year, it was Fernando Alonso's turn to wave the French flag at the start of this year's race. This strengthens the possibility that Ferrari might consider entering Le Mans with a LMP1 prototype in the near future. But this is just speculation since Ferrari is already involved in Le Mans racing in the LM GTE Pro category. With that said, back to the race!


During the first part of the race, Toyota built a solid lead thanks to Audi's and Porsche's troubles but especially thanks to its powerful TS040 Hybrid racer which was clearly the fastest among the three.


Toyota dominated the race throughout the night but then came the time for the Japanese automaker to have its share of troubles. Audi took the lead of the 24 Hours race after overtaking the leading Toyota which stopped at Arnage. Porsche was following close behind but with a clearly slower car.


The dawn lights brought us a new leader as Nakajima's Toyota TS040 Hybrid #7 officially retired.


With the leading Toyota out of the race, things were looking good again for Tom Kristensen in the Audi #1 who might be running for his thenth Le Mans win! Until...


Within four hours from the arrival, the Audi #1 driven by T. Kristensen had to go back to the pit for a turbo change which cost the team more than 17 minutes. Meanwhile, the Porsche 919 Hybrid number #20 took the lead for a very short period of time, followed by the Audi R18 E-tron number #2 which was on average 5 seconds faster.





The Porsche seemed to have a really strong chance of finishing ahead since the more efficient 919 Hybrid required less pit stops. That was the case until, Mark's Porsche was hit by technical problems and had to enter the pits once again. It was the end of the race for the Porsche #20.





During that time, the Audi #2 took the lead followed by the Audi #1 and the Porsche #14. At this stage, it looked like nothing would stop Audi from claiming its 13th Le Mans victory. Sadly, the number #14 Porsche had to join the pits too, allowing the Toyota #8 to come back from far behind and occupy the 3rd spot.



The two Audi's then cruised together to the finishing line offering Audi its thirteenth overall Le Mans win and making it once step closer to Porsche all time record of 16 wins. Toyota once again failed to win after showing some real potential and the Swiss Rebellion racing team's Toyota R-One belonging to the LMP1-L sub category finished fourth.

Team Jota Sport won the LMP2 category's race with the Nissan powered Zytek Z11SN which crossed the line with O. TURVEY at the wheel.

In LM GTE Gro, it was Team AF Corse' Ferrari 458 Italia which crossed the line in 1st place with G. BRUNI at the wheel while ASTON MARTIN RACING's V8 Vantage completed the race at the top of the LM GTE Am category with K. Poulsen at the wheel.

It was a great race from Audi. But we're already excited about next year's race because we are sure that Porsche and Toyota won't accept their defeat. Next year, Nissan will be joining the show which means that we might be witnessing another golden era of Le Mans racing.




Full results can be found here.

11:12 PM Read More +
Le Mans 2014: Toyota on Pole, Porsche Close Behind


Toyota looks closer than ever to its first ever Le Mans win and the second ever for a Japanese car. The TS040 Hybrid #7 driven by Alexander WURZ, Stéphane SARRAZIN and Kazuki NAKAJIMA set the pole position with a time of 3:21.789, a new record for the Circuit de La Sarthe in its current configuration.

But the returning Porsche Team also looked strong during the qualifying practice. Car #14 driven by Romain DUMAS, Neel JANI and Marc LIEB fell just 3 tenths of a second short of the pole position time. The car will start in second position and can be a real threat for the #7 Toyota.

The number 8 Toyota TS040 driven by Anthony DAVIDSON, Nicolas LAPIERRE, Sébastien BUEMI and the number 20 Porsche 919H driven by Timo BERNHARD, Mark WEBBER, Brendon HARTLEY occupy respectively the third and fourth grid positions.

Surprisingly, the more experienced Audi team looked a bit slower than its main rivals. But we all know that raw speed isn't enough to win a 24 Hours race. But consistency and reliability can be the key. So Audi's mature package might have an advantage compared to Porsche and Toyota's sophisticated new hybrid race cars.

Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen's #1 Audi R18 TDI E-Tron Quattro will start from seventh position after being totally rebuilt following Loic Duval's crash. The latter will not take part in Saturday's race and was replaced by Marc Gené.

Swiss REBELLION racing team showed real improvements during qualifying and their times finally fell above 3 minutes 30 seconds. However, the red Toyota R-One was still at least 4 seconds slower than the closest LMP1 competitor.

Full qualifying results can be found here.

You can also check out this cool infographic summarizing some of the most important figures of the legendary 24 Hours Race.





4:29 AM Read More +
FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa: Toyota Victorious


After two rounds within the 2014 World Endurance Champioship, Toyota seems unbeatable. During the first round at Silverstone, the Japanese hybrid TS040 racer finished first and second and has lead the race from start to finish. During this weekend's race things were slightly different with the Porsche 919 Hybrid looking strong and car no. 14 driven by Jani Neel qualifying first. However, the Porsches were both hit by technical problems during the race with the only finishing car taking fourth position. Toyota ended up finishing first and third showing good promise for next month's 24 Hours of LE Mans.

Audi had a luckier weekend than Silverstone and achieved their first podium of the season with the No. 1 R18 (di Grassi/Duval/Kristensen) finishing second in the hands of F. Duval. REBELLION racing's Toyota R-One showed little pace compared to the factory backed teams with the only red and white car to cross the chequered flag achieving a 7th position, 10 laps behind the leaders.




Race highlights and results after the jump. Full results can be found here.


The start of WEC 6 Hours Spa-Francorchamps par fiawec




Pos N° Cat Team Driver Car T Laps Gap
1 8 LM P1 TOYOTA RACING LAPIERRE N. TOYOTA TS 040 - Hybrid M 171
2 1 LM P1 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST DUVAL L. AUDI R18 e-tron quattro M 171 1:13.926
3 7 LM P1 TOYOTA RACING SARRAZIN S. TOYOTA TS 040 - Hybrid M 171 1:20.861
4 14 LM P1 PORSCHE TEAM JANI N. Porsche 919 Hybrid M 170 1 Lap
5 2 LM P1 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST FÄSSLER M. AUDI R18 e-tron quattro M 170 52.000
6 3 LM P1 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST BONANOMI M. AUDI R18 e-tron quattro M 169 2 Laps
7 12 LM P1 REBELLION RACING HEIDFELD N. REBELLION R-One - Toyota M 161 10 Laps

12:20 AM Read More +
Toyota FT-1 Concept Revealed at Detroit [VIDEO]


We were expecting Toyota to bring a Supra successor to Detroit but it turns out they were cooking another design study for us. Dubbed FT-1, the new concept car features an aggressive design and is described by Toyota as an ideally balanced front-engine, rear wheel-drive layout that is powered by a high-technology, high performance internal combustion engine.

Not further details on the power train have been released but the model will be made available as downloadable content for Gran Turismo 6 players if you'd like to give it a try. You will find more details and pictures in the press release after the jump.


7:08 PM Read More +
Tokyo Auto Salon: GRMN Mark X concept


Gazoo Racing revealed their concept car based on the Toyota Mark X at the Tokyo Auto Salon last week. The car features an aerodynamic body kit that includes redesigned front and rear bumpers, new side skirts and a boot lid spoiler. as well as a carbon fiber roof. It rides on 19-inch BBS forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE050A.

The concept car is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 320 Hp and 380 Nm of torque. The engine sends power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and a limited slip differential. More pictures in the gallery below. More pictures in the gallery below.

11:44 AM Read More +
Pick of The Day: Abflug Toyota GT86


Japanese company Abflug, known for converting this Toyota Supra into a unique supercar, also makes some sweet more conventional body kits for other Toyota models. The tuning package introduced by Abflug a few months ago also features a performance package that sees the output of the 2.0-liter four cylinder engine jump to 255 Hp thanks to a HKS GT Supercharger kit, a sports exhaust and a new intercooler.

For a better handling, the package includes a HKS Hipermax IV GT suspension system and Brembo brakes. The wheels are 19-inch Prism III that come with Yokohama Advan Sports tires. More pictures in the gallery below.


3:42 PM Read More +
Possible Toyota Supra Concept for Detroit Rendered

Rendering source: boldride.com

The question that everyone is asking right now is: will Toyota bring a new Supra concept to the Detroit Motor Show. The answer is: we have no idea. But the guys at Boldride have put together this Supra concept that clearly borrows some LFA design cues. Of course, this is not based on any spy shots which means that this rendering shouldn't be taken too seriously. But we just love the idea of seeing a new Supra on the road once again and that's why we're posting it. After all, the long awaited Honda NSX has finally become a reality, so why not the Supra?

[News source: Boldride]
11:13 AM Read More +
Raw Footage: HKS GT86 Drifitng Around Tsukuba [VIDEO]


The Toyota GT86 is one of our favourite drift cars and it has definitely earned its place as an all time classic. So we can only be happy to see it complete a drifting lap around one of our favorite Japanese circuit. Here's a full drifting lap around Tsukuba with Taniguchi at the wheel of a HKS modified GT86. Could he get closer than that to the camera van?
1:22 PM Read More +
Official: The Toyota GT-86 Gets More Awesome with a Rally Car Variant

Toyota CS-V3 VLN Race Car

The Toyota GT-86 is definitely one of our favourite driver's car. And thanks to the new GT-86 CS-R3, our dream of seeing Toyota make its comeback to rallying might become a reality. But don't get too excited because the CS-R3 won't be competing with the big boys at the WRC Championship. Instead, it will be competing in the lower R3 class. Still, it's refreshing to see that Toyota is still interested in rallying. Besides, it might be a preparation for a possible come back to the WRC's top league..

The car is currently under development by Toyota's Motorsport Division (TMG) and since no official pictures have been released yet. Here's the GT-86 VLN Race Car to give you an idea of what to expect.


4:48 PM Read More +
Pick of the Day: Abflug Schwarzer Supercar


No it's not based on the Viper, it's not based on a Ferrari either.. It's called the Abflug Schwarzer, it comes from Gotenba in Japan and only one exists in the world. The car is based on a Toyota Supra JZA80 and this not just a cheap conversion kit. It's a bespoke body that is meant to give the Supra a totally different appearance and also the performance that goes with it.

The Abflug Schwarzer is powered by a 3.0-liter six cyliner engine producing 603 Hp and good for a top speed of 313 Km/h (196 mph). The car weights just 1,390 kg (3,064 pounds) and it'll do the 400 meters (quarter mile) in 11.3 seconds.

8:48 AM Read More +
Meet Toyota's Ultra Futuristic FV2 Concept for Tokyo

Augmented reality...

Toyota revealed the FV2 Concept for the Tokyo Motor Show and it looks well ahead of its time. The concept came to maintain the "Fun to Drive" philosophy in a world where automated driving technology has proliferated according to Toyota.

Toyota wants to build a new driver/vehicle relationship by making the car understand its driver and vice versa through a new technology that is still in the research phase. Dubbed Toyota Heart Project, the new technology aims to link the driver to his vehicle through the body and the heart in order to provide a unique driving experience that improves with time...

More pictures and more details in the press release after the jump.

2:10 PM Read More +
Drifting Toyota Hilux is Simply Awesome!


So you are saying that stanced cars are just made for the show? We've already showed you a 775 Hp stanced Mustang that can do the quarter mile in 10 seconds but you're still not convinced? What about a Toyota Hilux pickup drift machine?

I really urge you to follow this build step by step at Engineered to Slide. You will learn a lot from these guys, and so did I. Thumbs up!



[Source: Engineered to Slide]
6:19 PM Read More +
Toyota GT-86 GT4 Race Car Revealed


UK-based motorsport and engineering company GPRM revealed a FIA GT4 compliant race car based on the Toyota GT-86. It is powered by a modified version of the 2.0-liter flat-four engine that will produce between 360 Hp and 400 Hp. The final output will be announced once the testing is completed. Pricing hasn't been announced yet but GPRM released a set of pictures of the new racer that you can find in the gallery below.


3:13 PM Read More +
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)