Toyota planning a new hybrid hero

Update - 19 June, 2019: Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) has released a video of its new hypercar undergoing testing at Fuji raceway in Japan.

The new million-dollar Toyota hypercar was driven by none other than Toyota CEO (and self-confessed petrol-head) Akio Toyoda at Fuji raceway.

It confirms the Japanese company is already elbow-deep developing the ludicrously quick car, which will take on road and race car guises in 2020. There are even a few seconds of interior footage for Toyota's Aston Martin Valkyrie rival, revealing lots of carbon-fibre and a pair of digital screens, one compensating for the lack of rear window.

A ballistic new road racer is being planned by Toyota as its contribution to a new era in Le Mans sports cars, and at least one example will come to Australia -- permanently -- for promotional duties.

Just as the Japanese juggernaut morphed its Formula 1 technology into the limited-edition V10-engined LFA road car, it now intends to do a similar thing with the hybrid hypercar it will use in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2021.

Toyota refuses to get specific on details of the program, but has already dropped plenty of hints about its new million-dollar Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) flagship.

First it revealed the wild GR Super Sport Concept at the 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon last January, previewing a future road car powered by a version of the Toyota TS050 Hybrid WEC endurance racer’s 735kW twin-turbo 2.4-litre V6 hybrid powertrain.

Then at last year’s Le Mans 24 Hour, Toyota’s GR motorsport and performance car division confirmed it was developing a “super sports car” that will use a “cutting-edge hybrid” powertrain inspired by its Le Mans-winning LMP1 racer.

Now, on the eve of the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hour it went on to win yesterday, Gazoo Racing president Shigeki Tomoyama announced that Toyota will join Aston Martin in committing to the WEC in 2021 and beyond, when the current LMP1 prototype formula is replaced by top-tier endurance racers based on production hypercars.

On Friday, following the reveal of final technical regulations for the new class by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) after detailed discussions with several stakeholders, Toyota said that both road and race versions of a hypercar based on the GR Super Sport are currently undergoing design and development at the company's technical centres in Toyota City, Higashi-Fuji and Cologne.

Toyota said track testing of the new race car -- the name of which will be revealed “at a later date” -- will begin next year prior to the start of the 2020-2021 season, while “further details of the GR Super Sport road car will be issued by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in due course”.

Adding some spice to the announcement, Toyota revealed a teaser shots of the GR Super Sport -- this time in red, black and white GR livery rather than just all-white like the original concept -- and showed two more images of the car in a Powerpoint presentation (also pictured here, as snapped on our phone since Toyota wouldn't supply them).

Separately, Toyota Australia sources have confirmed the company has already ordered an example of the limited-edition hypercar, which will sit alongside the Lexus LFA in its museum and also be driven at promotional events, but they declined to outline public availability details Down Under.

“I am pleased to confirm that Toyota Gazoo Racing will continue its challenge in endurance racing beyond the current regulations,” said Tomoyama.

“Thank you to the ACO and FIA for their hard work in finalising these regulations, which we hope will bring about a new golden age of endurance racing, with several manufacturers fighting for Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship.”

Tomoyama offered carsales.com.au a few more details about the program during Toyota’s successful defense of its Le Mans 24-hour crown at the weekend.

“We are planning a prototype car. We will sell in the near future,” said Tomoyama.

“The car will be for racing. But in the future we will study a lot … and reflect the know-how on the road cars in the future.”

Under the new WEC regulations, which are intended to lure major makers to compete with cars like the McLaren Senna and Ferrari SF90, Toyota intends to transfer many of the lessons it has learned with its high-tech TS050 racer into a road-going hypercar.

The new Le Mans rules require manufacturers to design their competing cars to match an existing production model, or base their race car on a new road-going model, of which 20 must be produced over a two-year period.

Tomoyama hinted at an expensive limited-production road car that will serve to homologate its new car for racing, as well as luring customers to Gazoo Racing.

“We have to consider. To launch the road car based on the GR Super Sport. We know the actual regulation today, so now we have to consider how to reflect the regulations,” he said.

Tomoyama was unwilling to share details of Toyota’s first hypercar, but in order to reduce the use of expensive lightweight materials, the weight of the racing version will increase from the LMP1’s current 878kg to 1100kg.

As a result, lap times at the 13km Le Mans circuit are expected to increase from the about 3:13 to around three and a half minutes.

Toyota will move away from the TS050’s 736kW powertrain to a lower-output petrol-electric set-up producing around 550kW. Hybrid power and all-wheel drive -- in contrast to the rear-drive and naturally-aspirated V12 of the Aston Martin Valkyrie -- are a given.

“Specification is still confidential. This will come at the top of the Gazoo Racing brand,” he said.

“The next technology is very close to the road car image. The Gazoo Racing philosophy is a racing activity and our close relationship to the road cars.”

While Tomoyama is heading the hypercar project, he also confirmed to carsales that he has taken control of the ‘flying car’ project that is intended as part of the opening ceremony for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

This was previously under the control of Tetsuya Tada, ‘father’ of the Toyota 86 and Supra sports cars.

Even so, he says it is still too early to get specific about what will happen at the Games.

“I’m taking over the flying car project. It’s confidential. Please wait,” he told carsales.

“A student started this idea and we are just supporting that student. I’m sorry but it’s very confidential.”