TS030 Hybrid (2012 spec)

STORY

Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne built the TS030 HYBRID to the FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1 rules, and Toyota presented it on 24 January 2012 as the marque's first top-class Le Mans entry since 1999. A naturally aspirated 3.4-litre V8 rated at 530 bhp sat behind the driver, paired with the THS-R system: a Nisshinbo supercapacitor rather than a battery, worth around 300 bhp of deployment, with motor hardware from Denso. A heavy accident at Paul Ricard on 4 April damaged a chassis beyond repair and cost the planned Spa debut, so the car raced first at Le Mans on 16 and 17 June 2012, where both entries retired. Alexander Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre gave Toyota Racing its first win at Interlagos on 15 September 2012, and in 2013 the number 8 car of Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin finished second at Le Mans, one lap down. The TS040 HYBRID replaced it for 2014.