|
Toyota has commissioned its first ever road going supercar to enter this year's
Le Mans 24 Hour Race.
The 330km/h Toyota GT-One race car must also be built as a road vehicle to qualify for
the race.
Toyota has used its Cologne-based world championship winning rally team, Toyota Team
Europe, to design and build the road and race versions.
The quad cam V8 engine, derived from Lexus technology, has been reduced to 3.6litres to
accommodate two turbochargers which boost power to 447kW and torque to 650Nm.
The same engine for both road and track versions drives through a six speed sequential
gearbox.
Sensationally, the first GT-One qualified second fastest for the LeMans race by just
one one hundredth of a second at trials on the French circuit in early May.
All three works cars entered for the marathon event qualified without difficulty.
Five Formula One drivers headed by Martin Brundle make up the nine person driver
line-up.
Toyota has worked with German road safety authorities to ensure the GT-One is
absolutely road legal and capable of being registered.
It has already been through initial crash tests and will fulfil complete EEC front,
side, rear and rollover tests before this year's October deadline.
Technology employed on the GT-One project is likely to find its way onto volume-
production cars.
The road and race versions of the GT-One differ in only a small number of ways -
principally ride height, fuel capacity and most importantly exhaust system.
"We have worked probably closer than any sports car manufacturer ever has to
ensure that we have met all aspects of the rules," Toyota Team Europe president Ove
Andersson said.
"The challenge of competing at Le Mans is immense.
"Our aim this year is to learn about the car and come back again in 1999 in an
even stronger position."
|
