Toyota TSO40 Hybrid Le Mans Racer Packs 988hp

In the racing world, having a car that gets better fuel economy is almost as good as having a racecar that is faster than the rest. The further you can drive on a tank of fuel at race speed, the more laps you can put in. Many manufacturers put as much effort into fuel efficiency as they do speed.Toyota is set to enter the fray in one of the most difficult races in the world, the 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans, with a new car. Toyota will go against Porsche, Audi, and other brands in the race using a new hybrid racecar called the TS040. This car uses hybrid technology to improve efficient and performance.

The powertrain in the racer produces a total of 988hp. That is the combined outputs of the naturally aspirated 3.7L V8 producing its own 513hp and the electric motors that produce 475hp. Toyota's new racer falls into the WEC rules for cars that produce under 6-megajoule of hybrid energy.

Toyota says that the new TS040 racecar is 25% more fuel-efficient than the TS030 it raced last year. One of the most interesting things for this class of hybrid racer is that the teams have chosen different paths to hybrid power. Porsche for instance is using a turbo V4 engine and a front axle MGU. This will be an interesting race.

SOURCE: Car & Driver