Toyota is a House that, over the last few decades, has tried to follow innovative paths as regards the propulsion of road cars. This time, however, she focused on planning something for the future in motorsport.
Over the last few hours, in fact, Toyota has presented a concept car for the new class of hydrogen prototypes that will be introduced in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) starting from the 2026 season.
The car was presented this morning at Le Mans and tomorrow morning it will do a demonstration lap on the track that hosts the 24-hour race. At the helm will be Akyo Toyoda.
GR H2 Racing Concept
Photo by: Toyota Racing
The GRH2, as the car is called, is only a prototype, but the Japanese company really thinks that hydrogen could be the way of the future even in racing. There are still no precise commitments from Toyota, but the certainty that, sooner or later, it will be able to race with a hydrogen-powered prototype.
Akyo Toyoda, in this regard, said: “Personally, my goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in motorsports without sacrificing performance and emotion. And we certainly wouldn’t invest in this technology if we didn’t think we could win with it, said Akyo Toyoda.
“I really want to encourage our competitors to consider hydrogen, not just because it’s good for the environment, but because it’s a really exciting option. The sound and the torque, the dynamics, it’s all there. In the end When it comes to carbon neutrality and motorsports, we need to pursue every option, from battery electric vehicles and beyond, which is why at Toyota, hydrogen is just one of the avenues we are pursuing.”
GR H2 Racing Concept
Photo by: Toyota Racing
“We are grateful to the ACO and Le Mans for providing us with this unique opportunity to share our commitment with the world and look forward to seeing our new GRH2 race car ahead of the new Le Mans H2 class in the future. This is truly a special day for Toyota and even more significant for Le Mans. To the next 100 years of racing until the checkered flag”.
“A place where we not only compete in one of the most famous races in the world, but where we can push the boundaries of technologies. A place where we can realize the future. We present our GR Hydrogen racing concept car for the WEC. We do zero emission”.
“One of the other main advantages of hydrogen over gas is its light weight – less BoP! – which, as we all know, is one of the biggest advantages to racing. Two weeks ago, in fact, I drove a Corolla fueled at the Fuji Speedway Super Tec 24 Hours. It was a world first for a racing car and not only did we finish the race successfully, but we also learned a lot.”
Rob Leupen, Toyota Gazoo Racing team principal, added: “We are working hard on this concept, as always, as a joint venture between Higashi-Fuji and Cologne. We can’t make any commitments at the moment.”
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