zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Here's The Updated TS050 Prototype Toyota Has Two Shots To Win Le Mans With
Here's The Updated TS050 Prototype Toyota Has Two Shots To Win Le Mans With-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:16

Toyota is the last car manufacturer standing in the World Endurance Championship’s LMP1 class, where they’ll get not one, but two shots to win Le Mans. WEC is calling 2018-2019 their “superseason” as they transition to a calendar that ends at Le Mans. Here’s the TS050 Hybrid they hope to do that with, unveiled today in a of Toyota’s motorsport activities for the year.

Toyota committed two of these TS050 Hybrid race cars to doing the full eight-season superseason in a slightly tweaked that now pits them directly against a host of non-hybrid-powered privateers, who hopefully stick around better than privateer LMP1s have in the .

Two-time Formula One world champion will be replacing longtime Toyota LMP1 driver Anthony Davidson for most of the races in Toyota’s driver lineup for the weird long season.

With the FIA WEC super season nearing its kickoff this May, many LMP1 manufacturers and privateer…

Toyota came too close to pulling off a Le Mans win in 2016 but were foiled by a in the final moments of the race. Fortunately, Toyota says its hybrid system upgrades were focused on reliability after had problems in 2017:

The THS-R (TOYOTA Hybrid System-Racing) powertrain, developed at TOYOTA Higashifuji Technical Center in Japan, not only follows the existing four-wheel regenerative/drive system, but also improves the reliability of the engine, electric motors/generators and batteries. These technologies will be leveraged to the mass-production hybrid and electric vehicles.

Look, I’m not one to give teams a pep talk, but Toyota, listen to me. You’ve got two shots to make one thing happen: an overall Le Mans win. Porsche isn’t around anymore, and I see you didn’t bother to change up the white, black and red-orange color scheme that was easily confused with Porsche’s white, black and red. The car is “largely unchanged” from the 2017-spec TS050, according to . Cool. I hope it works.

If y’all don’t pull it off as the only manufacturer team left, I don’t even think I’ll be mad. Just disappointed. And you know exactly how much worse “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed” is.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Fernando Alonso Is Back Where He Belongs
Fernando Alonso Is Back Where He Belongs
Fernando Alonso to Formula One in 2021 after tooling around at and at . I have no idea whether he and Renault will do all that great considering Mercedes will probably dominate again next year ahead of rules changes in 2022, but one can dream. Alonso tested Renault’s current...
Apr 2, 2026
Mazda's Global MX-5 Cup Leaves Indycar Behind For IMSA
Mazda's Global MX-5 Cup Leaves Indycar Behind For IMSA
On Thursday afternoon Mazda’s spec-racing Global MX-5 Cup series announced that it would be partnering with IMSA from 2021 onward as its sanctioning body of record. The series has been in a bit of tumult lately as it was formerly sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, which imploded a few...
Apr 2, 2026
Everything Is Wrong With This Audi
Everything Is Wrong With This Audi
The defining traits of an Audi: stealth speed, boutique engines, all-wheel drive. The defining traits of this Audi built up for drifting in Japan: extreme volume, a crate motor, rear-wheel drive. It’s all wrong, and that’s part of why I adore it. Perhaps a bigger part of why I...
Apr 2, 2026
How To Watch Petit Le Mans, MotoGP, NASCAR, NHRA, And Everything Else Happening In Racing This Weekend; Oct 17-18
How To Watch Petit Le Mans, MotoGP, NASCAR, NHRA, And Everything Else Happening In Racing This Weekend; Oct 17-18
Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? There’s no F1...
Apr 2, 2026
Indy Lights Is Coming Back In 2021 With An Even Bigger Scholarship
Indy Lights Is Coming Back In 2021 With An Even Bigger Scholarship
The Indy Lights series is the last rung on the Road to Indy ladder that filters new talent into the IndyCar series. It has always provided great incentives for winners of the series, but after it was cancelled due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, its future was a little...
Apr 2, 2026
Valentino Rossi Tests Positive For COVID-19, Will Miss Aragon MotoGP
Valentino Rossi Tests Positive For COVID-19, Will Miss Aragon MotoGP
Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi will miss this Sunday’s Aragon Grand Prix after a positive test for COVID-19. He has reported experiencing symptoms that required two additional tests on Thursday after testing negative on Tuesday. A rapid PCR test was negative. The second test was positive. Rossi announced the...
Apr 2, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved