XeroK00L

Perhaps the batteries won't drain as quickly as we thought. After all, they get recharged each time the driver hits on the brake, which happens often on a real track.

With the Audi R10 winning the 24-hour race in Le Mans with a diesel engine, this is a good time for Lexus to kick the game up yet another notch. Is a real hybrid race car not far away? For that matter, bring us the Volta, Lexus!

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/pro...704&ID=5841609



Toyota to Enter Hybrid Vehicle in Race

TOKYO (AP) - Toyota Motor Corp. is entering a hybrid vehicle in Japan's only 24-hour race later this month, marking the first time a major automaker is playing a leading role in putting a gas-and-electric car in a competition that has semi-international status.

The hybrid Lexus GS450h sedan will take part in the Tokachi 24-hour race at Tokachi International Speedway in Hokkaido from July 15-17, Toyota said Tuesday in a statement.

Up until now in Japan, only private teams that had hybrids have competed in independent events at various racing circuits.

Toyota's hybrid switches between running on a gas engine and an electric motor to deliver better mileage. It generally runs on the electric motor at slower speeds and on gasoline at higher speeds, when the gas engine is more efficient.

Toyota has been a leading proponent of hybrid technology, which has helped enhance Toyota's image as an ecological automaker, although the technology still makes up a tiny portion of the overall global auto market.

Toyota said engineers are trying to obtain technology feedback for future vehicles and hopes to obtain more insight into how to make hybrid systems smaller, lighter and more efficient. They will also collect data on the potential of hybrid systems in motorsports, the automaker said.

baddis es

iTrader: (3)

i just hope the car is light enough and is powerful enough to compete with the R10, never the less--another step in Toyota leadership

spwolf

lol, competing with R10?

XeroCool, we have long determined that batteries dont get drained easily (or rather that you wont lose power), when GS450th passed 550i at some 100-105mph in that comparo.

XeroK00L

Well, racing the GS450h at Tokachi, a much lesser event than the Le Mans series, is just a proof of concept as the article suggests. But once proven, I'm sure the hybrid system as a race car drivetrain can take the next step and compete in races of higher levels with a more powerful drivetrain and a full-blown race car setup.Righto. Perhaps the only case that the batteries will drain is a race for top straight line speeds. As soon as the drivetrain is given a break the batteries will have good chances to recharge quickly.

XeroK00L

OK here's the OFFICIAL Tokachi 24-hour Race page for the ST class 1 race that GS450h will be competing in.
http://www.tokachi.org/race/24hours/entry/01.html

Here are some of the competing cars against the GS450h race car:

911 GT3:


Z33:


911 GT3:

Gojirra99

Source: Toyota

XeroK00L

Thanks, and here's the link to the official PR from Toyota:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/06/0704.html