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A year after making its race debut at Le Mans in 2012, TOYOTA Racing returns with two TS030 HYBRIDs ; the No. 7 for Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima plus the No. 8 for Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin.
For the first time both driver line-ups will benefit from the 2013-specification TS030 HYBRID, which raced for the first time at Spa in the hands of the No. 7 crew.
Seven test sessions, including the official Le Mans test day last weekend, have shown the updated TS030 HYBRID is a significant step forward in terms of reliability and performance.
The preparation programme has included several successful endurance tests, designed to push the TS030 HYBRID and the team to the limit over 30 hours of continuous running.
The below graphic shows what the THS-R looks like, under the skin of the TS030 HYBRID.
Under the skin
The powertrain consists of a 530hp V8, 3.4litre, normally-aspirated petrol engine combined with a 300hp hybrid system.
Under braking, in the designated hybrid recovery zones, the system harvests energy which is converted into electricity by the Motor Generator Unit (MGU), located between engine and gearbox, within the gearbox housing.
This electricity is transmitted, via a DENSO inverter, into the NISSHINBO super capacitor storage device, sited next to the driver in the cockpit.
When the driver accelerates, the hybrid boost is delivered automatically for around three seconds, with the electricity travelling from the super capacitor, through the inverter and into the MGU, which adds the power to that of the petrol engine and transmits it to the rear wheels.
For the first time both driver line-ups will benefit from the 2013-specification TS030 HYBRID, which raced for the first time at Spa in the hands of the No. 7 crew.
 |
| Photo: Toyota Racing |
Seven test sessions, including the official Le Mans test day last weekend, have shown the updated TS030 HYBRID is a significant step forward in terms of reliability and performance.
The preparation programme has included several successful endurance tests, designed to push the TS030 HYBRID and the team to the limit over 30 hours of continuous running.
The below graphic shows what the THS-R looks like, under the skin of the TS030 HYBRID.
 |
| Photo: Toyota Racing |
Under the skin
The powertrain consists of a 530hp V8, 3.4litre, normally-aspirated petrol engine combined with a 300hp hybrid system.
Under braking, in the designated hybrid recovery zones, the system harvests energy which is converted into electricity by the Motor Generator Unit (MGU), located between engine and gearbox, within the gearbox housing.
 |
| Photo: Toyota Racing |
This electricity is transmitted, via a DENSO inverter, into the NISSHINBO super capacitor storage device, sited next to the driver in the cockpit.
When the driver accelerates, the hybrid boost is delivered automatically for around three seconds, with the electricity travelling from the super capacitor, through the inverter and into the MGU, which adds the power to that of the petrol engine and transmits it to the rear wheels.