The Gazoo Racing Super Sport WEC hypercar thread
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Ian Schmidt
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I wouldn't call it boring, but supercars do seem to be converging on looking a bit like a bathtub 
mikeavelli
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This is great news! Thats a huge step debuting in Geneva. LET US BE ABLE TO TUNE IT!!!
TheNerdyPotato
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https://toyotagazooracing.com/release/2018/wec/0615-01.html
Well, this is exciting, even if I'll never be able to afford one.
CIF
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There is a good possibility. New rules in the FIA WEC are being finalized to start for the 2020 season, which will allow teams in LMP1 to race actual hypercars close to road legal cars rather than prototypes. I think this concept is not only a hint at what Toyota's future LMP1 car may look like, but also a hint at Toyota's future supercar/hypercar. It may be an LFA successor, or Toyota could release it as a true hypercar one category higher than the LFA.
TheNerdyPotato
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It might just be me, but at first glance, that powertrain sounds a lot like what's used in F1. I'm sure there's things that make it different, but there's not a huge market for 2.4l turbo hybrid V6 engines.
Toyota is one of the few manufacturers, maybe the only manufacturer, that dedicates resources to these race cars and leagues with nothing to show for it on the production side, engine wise.
It almost seems like a complete waste of time, resources and money. What’s the payoff of trying to look like a company that can build fast race cars when they have zero such cars in their entire lineup lol.
Even lowly Acura has some marginal commonality between their production car engines and race series.
These resources would be better spent elsewhere imo.
It almost seems like a complete waste of time, resources and money. What’s the payoff of trying to look like a company that can build fast race cars when they have zero such cars in their entire lineup lol.
Even lowly Acura has some marginal commonality between their production car engines and race series.
These resources would be better spent elsewhere imo.
Little to no road relevance is a very valid complaint against Toyota's motorsport programs aftee the Group A rally era.
They spent $3 billion on a F1 program during the appliance era when they had zero (later one) performance car. They could use all the knowledge learned from making the LFA and trickle the tech down to more affordable cars but they didn't (well technically they made that fancy dash available to every F-sport). They have a wicked and tough AWD 380hp Yaris rally car, but instead made a limited availability 'hot hatch' from TRD bin parts. And THS-R? That has been raced since 2006 and we are still seeing zero performance hybrid application. Honda made a lousy attempt with the new NSX but at least they tried.
They spent $3 billion on a F1 program during the appliance era when they had zero (later one) performance car. They could use all the knowledge learned from making the LFA and trickle the tech down to more affordable cars but they didn't (well technically they made that fancy dash available to every F-sport). They have a wicked and tough AWD 380hp Yaris rally car, but instead made a limited availability 'hot hatch' from TRD bin parts. And THS-R? That has been raced since 2006 and we are still seeing zero performance hybrid application. Honda made a lousy attempt with the new NSX but at least they tried.
CIF
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Toyota can certainly try harder to implement racing technology in production cars.
However only the misinformed or trolls would say that Toyota is not implementing any race technology currently in production cars. The LFA 1LR engine is a pure 9000 RPM race engine built to production standards and Lexus quality. Yes it's unattainable for the vast majority but this engine still exists. This is a race engine that is built to run reliability for hundreds of thousands of kilometers, again to Lexus standards. That is unheard of for any other supercar engine. The carbon fiber know-how of Toyota in F1 was used tremendously on the LFA, and then used on the LC. To a small extent it has been used on some of the F cars as well.
A small amount of F1 technology was used for Toyota's GR and UR engines. Further F1 technologies were lightly used for the new M20A, A25A, and V35A engines.
The reason why Toyota left F1, aside from failure of results, was extremely little relevance to production cars. The FIA WEC LMP1 category (and Le Mans), as well as WRC both have a lot more production car relevance. Further, current WRC participation is contributing a lot of know-how to next-gen TNGA Yaris development. The IS F, GS F, and RC F all implement a variety of racing technologies. Not only that, they are as reliable as any regular Lexus model. Toyota has long product cycles, so one must also be patient to see the fruits of FIA WEC and WRC participation translate more into production vehicles.
To compare a competitor, it took VW/Audi many years of participation in FIA sportscar/Le Mans and WRC to have those racing technologies gradually filter down and improve their production cars. Even so, many technologies and know-how never made into production VW/Audi models.
However only the misinformed or trolls would say that Toyota is not implementing any race technology currently in production cars. The LFA 1LR engine is a pure 9000 RPM race engine built to production standards and Lexus quality. Yes it's unattainable for the vast majority but this engine still exists. This is a race engine that is built to run reliability for hundreds of thousands of kilometers, again to Lexus standards. That is unheard of for any other supercar engine. The carbon fiber know-how of Toyota in F1 was used tremendously on the LFA, and then used on the LC. To a small extent it has been used on some of the F cars as well.
A small amount of F1 technology was used for Toyota's GR and UR engines. Further F1 technologies were lightly used for the new M20A, A25A, and V35A engines.
The reason why Toyota left F1, aside from failure of results, was extremely little relevance to production cars. The FIA WEC LMP1 category (and Le Mans), as well as WRC both have a lot more production car relevance. Further, current WRC participation is contributing a lot of know-how to next-gen TNGA Yaris development. The IS F, GS F, and RC F all implement a variety of racing technologies. Not only that, they are as reliable as any regular Lexus model. Toyota has long product cycles, so one must also be patient to see the fruits of FIA WEC and WRC participation translate more into production vehicles.
To compare a competitor, it took VW/Audi many years of participation in FIA sportscar/Le Mans and WRC to have those racing technologies gradually filter down and improve their production cars. Even so, many technologies and know-how never made into production VW/Audi models.
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You cannot argue that Toyota and Lexus completely, and I mean completely, missed the performance-car renaissance that's been raging for more than half a decade.
Dodge waged war with its SRT and raised the bar with its Demon. Ford's awesome Mustang GT that is nearly ubiquitous on city streets. Chevy and its Camaro and Corvette. Cadillac with its V and V sport (with the V Sport more than just a badge by the way).
BMW's huge expansion of its M lineup and the addition of the M123 formula (again with real engines that are different from the base models). Likewise with Mercedes' ever-expanding multi-tiered AMG line (also with real engines that are different from the base model) and Audi's S and RS line (again, with real, discrete engines).
Jaguar, Aston, Land Rover, and the list goes on and on. All with engines that can back up their bark. Lexus = zero.
Toyota, one of the largest car companies in the world, missed it and didn't plan for it at all. Their engine-development negligence is here to roost and Gazoo's racing efforts clearly helped...
And, the one car that could have cured all ills, the Supra, isn’t even being developed in house. To me that means they STILL can’t see. Ignorance is bliss I guess and that’s why Gazoo racing is a gigantic waste. What’s the point? That’s my opinion.
Dodge waged war with its SRT and raised the bar with its Demon. Ford's awesome Mustang GT that is nearly ubiquitous on city streets. Chevy and its Camaro and Corvette. Cadillac with its V and V sport (with the V Sport more than just a badge by the way).
BMW's huge expansion of its M lineup and the addition of the M123 formula (again with real engines that are different from the base models). Likewise with Mercedes' ever-expanding multi-tiered AMG line (also with real engines that are different from the base model) and Audi's S and RS line (again, with real, discrete engines).
Jaguar, Aston, Land Rover, and the list goes on and on. All with engines that can back up their bark. Lexus = zero.
Toyota, one of the largest car companies in the world, missed it and didn't plan for it at all. Their engine-development negligence is here to roost and Gazoo's racing efforts clearly helped...
And, the one car that could have cured all ills, the Supra, isn’t even being developed in house. To me that means they STILL can’t see. Ignorance is bliss I guess and that’s why Gazoo racing is a gigantic waste. What’s the point? That’s my opinion.
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