Toyota is facing new hypercar competition with its refinement of the GR010 LMH.

Posted on March 10, 2023
General
Toyota is facing new hypercar competition with its refinement of the GR010 LMH.

The 2023 World Endurance Championship will kick off soon with the Sebring 1000 Mile at Sebring International Raceway in Florida on March 17.

Several new entries are expected in the premier hypercar class this season, including the Ferrari and Vanwall LMH racing cars and the Cadillac and Porsche LMDh racing cars. [Toyota, Peugeot, and Glickenhaus will also enter their respective LMH racing cars. Toyota dominated last season, with Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa, and Sebastien Buemi taking the drivers' title and Toyota taking the manufacturers' title.

Despite this success, Toyota improved the GR010 Hybrid LMH for the new season. Toyota said it focused on optimizing the car's reliability and efficiency.

In terms of appearance, the 2023-spec car features new dive planes in the front corners and a smaller rear wing end plate to differentiate it from its predecessor. Slight changes have also been made to the bodywork, including new vents that can be changed during the race to improve brake cooling. To improve nighttime visibility, the headlight internals have also been modified.

The GR010 Hybrid's chassis has also undergone a weight reduction program, bringing the total weight down to 1,040 kg (approx. 2,293 lbs.), the minimum required by the new standards.

According to Toyota, adjustments were also made to the powertrain to reduce weight and improve reliability. It consists of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 that drives the rear wheels and a single motor-generator that drives the front wheels; the V-6 engine delivers up to 697 hp and the electric motor up to 268 hp, but based on regulations the maximum output of the two power units combined is always limited to 670 hp.

Driving for Toyota this season are Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Jose Maria Lopez in number 7, and Buemi, Hartley, and Hirakawa in number 8.

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