Toyota TS030 Hybrid (2012) | Scapes |

"The revolutionary hybrid-powered racing prototype that waged war at Le Mans and the WEC."

The TS030 hybrid prototype race car waged battle in the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans and the WEC (World Endurance Championship) as one of the first hybrid-powered machines to step onto the international motorsports stage.

As its name suggests, the TS030 succeeds the TS010 and TS020, Toyota's awesome race cars that competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1990s. What sets the TS030 apart from its predecessors is its hybrid powertrain.

The THS-R system (Toyota Hybrid System-Racing) was developed by Toyota's production hybrid development team and the East Fuji Research Lab's motorsports department. The car utilizes a newly designed naturally-aspirated 3.4-liter V-8 and a Denso motor unit built into the rear gearbox. Power is stored in an electric double-layer capacitor.

The drivers of the TS030 were Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima. For the 24-hour race, a second car, driven by the formidable lineup of Anthony Davidson, Stéphane Sarrazin and Sébastien Buemi, was added.

At its first Le Mans race, the TS030 ran at the top of its class, but was forced to retire due to accidents and problems. However, the car made up for its shortcomings in the WEC. Of the six races the TS030 ran, it won three times, took three pole positions and set four fastest laps. And although the car didn't partake in every race of the series, it still managed to take 2nd overall at the end of the WEC season.