Toyota Reveals GR010 Le Mans Hypercar Contender

[PSN offapple]

Were people really thinking that what most of the car world calls a "Hypercar" (Bugatti's, Koenigseggs etc), and the new WEC category "Le Mans Hypercar" were the same thing? All it really meant was that they stopped being "Prototypes" in the sense of they have to make a road car version. So of course it would bring back homologation specials over modifying an existing car. Not to mention most if not all regular "Hypercars" (The Bugatti & Koenigsegg kind) wouldn't come close in terms of aero performance even with modifications when compared to a car designed and built specifically for that purpose.

That's at least just how I see it anyway.

 

[McLaren]

Blame the manufacturers for not having the guts to actually have their cars compete.

Taking FXXKs, Aventadors, Huayras, Jeskos, 918s, Sennas, a Bugatti, an Aston with an uncertainty in the road car alone, & 2 cars (G50/AMG One) that are still in late-stage development phases, & attempting to get them competitive with cars that so far, are being built specifically for this class & look like just re-engineered LMP1s is a huge waste of time & money for them.

The only manufacturer surprisingly close to having something ready to compete is Bugatti, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn the Bolide isn't eligible in current spec.

 

[TiMcF1]

Hypercars" wouldn't come close in terms of aero performance even with modifications when compared to a car designed and built specifically for that purpose.

Thats exactly what I thought would contribute to the 10 sec plus deficit around Le Mans, the fact that the aero would be inferior.

The articale hints at the GR010 aero being less efective than the TS050, but it's hard to say to what extent. The majority of the time lossed compared to the TS050, to me, sounds like it will be on the straights.

 

[PSN offapple]

Thats exactly what I thought would contribute to the 10 sec plus deficit around Le Mans, the fact that the aero would be inferior.

The articale hints at the GR010 aero being less efective than the TS050, but it's hard to say to what extent. The majority of the time lossed compared to the TS050, to me, sounds like it will be on the straights.

The time lost I believe is a combination of it being heavier, and the fact that the most power it can deploy at once is 670, not 900+. Aerodynamically I'd also say the regulations make it slower, but not by as much as the other factors.

 

[Tornado]

And here I thought this class was going to be interesting. Oh well.

 

[MrRaahzeel]

Boring and boring it's just an LMP1 2.0

 

[Famine]

Thats exactly what I thought would contribute to the 10 sec plus deficit around Le Mans, the fact that the aero would be inferior.

The articale hints at the GR010 aero being less efective than the TS050, but it's hard to say to what extent. The majority of the time lossed compared to the TS050, to me, sounds like it will be on the straights.

The time lost I believe is a combination of it being heavier, and the fact that the most power it can deploy at once is 670, not 900+. Aerodynamically I'd also say the regulations make it slower, but not by as much as the other factors.

The LMH and LMDh categories have a downforce:drag ratio cap of 4:1 - they can generate up to 4 units (N, kg equivalent force, lb equivalent force) of downforce for every one unit of drag. That includes the GR010.

Toyota's TS050, although I don't have a concrete figure, is nearer 7:1 in low drag configuration.

 

[G.T.Ace]

From Glickenhaus CGI renders, the scg 007 looking like a more advanced version of the 004 car,

No it doesn't really anymore:

 

[mef]

Not a good thing when a so called hyper class category looks like LMP.

In a multi class grid those cars won’t stand out, and will be seen as another lmp car and that’s far less interesting from a fans perspective than distinctive cars with a semblance to road cars.

This new class won’t last long if all cars are going to be like this

 

[05XR8]

Yeah, guess it's sort of a shame the Ford GTLM wasn't a precursor to what the cars would look like.

Add cars like the Porsche Living Legend or just the 918 as a race car, some Ferrari Fxxxxxxxxxx thing, etc. Could have been a chance to see Audi bring the VGT to the class. I love the Group C era cars, but I prefer more GT type cars to the prototypes. That's just me.

 

[AudiMan2011]

I don't mind how it looks. I mean, it's not beautiful but that isn't my point. For 55 out of the last 60 years top level sportscars haven't even bothered to look like "road cars" and even then, the 1994-98 GT1 homologation specials barely pass. So I'm really uninterested in the "Oh it looks/it doesn't look..." argument.

I'm hopeful that this class can have some good racing. That's what I am most interested in.

Racing will probably pick up when the Peugeot hypercar arrives for 2022.

 

[RACECAR]

Looks like **** to me.

They took a racecar, made it a road car, so that they could make it a race car again.

Its just a finessed LMP1 to suit the new regs.

I hooe the BOP ia strict af. A run away Toyota this year will surely be a failure on WECs part.

Welcome to top level Sportscar Racing, where the ACO makes rules and Manufacterers skirt said rules

Also, it seems people have forgotten this is the same manufacterer that gave us this level of creative chicanery:

True OGs know where the trunk is

 

[Racing_Chef]

Welcome to top level Sportscar Racing, where the ACO makes rules and Manufacterers skirt said rules

Also, it seems people have forgotten this is the same manufacterer that gave us this level of creative chicanery:

True OGs know where the trunk is

The fuel tank...

 

[Dotini]

Racing will probably pick up when the Peugeot hypercar arrives for 2022.

Look for the LMP3's performing at the upcoming Daytona 24 hours. That could be quite entertaining.

 

[Stephen220378]

For the people complaining that this looks just like an LMP1 car and not a “hyper car” made race-ready, remember that this is the car company that brought us the TS020 GT-One, which was basically an LMP car with a road going counterpart to be regulation compliant.

It's not about the manufacturer it's about the rules and the misleading gibberish the WEC were spouting about Hypercars, as soon as the Americans wanted their DPi's to compete the Hypercar vision was firmly booted into touch and now what we have is prototypes again but slower. They might have well just scrapped LMP1 and made LMP2 the top class.

 

[iName]

Just think, it looks almost exactly like the TS050. Another LMP1.

But you can drive the road version also.

Badass.

 

[AudiMan2011]

It's not about the manufacturer it's about the rules and the misleading gibberish the WEC were spouting about Hypercars, as soon as the Americans wanted their DPi's to compete the Hypercar vision was firmly booted into touch and now what we have is prototypes again but slower. They might have well just scrapped LMP1 and made LMP2 the top class.

The two-tier Hypercar regs themselves are also a mess with allowing bespoke prototypes "styled" like hypercars (GR010 and Peugeot) and race-homologated road cars (abandoned Valkyrie)

 

[ScottPuss20]

LMP1 had been dying a slow death for years and it needed to be scrapped for the greater good. The whole idea of this new rule set (even if it seems convoluted) was to reduce the cost and get more manufacturers involved at the top level of prototype racing. However there's no reason why Toyota shouldn't use the TS050 as a base for this car. Why would they put all their learnings to the side and waste an ideal platform? Don't forget, the rules are open to interpretation and manufacturers will do whatever it takes to win, exploiting any loopholes. It's been going on for years, so don't cry if the "hypercar" category doesn't fit YOUR vision of a revived GT1. Let's see what the racing is like and then we'll talk.

 

[PSN offapple]

I love the Group C era cars, but I prefer more GT type cars to the prototypes. That's just me.

I guess a point could also be made that more 'traditional' looking 'Hypercars' would be like another GT category on top of GTE, and could potentially get confusing in that sense. At least the prototypes look visually very different from the GT's regarding that. To me the most generic category right now is LMP2 with its million Oreca chassis (which it's currently the best chassis so it makes sense for teams to use it). There's still going to be a GT category in WEC to still enjoy anyway, though apparently GTE might be changed to something more cost-effective down the line.

 

[CodeRedR51]

This is what I, and several others I'm sure, actually wanted for this class. It would have made me interested in the category again. I am not interested in LMP 2.0.

 

[05XR8]

I guess a point could also be made that more 'traditional' looking 'Hypercars' would be like another GT category on top of GTE, and could potentially get confusing in that sense. At least the prototypes look visually very different from the GT's regarding that. To me the most generic category right now is LMP2 with its million Oreca chassis (which it's currently the best chassis so it makes sense for teams to use it). There's still going to be a GT category in WEC to still enjoy anyway, though apparently GTE might be changed to something more cost-effective down the line.

Like the posts above with the F1 and CLK, plus the quote below, I did think the category was headed back to that. The "prototypes" of classic/historic eras were roadsters/low slug sports cars. I'd say the Ford GT40 was closest to a GT car than say, the 917s and P4s.
I don't have a problem with the prototypes, but I would prefer to see GT cars fighting for the overall wins. We won't ever see a GT category car like what the F1 was, win a current Le Mans 24H. A GT car might not even be able to unlap itself, even if all current type LMPs DNF'd(just guessing).

This is what I, and several others I'm sure, actually wanted for this class. It would have made me interested in the category again. I am not interested in LMP 2.0.

 

[CarreraGT]

There's much more to it than looks.

Not really. It's just a slightly heavier, less powerful version of LMP1 except they have to homologate a couple of road cars in order to race.

Turbocharged petrol engine on the rear axle, electric motor on the front. Similar look and aero package.

I can see why Audi and Porsche chose LMDh...

 

[SlowGrayAudi]

So no AWD if you are lmdh?

Only hypercar gets a front hybrid motor?

The BOP better be strict af to make that fair racing.

Imagine a rainy le mans at night?! The Hypercars will have such an advantage

 

[Famine]

So no AWD if you are lmdh?

Only hypercar gets a front hybrid motor?

The BOP better be strict af to make that fair racing.

Imagine a rainy le mans at night?! The Hypercars will have such an advantage

The electric motor can only function in the pit lane (where it is the only power source) and above 75mph, so there's no low speed traction advantage.

 

[Disco_Volante]

People really shouldn't be surprised at these cars being prototypes. Just compare the 98 911 GT1 and CLK-LM to the 97 911 GT1 and CLK-GTR. Both of them had lower bodies and smaller cockpits than the earlier cars. Looked right at home alongside the Toyota GT-One, which was literally a road legal prototype. When GT1 was replaced by LMGTP, Toyota used the GT-One with no major modifications. Hell, the Merc CLR looked more similar to the CLK-LM than the CLK-LM looked to the earlier CLK-GTR.

These cars were already prototypes 20 years ago. Even by the second year of the class a road legal prototype was entered. It just was never going to not be like this. Even the later mid 00s GT1 had a homologation special which dominated the series. If the class was more competitive, or the LMPs less competitive, someone would have tried using a road legal prototype again. Which is what's happening now with LMH.

 

[Tornado]

Hell, the Merc CLR looked more similar to the CLK-LM than the CLK-LM looked to the earlier CLK-GTR.

lol no it didn't.

 

[Disco_Volante]

lol no it didn't.

Ok sure. The CLR was lower, with a slimmer cockpit than the LM. The LM was lower, with a slimmer cockpit than the GTR. A clear evolution from the 97 "still supercars but eh kinda extreme" to the 98 "yeah those are practically prototypes now" to the 99 prototypes. Happy now?

 

[fortbo]

What do you guys expect manufacturers to do when given class requirements? Make a car that is as competitive as it can be or one that looks like a fast road car? I mean the answer is pretty obvious in my opinion. When given a set of rules, if you aren’t making a car exactly to the edge of those rules, you are doing something wrong and cannot expect to be competitive. It’s like this from the highest forms of racing down to the grassroots level. This exact same thing happened with GT1 years ago and yet that is praised. So they made an LMP1 for the public road in order to be able to race their car. Sound familiar? It’s not like this is the first time Toyota has done this.

 

[G.T.Ace]

Taking FXXKs, Aventadors, Huayras, Jeskos, 918s, Sennas, a Bugatti, an Aston with an uncertainty in the road car alone, & 2 cars (G50/AMG One) that are still in late-stage development phases, & attempting to get them competitive with cars that so far, are being built specifically for this class & look like just re-engineered LMP1s is a huge waste of time & money for them.

The only manufacturer surprisingly close to having something ready to compete is Bugatti, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn the Bolide isn't eligible in current spec.

There's no racing class for these cars because manufacturers chicken out of competition.
Those "Hypercars" are a joke, just rich people toys.

 

[TheHun99]

Were people really thinking that what most of the car world calls a "Hypercar" (Bugatti's, Koenigseggs etc), and the new WEC category "Le Mans Hypercar" were the same thing? All it really meant was that they stopped being "Prototypes" in the sense of they have to make a road car version.

This is in this form incorrect. The Hypercar regs originally didn’t include any road-based cars, it was always meant to be prototypes. ACO brought in the road car-based regs for Aston which then abandoned it - most likely because Mr. Stroll wants to completely focus on F1 (my point of view only).

The fact the Toyota will do a road version is not a mandate but their choice.