Toyota will soon reveal the successor to its TS040 Hybrid named the TS050.
Set to compete alongside entrants from Audi and Porsche, two TS050 Hybrids will be fielded by Toyota Gazoo Racing in the 2016 World Endurance Championship and Le Mans 24 Hours.
According to the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, the 2016 TS050 will sport a new hybrid system developed at Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center, as well as significant changes to all other areas, including the monocoque, to “meet the team’s ambitious performance targets”.
Car number 5 will be raced Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, while Stephane Sarrazin, Mike Conway ex-Formula One driver Kamui Kobayashi who steps in to replace Alex Wurz will race number 6.
“I’m really excited to be an LMP1 race driver and I would like to thank Toyota for this opportunity”, said Toyota’s latest signing. “I tested the TS040 Hybrid a few times and it was a seriously impressive car; the power of the hybrid system in particular was amazing.”
Correction: the car pictured here is the current TS040 Hybrid with the new livery, and not the upcoming, 2016 TS050.