Toyota Motorsport GmbH will be showcasing both high-performance road-car concepts as well as ready-to-race models at the forthcoming Essen Motor Show. The TS030 Hybrid, GT86 CS-V3 and Yaris R1A will be on display, while the Lexus LS-based TMG TS-650 road car will be making its public debut.
The TS030 Hybrid LMP1 racer completed its inaugural year in the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship – and was the car Anthony Davidson was driving when it went airborne after a collision (with a Ferrari) at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Yaris R1A is an inexpensive privateer rally car priced at approximately €22,500 (£18,200) – it’s the first car in the world to be awarded the FIA R1A homologation (up to 1400cc), which qualifies it to compete on regional, national and international competitions all the way up to World Rally Championship events.
The GT86 CS-V3 is of course a competition version of the Toyo-baru GT86/BRZ, developed specifically for the Nürburgring-based VLN race series and priced at just €38,500 (£31,000) before tax.
But perhaps the most interesting car in Toyota’s Essen line-up is the TMG TS-650. Based on the latest Lexus LS saloon, the TS-650 is rumoured to feature a 600bhp+ twin-turbocharged version of the standard car’s 5.0 litre V8 engine, capable of close to 200mph – thanks to the carbon-fibre rear wing developed in TMG’s wind tunnel.
There’s plenty more carbon fibre in use throughout the rest of the car, including rear diffuser, side sills and a CSL-like carbon fibre roof. Whether this makes much of an impact on the LS saloon’s weight, we’ll have to wait and see, but TMG are an engineering facility first and foremost, so most if not all of these modifications should contribute to the TS-650’s performance.
There’s no word yet on whether the TS-650 will reach production, but perhaps some of the components developed by TMG may be released for street use.
The Essen Motor Show begins on Friday November 30th and continue until Sunday 9th December, with WEC driver Alex Wurz signing autographs at 15.00 CET on 30th November and 10.30 CET, 1st December.
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