Toyota->ke88's history with the 24 Hours of Le Mans->ke1591 goes way back to 1985, but, to the automaker's dismay, the Japanese have yet to clinch an overall win. It was close though, scoring second-place finishes on four occasions.

Toyota's earlier efforts ceased after the 1999 race, right before Audi->ke14 rose to power to become the fierce "oppressor" that won 13 out of the last 14 events. Yes, we've included Bentley->ke15's success from 2003 as well, because the Speed 8 was nothing but an Audi R8 underneath.

With the Germans sweeping just about anything in their way, Toyota returned to Circuit de la Sarthe in 2012. Itsweapon of choice, the TS030 Hybrid, failed to finish, sending team engineers back to the drawing board. The 2013 evolution of the race car was more competitive, but Toyota Racing had to settle with second place once again.

Fortunately, Toyota's not willing to give up just yet, and the Audi - Toyota prototype class war will see another battle this year. In fact, it's going to be a three-way, because Porsche->ke1 will be returning to France, after 16 years, with their latest hybrid->ke147 machine - the 919.

Anyway, Toyota won't be fielding an updated TS030, but a brand-new vehicle. Dubbed TS040 Hybrid (no surprises here), the new TMG-developed LMP1 car will be quite different. And we're not talking about the fact that it'll be narrower, as required by new FIA regulations, it will also benefit from all-wheel drive.

It appears the Japanese are keeping the gasoline-electric->ke1030 drivertrain, with the naturally-aspirated V-8 motivating the rear wheels. For 2014, however, an Aisin electric motor will be spinning the front axle, while a DENSO inverter will be in charge of sending energy to a super-capacitor during braking. Nothing too fancy to today's standards, but competitive enough for endurance racing->ke447.

Toyota will field two TS040 Hybrids in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Endurance Championship. The driver lineup will remain unchanged, with Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima, Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin sharing duties.

The new race cars->ke148 will make their first public appearances at FIA's official test session at the Paul Ricard Circuit on March 28, so make sure you stick around for additional details.

Updated 03/27/2014: The new Toyota TS040 Hybrid made its world debut today at Paul Ricard circuit in the South of France. Check out the new specs and images revealed at the event!

Click past the jump to read more about the Toyota Racing TS040 Hybrid.

2014 Toyota Racing TS040 Hybrid

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Toyota Racing TS040 Hybrid
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 986
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

2014 Toyota TS040 WEC Racer

This year’s World Endurance Championship season is sure to be an interesting one with the new aerodynamic changes made to the car, the new regulations, and the hybrid systems. Like its competitors Porsche and Audi, Toyota has unveiled its latest WEC car, the TS040. The car was debuted at in the South of France at the Paul Richard test track.

Toyota’s new TS040 Hybrid is a beastly combination of electrical- and gasoline-power wrapped in a narrower and yet more aerodynamic body. In compliance with the new, more stringent regulations, the TS040 is powered by a 3.7-liter V-8 making 513 horsepower along with a hybrid drive system producing its own 473 horsepower. Combined, the system produces a whopping 986 horsepower that is sent to all four wheels.

Toyota’s Hybrid System

With fuel economy out in front, the car’s hybrid system does some heavy lifting. The car features a motor-generator mounted on the front axle, along with the one in the rear. The two units scavenge energy by applying braking force during deceleration, along with the regular brakes, to generate current that it sends to a super-capacitor. That super-capacitor then reversed that flow of power during acceleration, helping power the wheels through the motor portion of the motor-generators. All told, this helps Toyota save the required 25 percent of fuel on each race.

Exterior Changes

In accordance with the new regulations, the new car is two inches narrower than last year’s TS030, and that requires skinner tires. The change helps reduce drag, but also puts more stress on the four smaller contact patches. Lightweight composites help manage the car’s overall weight and the reworked aerodynamics help keep the car on track, despite the smaller footprint.

The WEC series kicks off April 20 at the season opener at the Six-Hors of Silverstone race.

Competitors

Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Audi's contender for this year's World Endurance Championship is a slightly updated version of the 2013 R18 e-tron quattro. The diesel->ke1917-electric race car features a revised V-6, TDI, mid-mounted engine that powers the rear wheels and an e-tron quattro hybrid system at the front axle that includes an ERS-K system that stores kinetic energy. An optimised flywheel energy storage system and the ERS-H system are expected to make the R18 even more faster, reliable and... greener.

The Germans won't be happy with anything else but a win, and, based on past results, the Ingolstadt crew is the one to beat this season as well.

Porsche 919 Hybrid

Porsche's highly-anticipated return to prototype racing->ke4655 will spur an unprecedented buzz throughout the whole WEC season and especially at Le Mans. Unlike its main competitors, the Stuttgart stable is counting on a 2.0-liter V-4 engine and two separate energy recovery systems. The V-4 seems like an odd choice for a manufacturer that built its tradition by racing flat-6 and flat-12 mills, but we must trust the Germans on this one.

As with most hybrids, the front axle is powered by an electric motor that uses regenerative braking. The second unit, however, utilizes thermal energy generated by the exhaust and powers a generator. The additional power is stored in water-cooler lithium-ion battery packs until the driver uses it for that extra kick.