A New Age: Hybrid Racing

The fierce roar of powerful engines reverberating through your body. The smell of oil and burning rubber. The excitement of drivers battling through corners, fighting for position bumper to bumper. There is nothing like high performance racing to get your blood pumping.

The sport appears to be in direct contrast with the ecological path that Toyota has chosen. However, a new type of racing has been born: hybrid racing. Many people think of the Prius as a quiet, fuel-friendly, family and youth-oriented car, because it is based on hybrid technology. However, the technology is versatile enough to be used in full-fledged racecars, which can zoom down a track at over 300 km/h.

The fact is that the hybrid system is a winner in all respects, offering genuine performance advantages as well as environmental benefits. Racing not only proves how sophisticated hybrid technology is, but it also represents the fast lane towards developing ever-better hybrid technology and drives our engineers to attain quantum leaps in innovation. We race to win, and to win, we must continue learning.

TS040 Hybrid Le Mans Prototype vs Third-Generation Prius

The Prius: Clean, Green and Fast

Before we dive into hybrid racing, let’s first take a look back at the THS, or Toyota Hybrid System. The first-generation Prius was released in 1997, utilizing the THS to offer dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, while the Prius offered amazing fuel economy, it still needed more power. In 2003, Toyota released the first big evolution to the hybrid system with the THS II, equipped in the second-generation Prius. Not only was its fuel economy better than ever, but it also featured higher battery voltage and increased electric motor output—resulting in far greater acceleration. The third-generation Prius debuted in 2009, featuring a plethora of new innovations. The gasoline engine was increased in size from 1.5 liters to 1.8 liters. The reduction gear was extensively redesigned to be extremely compact, and the electric motor was reworked to not only allow for higher output, but to also facilitate higher speeds.

Toyota had been planning a high performance Prius for hybrid racing since early in the vehicle’s development. The Landspeed Prius debuted at Bonneville National Speed Week in 2004, based on the second-generation Prius. It set a record speed for hybrids at an impressive 130.794 miles (210.5 kilometers) per hour.

Landspeed Prius, based on the second-generation model, 2004

Proving That Hybrids Have What It Takes

“Whenever we talk about applying environmental technologies to racing, hybrid technology comes up. This is something we have to commit to as a company,” Yoshiaki Kinoshita, President of Toyota Motorsport GmbH

Yoshiaki Kinoshita’s visionary concept came to fruition with Toyota’s hybrid racing project in late 2005. Mr. Kinoshita later became the President of Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG), where he would focus on unifying Toyota motorsports activities. Today, Hisatake Murata, the General Manager of the Motorsport Unit Development Division, is the driving force behind Toyota’s hybrid racing development.

Toyota entered into the Tokachi 24-hour race again the following year, this time using a Toyota Supra with a specialized hybrid racing system and achieving a splendid overall victory.

In the wake of this impressive 2007 win, hybrid racing seemed to fall out of the limelight at Toyota. But Mr. Kinoshita and Mr. Murata had actually set a new target: winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tucked away behind closed doors, they worked feverishly to develop a brand new, dedicated hybrid racecar that would eventually be known as the TS030.

The TS030 and its successor were about to change the course of modern-day motorsports forever.

Toyota Supra HV-R

Winner of 2014 Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Titles at FIA World Endurance Championship

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) series is a grueling endurance championship that includes the time-honored 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just as the series kicked off in 2012, Toyota entered the Le Mans race with the TS030 Hybrid equipped with the new THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System-Racing). In the qualifying stage, the TS030 achieved an impressive speed of 335.2 kilometers per hour, the fastest speed of any competitor.

But that was just the beginning. In 2014, Toyota debuted their all-new TS040 Hybrid racecar, and at that time, it was considered a rank outsider when the series began. This vehicle had an additional electric motor on the front axle, giving the racecar four-wheel drive and dramatically improving regenerative braking. The vehicle delivered around 1000 horsepower and could attain a top speed of 340 kilometers per hour on the straightaway. The TS040 went on to help Toyota Racing win the 2014 drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles to mark a successful conclusion to the FIA WEC season. The win was a clear demonstration of the capabilities of a hybrid racecar and its high performance prowess in a challenging racing environment. It also endorsed Toyota’s global leadership and progress in developing advanced hybrid technology.

Winning ways: the TS030 Hybrid (left) and TS040 Hybrid (right)

Racing Helps Develop Ever-Better Road Cars

A hybrid system generates electricity to recharge the batteries during deceleration by converting kinetic energy into electrical energy for storage. Racing cars have to brake violently and repeatedly throughout the race, so a lot of effort must be spent ensuring that a large amount of energy can be generated over a short time. When this technology is fed back into production cars, it allows for the development of extremely efficient hybrid cars that can regenerate electricity at any speed range.

Toyota’s philosophy of utilizing motorsports as a tool to make ever-better road cars has been embraced by the WEC programme, with hybrid technology transfer from the race track benefiting road car development since the beginning of the project in 2012. The WEC’s revised 2014 regulations put new emphasis on energy efficiency, requiring almost 25% improvement in fuel economy on each lap. This meant that Toyota had to focus on reducing fuel usage and improving recovered energy. In other words, the same things we focus on for production cars. Of course, better aerodynamics and lower weight, which are extremely important in racecars, play a massive role in creating fuel-efficient, high-performing production cars as well. In short, racing is how Toyota tests and develops its world-class hybrid technology.

As Mr. Murata says,

“The components and technology developed for the TS040 Hybrid will provide the basis for Toyota production cars in the future.”

A powerful hybrid system from Toyota is thus quietly changing the face of modern motorsports and perceptions about the capabilities of hybrid racing cars. Racing not only brings out the best in our engineers, but also spurs technological innovation. The next-generation Prius is a result of these dedicated efforts.

The All-New 2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid

Toyota RAV4 2014- Review

Bengt Halvorson:

With last year's redesign, the Toyota RAV4 became better-equipped and more value oriented; but at the same time it lost some of the features that had made this model so popular in its last generation—like its optional V-6 and third-row seat.

Taken in perspective, the 2014 Toyota RAV4 leaves room for the larger Highlander, which had been squeezed upscale by the last RAV4, and it brings its bearings back firmly to the compact segment. But last year's redesign did bring some important new changes, in the way of updated transmission, better safety features, and updated safety gear. As it stands, the RAV4 is the middle-ground pick for pragmatists: with more room than the perky Ford Escape yet road manners that are just a little more alert than those in the Honda CR-V.

Last year's redesign purged one of the remaining vestiges of the RAV4's history: the tailgate-mounted spare. This year it's history, and the more hatchback-style flow and lower stance, pitch the RAV4 headlong into a lookalike bin filled with the Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, even Mazda CX-5. Arguably, the RAV4 has a more carlike face than them all, but it doesn't pull off such a clean design in back as the CX-5. The taillamps er XT. are pointy and shelf out, all in the name of meeting safety regulations. Inside, there's some discord in the cockpit; this is a case in which the RAV4 limited and its many trims and surfaces leave us admiring the basic RAV4 LE's simplicity.

Once upon a time—just a couple of model years ago—there were V-6 models of the RAV4 that were surprisingly quick; but the current RAV4 gives up those chances of a transcendent upgrade in favor of a better ride and more carlike handling. There's only a 176-horsepower four-cylinder under the hood now, but the six-speed automatic with sport-shift mode saves it. Consider the 0-60 mph time of under nine seconds, and the RAV4 isn't quick, but it's quick enough for most family needs. The new RAV4 is responsive, although never sporty in the same way as a Ford Escape or Subaru Forester XT. Yet at the same time, the RAV4 rides lower, with well-weighted electric power steering and a good sense of center. All-wheel drive is just a $1,400 upgrade, and we like how the system works not only for inclement weather conditions but also for on-the-road handling. There isn't much of a range in the way the RAV4 rides and handles, but for a slightly better ride we'd stick with the 17-inch tires on LE and XLE versions.

The RAV4 didn't become significantly larger with last year's redesign, but smarter packaging made it more passenger-friendly. Base versions come with a cheaper upholstery and seats that are less supportive, while XLE versions include more firmly bolstered seats and nicer fabrics that we wish were standard across the board. The synthetic leather upholstery in Limited models looks great from a few feet away, but up close it looks shiny and cheap. Seating space in the RAV4 is about on par with the CR-V—definitely more generous than the Escape. But there are some flaws: The back bench is less supportive than adults will expect, and its flip/fold mechanism is one step shy on slickness, although cargo space is excellent. Limited versions get a power tailgate.

Safety ratings are top-notch for the most part, but the RAV4 has one unforgivable blemish: a 'Poor' rating in the new IIHS small overlap frontal test. Otherwise, the RAV4 ups its safety ante with eight standard airbags, including knee airbags. Bluetooth is also standard across the board; a rearview camera is also included, while Limited models include blind-spot monitors with cross-traffic alerts.

LE, XLE, and Limited models of the 2014 Toyota RAV4 are offered. At the base level, the RAV4 LE comes with power locks, windows, and mirrors; air conditioning; cruise control; tilt/telescoping steering; steering-wheel audio and phone controls; and an AM/FM/CD player controlled, through a 6.1-inch LCD touchscreen. We tend to think that the base RAV4 LE or mid-range XLE models are the best deal. The XLE adds dual-zone automatic climate control; a sunroof; and fog lights, to which the Limited adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Limited include a power driver seat and those 18-inch wheels.

Major options on the RAV4 include navigation on the XLE and Limited, with Entune app connectivity and satellite radio; and on the Limited, a JBL audio system with 576 watts of power and 11 speakers.Audio systems are noteworthy in the RAV4. For 2014, there are four different levels of Entune touch-screen audio, with the top two levels incorporating the App Suite—Bing for search; iHeartRadio and Pandora for audio streaming; MovieTickets.com, OpenTable®, and Yelp for going out; and real-time traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports and stocks.

The Toyota RAV4 has come a long way, evolving from what the niche activity vehicle that it originally was in the 1990s to what, for many buyers, is a primary family vehicle—a substitute for a mid-size sedan. Yet with a more limited lineup in this latest iteration of the RAV4, introduced last year, and redesigned versions of the Ford Escape and Subaru Forester arriving in the past couple of years, the competition is especially strong.

2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA crossover revealed ahead of Frankfurt motor show

 

Mercedes-Benz will show its new-for-2015 GLA -- its first-ever shot at the compact SUV class -- at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show in September. The GLA will arrive in U.S. showrooms in fall 2014.

The GLA is a sharp, muscular-looking little thing, measuring 173.9 inches long and 58.8 inches high. The little SUV, set to battle the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque, is the first Mercedes SUV available with the (optional) new-generation permanent all-wheel drive system (4MATIC) with fully variable torque distribution.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo four developing 208 hp and 258 lb ft of torque, good enough for a 6.4-second sprint to 60 mph. The engine is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Stop-start is standard. Suspension is McPherson struts in front and multilink rear. 18-inch wheels are standard, 19 inchers are optional.

Mercedes promises high-quality materials inside, with a heavy emphasis on horizontal surfacing and tight gaps. You can choose aluminum or wood trim.

Of course there is safety equipment galore, including what Benz calls Collision Prevention Assist Plus: If potential for an accident arises and the driver doesn't respond, the system will brake the car at speeds up to 124 mph. The system also brakes in response to stationary vehicles up to 18 mph, and can prevent rear-end collisions at speeds up to 12 mph. You'll also find blindspot and lane-keeping assist and optional park assist.

There is also a long list of infotainment features, including full smart-phone integration, internet connectivity, applications such as Facebook and Twitter, and street view on the nav system.

BMW i3, electric 3-series with 100-mile range

FRANKFURT, Germany - BMW AG is showing off the production model of its new i3 electric compact that uses carbon-fiber materials to keep the weight down and improve driving performance.

Chief executive Norbert Reithofer stressed at a Manhattan unveiling that the car was designed as an electric from the ground up. The i3 is "born electric," he said.

The company says the i3, built in Leipzig, Germany, will go from zero to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds. Its range is billed as 80-100 miles. Models with an optional range extender gas engine can go as far as 200 miles.

Toyota Emirates Drifting Team secures 2nd place in round 6 of Drift UAE

In the final round of this season’s Drift UAE held at Yas Marina Circuit, Toyota Emirates Drifting Team, represented by Ahmed Al Ameri, grabbed 2nd place after an amazing display of poise and tyre smoke in front of hundreds of UAE drifting fans.

Al Ameri describing his performance said, “Tonight’s competition was amazing and the fans’ continuous encouragement made it even greater. My practice runs were fantastic meaning I qualified in top position, with a large margin, and went directly to the semi-finals. An unavoidable error in the final round prevented me from getting the 1st place I was striving for but I’m delighted with 2nd position today and finishing 4th in the overall championship. Ending the season on a high note will definitely give Toyota EDT a push for the next season with our Toyota 86.”