The Toyota TS050 Hybrid is a sports prototype racing car developed for the 2016 Le Mans Prototype rules in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The car is the direct successor of the Toyota TS040 Hybrid, which competed in both the 2014 and 2015 FIA WEC seasons. Drivers that have tested the TS050 include Sam Bird, Thomas Laurent, Pipo Derani, Kenta Yamashita, Nyck de Vries, and Yannick Dalmas. The TS050 was revealed at the Circuit Paul Ricard on 24 March 2016 due to Toyota's two-year cycle policy. The engine is a 2.4L twin-turbocharged petrol V6, while the two previous cars used a naturally aspirated petrol V8. It has an 8-megajoule hybrid system, which uses lithium-ion batteries.
The Toyota TS050 Hybrid on display at the 2018 Osaka Auto Messe
#8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid during the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans
The winning #8 TS050 from the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans, preserved with dirt from the race.
Toyota TS050 Hybrid #7 in garage, showing the front suspension
The Toyota TS040 Hybrid is a Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) sports car built and used by Toyota Motorsport GmbH in the 2014 and 2015 seasons of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Work on the car's design began in November 2012, when the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) published its 2014 technical regulations and Toyota utilised its resources after the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car is an aerodynamic improvement on its predecessor, the TS030 Hybrid, and its design allowed four-wheel drive. It has two kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) regenerative-braking devices at the front and rear axles to charge a supercapacitor and, in accordance with the 2014 regulations, was placed in the 6 MJ (1.7 kWh) class. The TS040's engine was carried over from the TS030; its displacement was increased from 3.4 L (210 cu in) to 3.7 L (230 cu in) for better efficiency, producing 513 horsepower (383 kW) to the rear wheels.
The No. 8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid on display at the 2015 Auto Shanghai show
The No. 8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid on display at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans
The Toyota TS040 Hybrid 3.7l V8 petrol engine and gearbox assembly on display
Mike Conway joined Toyota as their test and reserve driver in late 2013.