For the first time ever, Toyota will bring four of its works Le Mans cars together at a single event at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed in June.
The gathering will chart the progress of the brand from its TS010 of the early 1990s all the way up to the new TS040 Hybrid, which is set to be unveiled on March 27. Current Toyota driver Anthony Davidson will also be on hand to put the TS040 through its paces up the iconic Goodwood hill climb across all three days of the Festival.
Joining the TS010, which competed in the 1992 and 1993 Le Mans 24 Hour races, will be the TS020, better known as the GT-One, one of the most advanced machines of its period. The 600bhp GT-One was the first Toyota to be computer designed, breaking new ground with its carbon fibre monocoque chassis and twin-turbo V8 engine.
Toyota’s return to La Sarthe came in 2012 with the TS030 Hybrid, a car which in two years of competition has taken five pole positions and finished ten races on the podium – five of which were race victories.
While the Japanese manufacturer is still to score victory at Le Mans, the team has entered two TS040 Hybrids in to the 2014 event as part of a full FIA World Endurance Championship campaign.
Goodwood will also play host to Toyota Motorsport‘s 470bhp electric TMG EV P002 for the first time. With preparation from Pikes Peak veteran Rod Millen, Fumio Nutahara smashed the existing track record by over two minutes in the open-cockpit car.
Away from the hill climb, the Imperial Toyota Hilux, which took class honours and fourth overall in the 2014 Dakar Rally, will tackle the Goodwood rally stage alongside big names from Toyota’s history such as Björn Waldegård, who tamed the Group B Celica TA64, and back-to-back British Rally Champion in a Celica GT-Four, David Llewellin.
A range of Toyota and Lexus machinery, both road-going and concept, will be on display at Toyota’s extensive festival pavillion, with further details to be announced at a later date.
