An interesting piece of news this week from Toyota Gazoo Racing with the addition of two concept vehicles to participate in the Thailand 25H Endurance Race (IDEMITSU 1500 SUPER ENDURANCE 2022) this weekend at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
ROOKIE Racing and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) will compete with the ORC ROOKIE GR Corolla H2 concept, a hydrogen engine vehicle, and the ORC ROOKIE GR86 CNF Concept, a carbon-neutral (CN) fuel vehicle.
The participation will not be for the entire 25-hours but will be for the first and last few hours of the race. This will be the first time for both vehicles to compete in a race outside of Japan. In addition, one of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team Thailand’s vehicles is also scheduled to run on CN fuel.
This will be the first time for both vehicles to compete in a race outside of Japan. In addition, one of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team Thailand’s vehicles is also scheduled to run on CN fuel.
Already ROOKIE Racing and Toyota have participated in the Super Taikyu series in Japan midway through the 2021 season with a hydrogen-powered Corolla. In addition, during the ninth round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Ypres in August and the 13th round of the WRC Rally Japan in November, there was a demonstration of the GR Yaris H2 hydrogen engine vehicle under test development to show European and Japanese rally fans the potential of hydrogen as an option for achieving CN.
Corolla H2 Concept
The Corolla H2 Concept, powered by a hydrogen engine, made its racing debut in 2021, competing in four rounds of the Super Taikyu series. Key competition objectives include improvement in the car’s driving range and a reduction in refuelling time.
GR86 CNF Concept
The objective of the GR86 CNF Concept is to expand the internal combustion engine fuel options in the future. The Toyota GR86 coupe uses carbon-neutral fuel, in its 1.4-litre turbocharged engine developed from the unit featured in GR Yaris and the hydrogen engine used by the Corolla H2.
Although carbon dioxide is emitted during combustion, the fuel itself uses CO2 present in the atmosphere, resulting in plus/minus zero emissions. It can also be used with existing fuel infrastructure and powertrain technology.
Toyota will be able to use motorsport as means of training, discovering issues, making improvements and exploring the possibilities for future practical applications of the fuel. The knowledge gained from racing will also be applied to the evolution of the road-going GR86.
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