TOM's Toyota LMP
| Category | Le Mans Prototype | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Toyota | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Andy Thorby (project director) | ||||||||
| Successor | Toyota GT-One | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Engine | Toyota 3S-GT 2,140 cc (130.6 cu in) 16 valve, DOHC I4, turbocharged, mid-engined | ||||||||
| Transmission | Xtrac | ||||||||
| Weight | 790 kg (1,741.7 lb) | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
The TOM's Toyota LMP (nicknamed the "Lumpy") was a Le Mans Prototype built by Toyota. A very low budget effort, the car reused the 2.1-litre turbocharged straight-four engine from Toyota's Group C cars and was intended as an experimental car. It never raced, although it was tested on at least three occasions.
Design and development
[edit]In 1996, Toyota Motor Sports funded the development of an experimental Le Mans Prototype, which was officially known as the TOM'S Toyota LMP.[1] As Toyota were primarily focusing on their Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) engine, which first ran that year,[2] the LMP project was run on a tight budget of approximately $500,000.[1] Due to this tight budget, the car, christened the "Lumpy", reused Toyota's 3S-GT engine in the 88C Group C specification, which was a 2.1-litre turbocharged straight-four engine, producing 560 hp (418 kW; 568 PS);[3] this engine was coupled to an Xtrac gearbox from a Peugeot Group C car.[1] The chassis tub was designed to be simple but strong, and the bodywork was also simple; the tight budget meant that the LMP never saw a wind tunnel.[1] The bodywork was designed to minimize lift over the upper body of the car, and had much simpler brake cooling than on most Le Mans Prototypes; the radiator ducts were used, via a scoop, to cool the brakes.[1] After the LMP was completed, Tom Kristensen tested it on at least one occasion, whilst project director Andy Thorby recalled it being tested a total of three times; he stated that the car was very reliable, had lower fuel consumption than the 88C Group C car had (with the same engine), and that it also appeared to be quick.[1] Following the completion of the tests, the car was dispatched to Toyota Team Europe's Cologne workshop, stored under a tarpaulin and eventually destroyed.[1] Toyota would return to sportscar racing in 1998, with the André de Cortanze-designed Toyota GT-One.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Thorby, Andy (March 2009). "1996 TOMS Toyota "Lumpy" LMP". Mulsanne's Corner. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ "Toyota issues engine ultimatum". Autosport.com. 27 September 2001. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ "1988 Toyota 88C Specifications". Ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ Clifford, Joe (18 April 2013). "In focus Toyota GT-One (TS020)". Toyota official blog. Retrieved 7 March 2014.