Toyota will also be fielding its H2-Combustion Corolla as part of its entry in the Thailand 10-hour Endurance Race.
While everyone may certainly be racing to their preferred holiday destination during this year-end period, there is nevertheless still some actual motorsport left to be had in the dying days of 2023. And there is actually some big news to come from the track too, as Toyota has recently announced that it will be fielding a Prius in the upcoming Idemitsu Super Endurance Southeast Asia Trophy 2023.
The first time ever for a production Prius to be fielded for its motorsports activities, this hybrid saloon will more amazingly be joined by Toyota’s hydrogen-combusting GR Corolla and GR86 running on carbon neutral fuels (CNF) on track at the Chang International Circuit this coming weekend on the 22nd and 23rd December. Though perhaps the most astounding piece of information regarding the Japanese automaker’s entry roster is for its driver list to include Master Driver Morizo (aka Toyota President Akio Toyoda) and his son Daisuke Toyoda.
Now delving deeper into the details regarding Toyota’s entry into this Thai endurance race, the newly-announced Prius will be competing under the CP Rookie Racing banner, while the GR Corolla and GR86 will be fielded by the ORC Rookie Racing team. Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand will also be fielding three entries (Corolla, GR86 and Yaris) for this event, with all vehicles mentioned to be running on carbon-neutral fuels.
Toyota is currently aiming to accelerate its multi-pathway approach to achieving a carbon-neutral society by entering the hydrogen-powered Corolla and the GR86 running on carbon-neutral fuel in the Super Taikyuu series. These two vehicles also competed in the 2022 Thailand 25H Endurance Race, where the Japanese automaker took on the challenge of refining the vehicles in a different environment than Japan.
Similarly, Toyota is currently looking refine its production hybrid powertrain through putting the Prius through the crucible of motorsport. The Japanese automaker claims that it intends to build upon its ‘Racing Hybrid technology’ from its participation in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) to further improve its production-spec electrified technologies, to the point where it combines ‘the fun of driving and fuel efficiency’.
A few other points that Toyota wishes to state regarding its entry into Thailand 10-hour Endurance Race is that the biogas generated from CP’s poultry farm chicken manure and food waste from Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing Co. (TDEM) will be used as part of the fuel for its hydrogen-combusting Corolla. In addition, an FC drone used for demonstration experiments in collaboration with CP will be unveiled for the first time at the event to introduce efforts in producing, transporting, and using hydrogen that is currently being promoted by it and its partners in Thailand.
