TOYOTA GAZOO Racing unveils ‘GR H2 Racing Concept’ at Le Mans 24 Hours

At a press conference of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) at Circuit de la Sarthe in western France on June 9, Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda revealed for the first time the hydrogen engine vehicle prototype “GR H2 Racing Concept”.

Developed with future competition in its sights, the prototype’s unveiling was spurred by a recent announcement by the ACO, the organizer of Le Mans 24 Hours, that it would allow hydrogen-engine vehicles to compete—in addition to fuel cell electric vehicles—in the race’s hydrogen category.

Speaking at the press conference, Toyoda congratulated the ACO on the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours (Le Mans) endurance race and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to hone cars through the race.

“My congratulations to the ACO, and all involved, on the 100th anniversary of Le Mans,” commented Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda. “Le Mans is a place where we not only compete in one of the world’s most celebrated races but a place where we can push the boundaries of technology – a place where we can realize the future. We are grateful to the ACO and Le Mans for providing this unique opportunity to share our efforts with the world.

GR H2 Racing Concept – World Premiere at Le Mans 24 Hours

“My goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in motorsports without sacrificing anything in terms of performance or excitement.

“We look forward to our new GR H2 race car in view of the new Le Mans H2 class in the future. The sound, the torque, the dynamics, it’s all there. Not only are we re-imagining the race car, we’re doing it with zero emissions. Here’s to the next 100 years of checkered flags!”

Toyota has been competing using a hydrogen-engine Corolla in the Super Taikyu Series since Round 3 of the 2021 season and raced the same car in the IDEMITSU 1500 SUPER ENDURANCE 2022 at Thailand’s Chang International Circuit in December 2022. By doing so, it has been honing its technologies in the harsh environment of motorsports and, with like-minded partners in and outside the automotive industry, accelerating its efforts for producing, transporting, and using hydrogen toward the realization of a carbon-neutral society. Toyota intends to further advance such efforts for making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and realizing a carbon-neutral society and it looks forward to taking on the challenge of a new generation of Le Mans 24 races.