|Project MR2| – Just getting it on the road is means for celebration.

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East Seattle-20121208-00192

*Sorry for the lack of photos on this post. I just haven’t had the time, and actually really don’t have a good camera to take snaps yet.

Project MR2 has definitely started out well-intentioned enough. In fact, it initially really even start out as a ‘project’ at all. For sometime, Project Kyoko had been the workhorse car between myself and my girlfriend. Due to where our jobs took us, we ended up putting over 100 miles a day on my little Miata, and somewhere along the lines of around 25,000 miles over a year! (I’m not joking.)

With all of that mileage, Kyoko started to wear out. If you’ve noticed, many of my recent project logs for Kyoko have been installing replacement parts or repairs, rather than autocrossing because of this. It actually got to a point where I stopped recording some of the work being done to the car, because it was just a reminder of how much money I was spending on the car just to keep it on the road. >.<

But this post isn't about Kyoko, it's about Project MR2. At it's core, Project MR2 meets a basic need. A second car.
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Toyota picks up the pieces to release latest LMP1 driver line-up

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Toyota has decided to enter into LMP1 with the TS030 HYBRID. With several manufacturers refreshing their driver line-ups, Toyota had a pick of quality drivers for 2012.

Anthony Davidson, who was dropped by Peugeot during their exit of the sport,  and former F1 driver Sebastien Buemi will be supporting Hiroaki Ishiura.

Will Toyota be able to take the fight to Audi R18 in LMP1?  We shall see.

 

Engine Sound-off: Toyota TS30 Hybrid LMP1 race car

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Toyota is a master of greenwashing its car line by touting the hybrid halo models which are capable of generating very impressive fuel economy figures. Motoring enthusiasts generally aren’t drawn to hybrids because the hybrid’s mission is to efficiently transport people and their stuff from point A to point B in the most efficient manner possible. This is not to say that hybrids cannot be fun, I submit this video as evidence.

This is the new Toyota TS30 Hybrid Le Mans racer. Yes, it’s a hybrid. Watch the video and listen to the symphony of straight cut gears, electric motor, and sonorous v8 engine.


I think Toyota is missing an opportunity by not having a hybrid sports car. After all, a hybrid’s electric motor is just a different kind of power adder used in place of a turbocharger or supercharger. What enthusiast wouldn’t love to carve some canyons with gobs of instantaneous electric torque shoving them out of corners? I could waste several gallons of gas with a car like this.

Anyone agree with me?

video credit: RacemediaTV