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https://car.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1128017.html
【Le Mans 24 Hours 2018】 Toyota Vice President Tomoyama, "I wrote the President five A4 reprints, so I ceased to be stopped"
Mr. Murata and Mr. Kitazawa tell the thought of Le Mans 24 Hr Victory & GR Super Sports Marketing
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing "GR Super Sports Concept" released in Europe at a press conference
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing held a press conference at the Salto Circuit in Le Mans, France where the "86th Le Mans 24 Hour Race" is held on June 15 (local time). At this news conference, we released the "GR Super Sports Concept", which was premiered worldwide at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January for the first time in Europe.
Mr. Shigeki Tomiyama, President of Toyota Motor Corporation and President of Toyota Motor Corporation and President GAZOO Racing Company, promised to market the GR Super Sports commercialization to the world with Le Mans. The pattern is as reported by related articles ( vice president Tomoyama, GR Super Sports concept marketed as "near future" ). In this article, we will deliver a briefing on the briefing held after the press conference.
In addition to Mr. Tomoyama, Mr. Hisatake Murata, president of TMG (Toyota Motorsport GmbH), Mr. Hiroshu Kitazawa, manager of Toyota Motor GR Marketing Department, also attended this briefing session. Mr. Murata talked about development, Mr. Kitazawa said about sales etc.
── We announced the GR super sports concept at a press conference at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, but how long ago did the plan of the GR super sports concept begin?
Mr. Tomoyama: The project itself of the GR Super Sports Concept has been around for about a year and a half. I made a GR brand at GAZOO Racing. The bottom is the complete model, the center is Supra, platform dedicated to sports. On the top of that, I have developed a marketing plan about a year and a half ago that I want to drive a GAZOO Racing brand, I do not want super sports.
What kind of car will be the super sports? There are Porsche 911, Lamborghini, Ferrari, for example, but it seems a bit different even if Toyota enters there. When trying to make something unique to us, we may be running a racing machine at WEC (World Endurance Championship). Instead of making sports cars from standard cars, it might be possible to make road going cars from racing cars. Standards are getting harder and gradually.
Actually, I also started riding the TS 050 and gradually became more confident and they started (seeing Mr. Murata's) when saying "let's do".
I do not know why, but when I say "Let's do" various things came out soon. I can do it, suddenly the test car came out. Perhaps I think I started doing things without permission. Mr. Murata.
Mr. Murata: I do not know how far to tell ... .... Because when I was a GR company, I was also concurrently headquartered. I have been keeping racing for WEC all the time, and with the fans. A few years ago I got questions from fans. "I understand that Hybrid is friendly to the Earth like the Prius, but it is easy to understand economically, but as long as you keep WEC and seeing the WEC's car, you can also make a wallet-friendly, earth-friendly car Shin: Then, when you receive the question "When can you buy when you become available?" When we receive the question that we can ride, the final goal for Toyota to race again is to shape the skills honed in the race It is very important to say that it is the thing that can be delivered to the customer, so the purpose of the President of the GR Company created by the GR Company is exactly that direction. In a secret way with Mr. Tomoyama (lol), in autumn I got Mr. Tomoyama, "Here is a good thing" and it is the flow that leads to now.
Mr. Hisatake Murata, President of TMG (Toyota Motorsport GmbH)
── When did you start making shapes actually?
Mr. Murata: (2017) In autumn, I was the director of the head office in April and I had Mr. Tomoyama ride. It is about half a year.
── What is the link with the 2020 prescription Hyper Car GT announced today by ACO?
Mr. Murata: I have not been in April.
Mr. Tomoyama: I have not done it at all.
─ ─ So, did you agree well?
Mr. Tomoyama: When that (GR Super Sports Concept) project started, the information that Porsche is leaving WEC came in and it was quite a matter to discuss whether or not to continue participating in Toyota even inside the company . I was pretty annoyed.
Again, one will spread hybrid technology as a field. Certainly the technology has been transferred from that (Le Mans participation vehicle) to Prius or something, but as the GR Super Sports project has started, we have to drop technology at one higher level again . I decided to continue participating, including such things. As we can say that such a category (Hyper Car GT Prototype 2020) has been created, there is a possibility to bring GR Super Sports there, so it is very welcome.
However, it was not something (ACO). At that time we never knew (Porsche withdrawal).
Mr. Murata: It was not officially decided that Porsche will withdraw when they start work. There was no talk of what the future categories will be like. However, they were proceeding in such a way that they had to do such a thing (GR Super Sports Concept) in order to make a brand called GR. Later, that has come about.
── When asked about ACO 's press conference, he said that he got along well? Somewhat like to agree under the water ... ....
Mr. Tomoyama: It's really surprisingly crowded. When Mr. Tomoyama (Mr. Murata) said that (Mr. Tomoyama will allow us to participate) at the presentation at the (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Press Conference) a while ago, ACO CEO Pierre Fillon got a great eye Look at it. When I said, I was delighted (Mr. Fillon) tremendously. "Thank you, thank you" when I told you to take a picture together (in a photo session).
I think that Toyota got angry, I knew at that time (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing press conference) I knew.
── Does that mean Toyota will participate in the new provision Hyper Car GT Prototype from 2020?
Mr. Tomoyama: Because the new provision itself is still ambiguous. Just as I saw what I saw right now, there is an image that matches the road going car that comes out from TS 050 - HYBRID, so we are very welcome.
── At the press conference, there was another story about fuel cell, FCV from 2024. As for Toyota already having FCV "MIRAI", is there anything that you want to consider?
Mr. Tomoyama: Because I do not understand the image that I'm pretty sure that I will give out a 24-hour race at 300 km / h with a hydrogen car. For example, I do not know where to place the dispenser. However, I think that it is worth considering.
── With the announcement of ACO, the provisions of 2020 ceased, hydrogen in 2024 was also hooked. Were you under the initiative of regulation?
Mr. Tomoyama: There is nothing around that.
──What will I change the way to ask questions, did not we have any discussion about future series?
Mr. Tomoyama: We have been doing WEC for 6 years, and there is a race called Le Man in that. What is Le Mans like? Toyota has appeared in 19 times Man. I have never won.
Among them, Le Mans continued 86 times. In Europe of the birthplace of the car, there is a car culture called Le Mans, and various manufacturers inherited it. Honestly, I came 19 times and I think that it was quite difficult for Japanese manufacturers to be welcomed among them.
That ended, in one of three minutes in 2016, Ikigo stopped, at that time Porsche told us that this race winner is Toyota, not ours. In a sense, the European media also very praise me. I wonder if it is about that time, I wonder if I join a little. I wonder if it was acknowledged properly as a rival. It's not only fast.
It is very important to inherit cultures, what happens to Le Mans if Audi ceases to exist, Porsche is gone, and here is also gone? I thought of that. Although we decided to inherit it among them, though. Naturally, the organizer of Le Mans thinks that our intention was understood. I think that they are not bargaining never and that each other understands each other and respects each other and thinks that WEC is making a form that makes Le Mans excitement as a matter of course.
Mr. Murata: I joined the company in the 1980s. Where I did Le Mans for the first time at that time, the regulation came to somewhere, it was notified suddenly, it was the style of the Japanese makers going out and running.
When making this hybrid category, I became a member of ACO in 2009, at that time it was a story "Who are you?" However, it has been 6 years since I came to it, and when ACO 's people are in trouble, the relationship of doing various conversations is coming completely and the regulation of ACO or FIA, this year That's the same as the table, but as we are also joining the table every year we will build it every year, so I wonder if we can build trust and a good relationship in that sense.
However, European people are not sweet enough that one manufacturer can do what it wants to do and feeling. I think I can understand it even if I see the table of BOT now. We are now doing Dutch roll with it. It is not that sweet, but it is a fact that we are building a tremendously good relationship.
── At present, how many manufacturers agree with the 2020 regulation?
Mr. Murata: If you read a magazine, you are five companies (laugh).
── Any magazine (haha).
Mr. Murata: I do not know (laugh). I thought that it was.
Mr. Kitazawa: I think that this race will be more attractive indeed if various manufacturers compete with each other. In that sense fans will also increase and I hope.
Toyota Motor Corporation GR Marketing Department manager Mr. Hiroshi Kitazawa
─ ─ GR Super Sports is an understanding of the car that put TS 050 - HYBRID in a commercial car, but the next regulation changes a bit. Then, do you fit the car there? Or does GR Super Sports carry over the current TS050-HYBRID by carry-over?
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