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Reports this week out of London indicate that Lotus CEO Dany Bahar seeks a partner, or even a purchaser, for the Hethel firm. Malaysian automaker Proton currently owns Lotus, but Proton was taken over in January when Malaysian auto parts supplier DRB-Hicom bought the government’s controlling interest. The trend with new ownership is to put every project on the table for review, and with Lotus in the midst of massive initiatives – Esprit, Elan, Eterne, new Elise and in-house V8 – it makes sense that Bahar isn’t wasting time arranging options.

Although it’s not exactly as if Bahar just started looking for a buyer. In summer 2011, Proton’s position was shaky enough that Bahar publicly sought outside investment, with Toyota often mentioned as a hypothetical mate.

It is said that Bahar wants £500 million ($792 million U.S.), roughly two-thirds the amount Proton (via bank loans) was said in 2010 to be committing to the brand’s revival. As one would expect, Chinese interests are suspected as potential buyers, but only one possible suitor has been named so far, that being Genii Capital, which owns the Lotus Formula 1 team.

CEO Dany Bahar looking for a buyer for Lotus

There’s little question that the Jaguar XFR (pictured above at left) is an impressive cat, indeed. Five hundred horsepower and a healthy dose of British charm will do that for you, after all. The trouble is that with around 550 hp apiece, the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and BMW M5 are that much more impressive. And so Jaguar is reportedly working on a hotter XFR-S.

The more extreme performance sedan has been touted for the past year or so, and has even been spied undergoing development work at the Nürburgring. Following a formula similar to what Jaguar employed to transform the XKR into the XKR-S (pictured above at center), the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 in the XFR-S would have its output – and its price – raised to compete with ze Germans. That means 550 horses and about $90,000.

Would you shell out the extra $8k over the MSRP on the existing XFR, or for that matter, choose it over its rivals? Cast your vote in our poll below.

View Poll

Jaguar “seriously considering” XFR-S [w/poll]

The suitably rapid expansion of the Lotus Racing division is showing no signs of slowing down. The British marque has its own Formula One team, is supplying engines to the IndyCar Series, oversees both GP2 and GP3 teams, has competition versions of its road cars in various GT and rally championships, runs its own karting program, and offers enthusiasts top-notch trackday programs with the Evora GT and Exos/Type 125 single-seater. But that’s not enough: now Lotus is gearing up to take on Le Mans.

The company was planning to design its own LMP2 racer, and it had snagged the designer of the 908 HDi away from the now-shuttered Peugeot Sport racing program. But that apparently didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned, so Lotus has instead opted to back an independent team to run a second-tier Le Mans prototype on its behalf.

That team is Kodewa, headed up by former HRT F1 team principal Colin Kolles and his father Romulus. They’ll be running a chassis built by Lola and powered by a BMW V8 prepared by Engine Developments – the same arrangement by which Lotus is powering its Indy program. The car, as you can see, features the same iconic black and gold livery as other Lotus racers, penned in this case by Daniel Simon – a former Volkswagen Group designer responsible for the Tron:Legacy lightcycles and the livery run on last year’s HRT F111.

Look for the Lotus LMP2 to debut when the FIA World Endurance Championship kicks off here at Sebring in March, with a second car expected to join at Spa in May. Press release after the jump.

Continue reading Lotus headed to Le Mans with Lola LMP2

Lotus headed to Le Mans with Lola LMP2

Some may beg to differ, but from where we sit, the acquisition Audi made of Lamborghini back in 1998 was a good thing, and remains as such. The resulting supercars to roll out of Sant’Agata Bolognese have been better than those made under prior owners by leaps and bounds. But who would have thought the relationship would benefit Audi as much as it has?

Not only did the partnership give Ingolstadt the sweet-revving V10 engine that powered the RS6 and S8 (until recent pressures necessitated a switch to a twin-turbo V8 instead), but it also gave Audi the underpinnings for the R8 … and a page or two out of the Lamborghini playbook.

The R8 has since grown to include two different engine specs, a convertible version and the hard-core R8 GT. But as if all that weren’t enough, it led to the crême-de-la-crême R8 GT Spyder. The limited-edition roadster packs the 5.2-liter V10 engine tuned up to 560 horsepower and unburdened of 187 pounds of excess weight, all without a roof to get between driver and the wind rushing rapidly by.

The hard-core, tire-burning attitude, however, is not all the R8 GT Spyder got from its Italian cousins. It also picked up a Lamborghini’s price tag, as Audi USA has just announced the sticker on the exclusive roadster: $210,000. That doesn’t include the $1,200 destination charge, taxes or optional equipment like carbon-ceramic brakes or Bang & Olufsen sound system.

That may seem mighty steep, but if you’ve got the cash to burn, don’t hesitate for too long, because with only 333 units to be built in total and just 50 earmarked for the United States, they’re bound to go fast. Like, Lamborghini fast. Follow the jump for the full press release, and seeing as how Audi has released a whole mess of new photos since the car’s initial launch, we’ve put those together for you in a fresh high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Audi prices R8 GT Spyder at a top-dropping $210,000*

Audi prices R8 GT Spyder at a top-dropping $210,000*

Things are shaping up nicely for next week’s Chicago Auto Show, key among them this new Kia concept called Track’ster. Riffing on the Korean automaker’s hit Soul compact, the Track’ster keeps much of the small car’s boxy style, but turns the wick up considerably by scrubbing the rear doors, fitting a gaping front end, substituting massive showcar wheels and dramatically lowering the right height.

This isn’t the first time Kia has toyed with the idea of a Soul spinoff – at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, it presented the Soul’ster, a rough-and-tumble concept vehicle with a small pickup bed. Thanks to a strong response from the public, the Soul’ster was understood to be under consideration for production, but its hopes reportedly fizzled due to the economic meltdown.

Despite being on the market since 2008, the Soul continues to pick up momentum in chunks. Thanks in part to a refresh for 2012 that addresses hopes for more powerful drivetrains, the Soul has emerged as one of Kia’s best sellers – last month, it was only slightly outdistanced by the Optima midsize sedan, and it’s outpacing Sorrento, which was Kia’s best-seller last year.

Will Kia finally pull the trigger on a Soul variant? We should know more after the Track’ster makes the show circuit rounds.

Kia renders Track’ster concept for Chicago

Don’t believe anyone who tells you “they don’t build ‘em like they used to.” Not even us. Because they do, in fact, build them even better, with the benefit of a century’s worth of automotive development. Styling, however, is a matter of taste, and beauty is in the proverbial eye of the beholder. So you could certainly make the case that cars were more beautiful back in the day.

That, you see, is where the Huet Brothers come in. Several years ago, the Dutch fraternity rolled out the HB Special, a retro roadster based on a Triumph TR6, designed for use in classic rallies organized by the Huets but also available for sale in limited quantities. Now Tino and Paul are back with a fixed-roof coupe design they’ve been working on.

Still in the development phase, the classically proportioned HB Coupe promises to offer the comforts and reliability of a modern car with the style and charm of a classic. Weighing in at little over 2,400 lbs, it packs a 3.0-liter inline-six of unspecified origin – presumably BMW – mated to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch transmission. So equipped, the drivetrain is said to be good for 306 horsepower, an anticipated 4.3-second run to 62 mph and a 155 mph top end. A 2.0-liter, 204-horsepower diesel four (with six-speed manual or automatic) is also scheduled to be available for a 5.6-second sprint.

HB is also planning a more performance-oriented version as well as a racing model in the future, but the brothers are taking things one step at a time. In a novel approach to raising capital, HB is selling wristwatches and other gear to help get the project off the ground, and it has two timepieces currently on promotion in a group deal you can check out on their website. There’s no word yet on pricing, so watch this space for more. In the meantime, you can scope out the video and details after the jump and the design renderings in the image gallery above.

Continue reading Huet Brothers returning with handsome new retro coupe [w/video]

Huet Brothers returning with handsome new retro coupe [w/video]

Formula One driver Adrian Sutil has been convicted of assault in a trial concluded this week in Munich, Germany. The proceeding revolved around a brawl at a night club in Shanghai, where Sutil slashed the throat of Genii Capital CEO Eric Lux, co-owner of the team now known as Lotus, with a champagne flute.

The conviction comes with a suspended sentence of 18 months and a 200,000-euro fine which is earmarked towards charity. For his part, Sutil reportedly claims it was an accident and that he tried to settle the issue out of court with Lux, who in turn says he didn’t get the apology he was after until the courts settled the matter.

The next question is where that leaves Sutil. The driver has been with the Force India team (in its various iterations) since 2006 when he was named a driver for the team then called Midland, making his race debut the following year under Spyker management. With the trial looming over his head, the team cut Sutil from its roster for this season, leaving him without a drive as the rest of the field has all but completely filled up.

Adrian Sutil convicted of assault in Germany

The Ford F-150 has just picked up a doppelganger in China. According to CarNewsChina, Jianghuai Auto Corporation has just unveiled its new 4R3 pickup, and sure enough, the vehicle looks to be a near carbon copy of America’s best-selling truck. JAC reportedly wants to provide buyers in China, Africa and South America with a larger, inexpensive work vehicle. While the appearances of the Ford F-Series and 4R3 visuals differ ever so slightly, the similarities far outweigh the incongruities. According to CNC, JAC is a fairly small automaker in the People’s Republic that specializes in rebodied Hyundai cars, SUVs and pickups.

Word has it the 4R3 will be powered by a 2.8-liter diesel four-cylinder engine generating just 108 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. There’s no word on cost at this point. The JAC 4R3 is set to debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April, though there’s no telling how long the vehicle will be on the market before the company gets a call from the lawyers in Dearborn. Head over to CarNewsChina.com for a better look at the F-150 twin.

Chinese carmaker blatantly copies Ford F-150

In the wake of last week’s bruising hearing on Capitol Hill about the safety of the Chevrolet Volt (which itself followed an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that concluded plug-in vehicles do not “pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles“) former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has written a column for Forbes that strikes back against the media (especially conservatives) who are attacking the car he thought would be one of his most important legacies.

Politicians and members of the media on the right, from Mitt Romney to Neil Cavuto, have talked smack about the Volt, and Lutz says this “has attracted my attention and ire.” In typical Lutz fashion, he doesn’t mince words, writing:

The Oscar for totally irresponsible journalism has to go to The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News, with, as its key guest, Lou Dobbs. Amid much jocular yukking, the Volt was depicted as a typical federal failure. … Boiled down to the subtext, Dobbs’ message was this: “All Volts catch fire, and therefore all Volts have been recalled.” That simply isn’t the case. …

To top it off, these two media pros lamented the fact that the same government that had forced GM to produce the Volt was now extending $7,500 tax credits towards its purchase, thus squandering even more of “our taxpayer” dollars on this failed Socialist-collectivist flop. Truth? The $7,500 tax credit was enacted under the Bush administration!

Don’t let Lutz’s words make you think he’s taking a left/liberal stance. He’s still a self-declared “conservative Republican” who hates that right-wing talking heads are spiraling downward into this sort of “deliberate misstatement of facts.” They “have managed to make me embarrassed to describe myself as a conservative,” he writes, adding, “Let’s leave the ‘invention of facts’ to the left-wing climate-change alarmists.” There – that should offend pretty much everyone who’s not in the dead political center.

Bob Lutz: Hey right-wingers, stop attacking Chevy Volt

This year’s selection for North American Truck of the Year was something of a sign of the times as the pool of nominees didn’t really fit the traditional definition of “truck” – beasts of burden with features like a low range, open bed and/or body-on-frame construction. Not only were all three finalists crossovers (including the winning 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque), but so were the other four on the short list of nominees.

The jury has been monitoring the market’s shift from body-on-frame SUVs to unibody-based crossovers for years now, and detailed discussions about whether to alter the name of its Truck of The Year award have been a staple conversation among members of the voting pool for perhaps half a decade. Those debates have finally bore fruit. Beginning with next year’s award, instead of North American Truck of the Year, the hardware will be awarded as the North American Truck/Utility of the Year.

The name change should not only be a bit cleaner when it comes to including the market’s ever-diversifying pool of crossovers, it will also afford room on the other end of the spectrum for the inclusion of heavy-duty full-size trucks, a segment of vehicles that previously weren’t eligible. The change reflects another shift in the market, where vehicles like the Ford F-Series Super Duty and Ram 2500 HD are no longer being considered solely for purchase as work trucks – more and more everyday consumers are looking to them as capable daily drivers. The jury had previously considered only light-duty trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Toyota Tacoma for the award.

With the crossover segment mushrooming in popularity and diversifying rapidly, it’s become difficult to readily classify what constitutes a crossover vehicle as opposed to a car. Branches of the U.S. government classify the exact same vehicle as a car and a truck, automakers invent new terminology to trumpet, journalists call them one thing and consumers end up labeling them another. The NACTOY jury will thus look to indicators like overall height and capability to help funnel eligible vehicles into the Car of the Year or Truck/Utility of the Year category.

NACTOY changes truck award to “Truck/Utility of the Year”

The automotive industry tends to work by certain norms and patterns. For example, by the time one model is ready to be phased out, we usually have a pretty good idea of how its replacement is shaping up and when it will appear. But Bugatti, of course, is no typical automaker.

The House that Ettore Built has, for the past seven years, subsisted on the Veyron alone. Don’t get us wrong, it’s one heck of an automobile around which to build a brand, but it won’t be around forever. In fact, Bugatti announced a while ago that Veyron production was running its course and nearing its end. The open topped Grand Sport, as it turns out, was outside that original allotment, but even that is nearing the end of its road.

So you can imagine our surprise when Ricardo, the company that makes the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for the Veyron, announced today that it had extended its contract with Bugatti for another two years. Which would be straightforward enough if there were cars in which Bugatti would be installing said transmissions, but as we already established, the marque’s sole product is nearing the end of its life-cycle, with no replacement in sight.

So where are these transmissions going? There can only be a few explanations. One is that Bugatti is planning to extend Veyron production with another derivative – likely the Super Grand Sport that is expected to combine the removable roof panel on the Grand Sport with the more powerful engine and bodywork of the Super Sport. Another is that the Galibier – a four-door super-sedan in the pipeline at Bugatti’s Molsheim, France HQ – is closer than previously expected, but that model is expected to shift to a different type of transmission altogether.

One possibility we can’t quite accept is that Bugatti is stockpiling components as substantial as a gearbox without having a model in which to install them, so watch this space for more news. In the meantime, scope out the press release after the jump to inspect for yourself.

Continue reading Bugatti orders two more years worth of transmissions… but where are they going?

Bugatti orders two more years worth of transmissions… but where are they going?

We’ve seen a swell in RoToR camera set ups in bike videos lately, and we have to say the trick makes for some pretty entertaining viewing. Take the clip you’ll see after the break that was worked up by Supermotard Denmark, for example. The video tracks one rider as he finishes up a practice day. The crew crafted their own homemade version of the RoToR setup we know and love, strapped it to a rider’s head and came out with some awesome footage. There’s plenty of peg-scraping glory as the rider works his way through the tight and technical course.

As much as we dig watching the rider kick the machine’s tail out, we’re equally smitten with the video’s soundtrack. Hit the jump to enjoy the antics for yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some supermoto classifieds to peruse.

Continue reading Enjoy some Supermoto action from every angle in Denmark

Enjoy some Supermoto action from every angle in Denmark

The field of cars entered in the British Touring Car Championship has grown incredibly in the last year or two. But as quintessentially British as the series is, few of those automakers represented on the grid are actually, you know… British. But that’s all about to change with the latest entry from MG.

Now you might look at MG’s current line-up of ho-hum Chinese econo-boxes and lament at how far the brand has fallen since its heyday of building quirky yet iconic roadsters, but MG is pulling all the stops with its touring car effort. The cars – based on the MG6 GT five-door – are being prepared by Triple 8 Race Engineering, the outfit responsible for turning Vauxhall into a powerhouse that dominated the BTCC for years.

If that’s not enough to get the job done, the Sino-English automaker has also retained one of the very best drivers in the series. You may know the name and face of Jason Plato from Fifth Gear, the British motoring show he co-presents. But he’s also a two-time BTCC champion, winner of 68 races and holds the records for the most fastest laps, pole positions and podiums in the history of the series. Poached from Chevrolet, Plato will be driving alongside up-and-coming talent Andy Neate.

All in all, MG KX Momentum Racing is shaping up as a force to be reckoned with, so the other 22 drivers on the grid had better take notice as the series gears up for its 55th running. Details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading MG goes big with new BTCC entry

MG goes big with new BTCC entry

Take a flight overseas and you may happen upon a Porsche Design store in an airport somewhere. That’s because, while the automaker’s product-design division has dozens of locations around the world, few of them are in the United States for a brand that is typically European in its focus. But all that’s changing with the company’s new flagship store.

Rather than locating itself in a traditional European capital or a mall in some emerging market in Asia, the new Porsche Design mega-store is based right here in these United States. The new SoHo location, on West Broadway in Manhattan, New York, encompasses some 250 square meters of retail space. That includes displays for the brand’s fashion lines, as well as its other products (ranging from luggage and pens to watches and phones) and a dedicated 50-square-meter VIP area for big spenders.

If you’re planning a trip to New York, be prepared to spend all your savings on designer Blackberries and driving gloves. But if you’re not heading to the Big Apple in the near future, you can still check out the press release after the jump and the array of high-resolution images in the gallery above.

Continue reading Porsche Design opens new flagship store in SoHo

Porsche Design opens new flagship store in SoHo

The next chapter in the Saab opera has a new protagonist called Brightwell Holdings, a Turkish private equity firm. Brightwell is is perhaps the unknown Turkish entity mentioned last year as having an interest in bankrupt Saab, along with India’s Mahindra & Mahindra. A board member at Brightwell said the company will spend two weeks evaluating Saab’s assets and then will make a bid, “there’s no question.”

Turkey doesn’t have a national car company, but it does have plenty of automotive manufacturing expertise since Ford, Fiat and Renault have factories there. Brightwell has said it would keep Saab production in Trollhätten, but (and this is only conjecture) along with a decades-old push for a national car company, the increase of Turkish private equity, and Turkey’s desire to join the European Union, the bid could have motivating factors beyond the financial.

Regardless, that means we now have two players in the Saab story, with Youngman’s renewed run at Saab expected to result in a bid as soon as next week that could exceed a billion euros. It’s difficult to imagine that Saab will somehow be rescued, but the ball is still in play.

Turkish private equity firm jumps into Saab buying fray

The only thing more ambitious than Lotus and its expansive new product plan is the company’s racing program. In the span of just a few years, the British automaker has launched forays into Formula One, IndyCar, endurance sportscar racing and even karting, all with its own factory-backed works initiatives. And in true Lotus style, it’s not showing any signs of slowing down any time soon.

In line with its ambitions, Lotus rolled into the Autosport International Show – the preeminent annual motorsport expo in England – with a whole mess of racing cars and programs to go with them. The firm’s F1, GP2 and GP3 teams have all fallen under the new Lotus Racing banner and all will wear the same black and gold livery. A new Lotus Club GT offers the full racing experience to gentlemen racers with the money to pony up for a track-spec Evora, similar to the Type 125 customer single-seater that just underwent further development by the company’s grand prix team. But the real news comes from the IndyCar program.

After five years of exclusively using Honda power, the IndyCar Series is switching to a new chassis next season and with it is bringing both Chevrolet and Lotus on board as alternative engine suppliers. Lotus is already contracted to power three independent teams – HVM Racing, Bryan Herta Autosport and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing – who will each choose their new livery from the Lotus back catalog of color schemes. Dragon Racing, however, has been selected by the factory as its new works team in the series, running the same black and gold livery as the F1 team.

The team is owned by Jay Penske (son of Roger Penske), and has just announced its driver lineup for the upcoming season, bringing multiple Champ Car champion and former grand prix driver Sebastien Bourdais on board together with Katherine Legge, another DTM and Champ Car driver eager to steal some of Danica Patrick’s spotlight. With Lotus providing the motivation, the upcoming season of open-wheel racing in America is shaping up to be an interesting one. Follow the jump for the full announcement.

Continue reading Lotus ramps up Indy racing program with Bourdais and Legge

Lotus ramps up Indy racing program with Bourdais and Legge

If Aston Martin wants to make a sexy commercial, there probably doesn’t need to be that much thought involved. All the ultra luxury brand needs to arouse the typical auto enthusiast is a collage of shots of the company’s Vantage, Rapide or DB9.

That didn’t stop Aston Martin from stocking its latest video creation with women, however, but it’s not what you think. Hit the jump to watch Aston’s 87-second-long featurette, which is titled “Aston Martin Loves Women. Women love Aston Martin.”

The spot illustrates that women don’t need a mini skirt to be featured in an exotic luxury car commercial, and that you don’t have to be a guy to appreciate automotive beauty. And while the DBS rolling through the majestic twisties is a real looker, it’s the sound bites that really get us going. Aston Martin may love women, and women may love Aston right back, but men are rather fond of ‘em, too.

Continue reading Aston Martin loves women, women love Aston Martin

Aston Martin loves women, women love Aston Martin

An impending court trial in Germany is shaping up to be the largest parade of Formula One drivers since the 2011 season wrapped up in Brazil this past November. The proceeding pits one Eric Lux (CEO of Genii Capital that owns part of Lotus Renault GP) against Adrian Sutil (a veteran grand prix driver who most recently drove for Force India) over an alleged fight in a Shanghai night club.

Now, most of us have been there and done that, but the details of this particular incident remain scarce. Apparently, during the altercation, Sutil cut Lux’s neck with a broken bottle. Over what they were fighting, exactly, we don’t know, but the fight apparently broke out after the end of the Chinese Grand Prix last April. According to ESPN, a number of F1 personalities – drivers, managers, team owners – were present and celebrating together, lending to the likelihood that some of the world’s hottest of hot shoes could be called to testify at the trial scheduled for the end of this month.

Whether Sutil is found guilty of any wrongdoing or not, it seems the incident has all but completely scuttled any chance he had of returning to the grid for the upcoming season: Force India has already replaced him and Williams (his other prospect) went with Bruno Senna, leaving only HRT with a seat open.

F1 driver Adrian Sutil to stand trial in Germany over Shanghai bar fight

Mitsubishi has been something of a punching bag among both analysts and critics in the United States for some years now, with lukewarm reception to new products and meek sales figures. But while few were paying attention, the Japanese brand’s pendulum made a mighty swing in the right direction in 2011, with sales finishing up over 40 percent year-over-year, making it the second fastest-growing brand in the States. Of course, total brand sales were just 77,995 (2010 sales: 55,683), but one has to start somewhere.

Buoyed by increasing demand for new products like the Outlander Sport, Mitsubishi isn’t quite “feeling its oats” just yet, but it’s alive and kicking. As further evidence, the company has just released a teaser image of an unnamed vehicle it plans to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Significantly, Mitsubishi indicates that this is the first time it has ever chosen to stage a global product reveal in Europe. The mystery vehicle, which appears to be a crossover – likely the next-generation Outlander – will go on sale in 2012. The second-generation Outlander has been on sale here since 2006, with a facelifted model arriving for the 2010 model year.

Mitsubishi says this is the start of a new, “re-focused design language,” which evidently means moving away from the massive Lancer Evolution-inspired grille that currently adorns the Outlander. We like what we see here, from the gaping lower air intake to the U-shaped hood pressing and assertive headlamps. We’ll probably have to wait until closer the Swiss show starts to get a closer look at the rest of the vehicle, but for now, check out the image above and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Mitsubishi teases mystery reveal ahead of Geneva

Mitsubishi teases mystery reveal ahead of Geneva

The sudden departure of Peugeot from the Le Mans racing scene came as quite a shock, we know. But don’t count the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship – or the famed 24-hour race at its center – out for the count before it’s even started, because another powerhouse is already gearing up to take Peugeot’s place. And that powerhouse is Toyota.

The Japanese auto giant announced its plans to build and campaign a new LMP1 racer at Le Mans and the WEC back in October. Toyota Motorsport GmbH (which ran the company’s F1 team until its withdrawal in 2009) then set about designing the car, partnering with Team Oreca to help with the logistics of entering the pinnacle of endurance racing, and hired three top pilots to, you know, actually drive the thing.

With all those pieces in place, the Toyota team began testing their new prototype racer last week at the Paul Ricard test track in France. Toyota itself didn’t release much in the way of details, but Alex Wurz was said to have led the shake-down, with his team-mates Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima on hand to share in the driving duties as well.

And while no “official” photos were “officially” released, Toyota PR rep Scott Brownlee tweeted a couple of snapshots to whet our appetites. The result looks, predictably enough, much like the latest LMP1 racers fielded by Audi and the departed Peugeot, but as with most things, it’s what’s underneath the surface that will count the most. In Toyota’s sake, that would be a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain of some sort, but we’ll have to wait a little while longer – as the next round of testing and the car’s anticipated debut at Spa come May approach – to find out more.

Toyota begins testing new hybrid LMP1