The
project was funded by Toyota Motor Sports division as a low-key "toe in
the water". The budget was very tight (<$500k), and there was
never any intention on the part of Toyota to race it, although we at TOM'S
had hopes, particularly after it tested promisingly.
The
only engines Toyota could provide was existing examples of the 2.1 liter
turbo motor in Group C spec: this was because all their resources were
taken up with the new Champcar engine. I'd had experience of that
engine in Group C in '88, and felt that the key to economy and
reliability was adequate cooling, which the Group C Toyota never had. The gearbox was based on the Peugeot Group C Xtrac unit. The tub was extremely strong, stiff (>50,000 lb-ft/degree) and simple. The complete car weighed 790 kg, without lights but with heavyweight bodywork. We ballasted it with a 5 mm thick stainless steel floor beneath the monocoque.
The
budget didn't permit any scale model wind tunnel work, so the aerodynamics
were best guess. The aerodynamic aim was simply reducing the lift
over the upper body, particularly the front, without increasing the drag.
Hence the reflex curve to floor of the rad. duct entry, and the flat surfaces
to the nose and the front fenders. I wanted a simple bodywork set,
so I eliminated the usual tortuous front brake ducting by feeding upright-mounted
scoops direct from the big rad. ducts.
The
car was christened "Lumpy" (LMP1), although its official name was TOMS
Toyota LMP. It tested three times, if I remember rightly. Tom
Kristensen certainly did one of those and maybe more. It was totally
reliable and, as far as we could judge without a direct comparison, quick.
The fuel consumption was certainly much better than the Toyota 88C with
the same engine. It was then sent over to Cologne and covered in a tarpaulin
at TTE.
An
interesting epilogue. In the RTN shops as an Audi R8C is built up
prior to Le Mans '99. Notice what hangs on the wall?