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Added on the 02/06/2023 05:56:00 - Copyright : Auto Moto EN
If a racing car’s engine is what most excites enthusiasts, the hybrid powertrain of the Ferrari 499P, the Prancing Horse’s Le Mans Hypercar, is no exception. The Prancing Horse’s Le Mans Hypercar uses innovative technologies to extract the best performance from the combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric unit, the latter on the front axle. This allows the Hypercar to benefit from four-wheel drive in the situations specified in the FIA World Endurance Championship regulations.The Internal Combustion Engine on the rear axle and the Energy Recovery System are two “souls” that enable the 499P to deliver a total maximum power output of around 700 horsepower (515 kW), within the regulatory limits. In the Le Mans Hypercar, the electric unit, when braking, works as an alternative to or with the front brake discs to slow down the 499P, while when accelerating, ERS’s major benefit is the ability to activate 4WD.
Ferrari 499P driver interview - Antonio Fuoco
The Ferrari 499P of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen finished second at the 6 Hours of Portimão, the first European round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The sixth place of the other Prancing Horse Hypercar, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, rounded off the weekend. Ferrari said goodbye to Portugal after achieving the target of finishing with both cars entered in the top class.The race took place in dry conditions and temperatures of over 27°C. The number 50 car was consistently at the top of the standings, with the Danish driver taking the first stint at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Molina consolidated second place in the middle section before handing the wheel to his Italian teammate, who crossed the chequered flag one lap behind the number 8 Toyota.
The first generation Yaris became the first Toyota to be named European Car of the Year, in 2000. That accolade was matched by the Toyota Vitz (the model’s name in Japan) which won the Japan Car of the Year title. Since that impressive start, each Yaris generation has been shortlisted for the European Car of the Year with the current model successfully claiming the award in 2021.The third generation Yaris has the distinction of being the first B-segment model to offer customers a full hybrid electric powertrain, a significant step forward in Toyota’s mission to make its super-efficient technology available to as wide a market as possible. Today, Yaris is exclusively a hybrid model in the UK market.The current, fourth generation Yaris has demonstrated its ability to adapt to changing customer needs, its “family” growing to include the widely acclaimed GR Yaris pure performance sports car in 2020 and the high-riding Yaris Cross urban crossover SUV in 2021.From the launch of the original model in 1999 to the end of February 2023, cumulative sales of Yaris family models in Europe had reached 5,155,506; these include 715,845 sold in the UK. In 2022, Yaris accounted for more than one third of Toyota’s total European sales and eight per cent of the market segment; in the UK the proportions for the hybrid hatchback were greater still, at 21.7 and 10 per cent, respectively.
From the announcement in February 2021 of Ferrari’s return to the top endurance class up until its debut in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship on 17 March 2023, the 499P has passed through several development stages. It was a team effort involving over 30 engineers.The test circuits were chosen according to their characteristics and to maximise the limited time available: Fiorano, Imola, Mugello and Vallelunga; plus Paul Ricard, Aragon and Portimão (three European tracks suitable for endurance tests). Portimão will also host a round of the WEC, as will Monza and Sebring. The two cars had covered a total of over 24,000 kilometres before March.Continuous interaction between the digital and real ‘world’ made it possible to fine-tune the 499P’s various components, using two cars simultaneously and employing a team of 30 engineers. During development, track work accounts for about 70% of the effort, and the remaining 30% occurs in the simulator.
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