Toyota Racing unveils next generation racer

Toyota have unveiled the next generation Toyota Racing Series car, the FT-50, which will compete in the Toyota Racing Series next year.

Toyota Racing New Zealand today unveiled the next generation of New Zealand single seater racing, the FT-50 Toyota Racing Series car.

The TRS is New Zealand's leading single-seater category and the new FT50 will be raced by all teams and drivers from the 2015 championship onwards.

Image 1 of 12: Toyota Racing Series FT-50 race car.

After a phenomenal ten years the previous car, the FT-40, has finally been retired ahead of the 2015 season with the updated FT-50 becoming the chassis for the series and is set to make its debut at round 1 at Ruapuna in January.

Key differences between the outgoing FT-40 and the new FT-50 apart from the obvious differences in the look of the car are changes in overall weight with the FT-50 is approx 20kg lighter than the old car, better aerodynamics, upgrades to suspension and safety upgrades thanks to the new Italian built carbon fibre chassis.

Included in the safety upgrades, the new chassis has a higher cockpit around the driver's head to mitigate the risk of a driver suffering the same type of injuries as Formula One driver Jules Bianchi suffered after his crash at the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix.

The FT-50 also has a rear crash protection, a first for a Toyota Racing Series car.

A new and improved brake package utilises Brembo monoblock calipers and floating discs to provide superior stopping power. Wider front and rear wheels are fitted with proven Michelin Formula 3 specification tyres.

Carried over from the previous generation car is the same race-proven 160KW Toyota 2ZZ-GE 1.8-litre engine running on E85 Bio-Fuel and puts power to the track via a new gearbox which is shifted with F1 style paddle shifters at the steering wheel.

We'll have a more in depth look at the new Toyota Racing Series car in Driven Magazine in your NZ Herald next week.

2015 Toyota Racing Series calendar:
14 - 18 January 2015 Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, Christchurch
22 - 25 January 2015 Teretonga Park, Invercargill
29 January - 1 February 2015 Hampton Downs, Auckland
5 - 8 February 2015 Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo
12 - 15 February 2015 Manfeild, Feilding, New Zealand Grand Prix