Toyota GR LH2 Racing Concept Unveiled as a Hydrogen-Hybrid Le Mans Racer

Toyota has unveiled its second hydrogen-powered Le Mans hypercar concept, known as the Toyota GR LH2 Racing Concept.

Besides the new Peugeot E-208 GTi, the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race also witnessed yet another special model being revealed, this time being the all-new Toyota GR LH2 Racing Concept. This is essentially the next-gen version of Toyota’s previous hydrogen-powered hypercar concept, the GR H2 concept, featuring a more aggressive look and an entirely new hydrogen-hybrid powertrain setup.

From the looks, we can see that the new GR LH2 bears close resemblance to both the GR H2 and Toyota’s Le Mans contender, the Toyota GR010 hybrid Le Mans hypercar (LMH). Some design bits are being carried over by these two racers, although the new GR LH2 gets a sharper front face with smaller LED headlights, tweaked side intakes, plus a larger wing with a new fin at the rear.

Despite sharing a similar greenhouse design, the new concept is slightly bigger than the GR010 LMH, spanning 5,100 mm long and 2,050 mm wide. Another notable difference primed on the LH2 is the new white-and-blue racing livery, which is a huge departure from the GR’s signature red-white-black colour scheme.

Toyota GR LH2 Racing Concept (left) & Toyota GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Hypercar (right)

As of now, Toyota has yet to reveal full details regarding the LH2’s new powertrain setup, but we’ve been told that it combines a hydrogen-powered engine with a hybrid system, possibly adopting from its LMH twin. For reference, the GR010’s hybrid setup, which has helped Toyota to win countless endurance races, comprises a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol lump rated at 671 hp and a front-mounted electric motor.

Beyond being a showpiece at Circuit de la Sarthe this weekend, the new GR LH2 intends to showcase Toyota’s relentless pursuit of carbon neutrality via its multi-pathway solutions. It explores powertrain technologies beyond battery electric, which include hybrids, hydrogen, and even carbon-neutral fuels, believing that spreading risk across multiple technologies is better than going all-in on just one.

Notably, the automaker had several racing tryouts with some of its carbon-neutral racing concepts, with the most notable being the GR Corolla H2 hydrogen concept’s entry to Jalan’s Super Taikyu touring car series and several endurance races across Asia.

Returning to the GR LH2, the introduction of this new racing concept also coincided with the 40th anniversary of Toyota’s first participation in this legendary endurance race. For this year, Toyota aims to break Ferrari’s Le Mans  back-to-back winning streak with two GR010 LMHs, where the automaker retains the same drivers’ lineup as last year.