Toyota celebrate 40 years at Le Mans

Toyota is marking four decades of Le Mans competition in style, unveiling two striking liveries for its GR010 Hybrid race cars at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. The twin designs pay homage to Toyota’s past and present endurance racing efforts as the team prepares to fight for a sixth overall victory at La Sarthe.

The No7 GR010 Hybrid, piloted by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, wears a bold red-and-white livery inspired by the iconic TS020, better known as the GT-One, which raced in 1998 and 1999. With flowing curves and motorsport heritage, the TS020 became a cult favourite in both real life and in the first Gran Turismo video game. Its legacy lives on in the No7’s sharp reinterpretation, featuring jagged white flashes across a red base that evoke the speed and drama of late-’90s Le Mans.

In contrast, the No8 car of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa is all about the present. Cloaked in matt black, it sports a dynamic GR logo symbolising Toyota Gazoo Racing’s ethos of ‘Speed’, ‘Hate to lose’, and continuous evolution. Both cars proudly display a commemorative badge marking Toyota’s 40th anniversary at Le Mans.

Since its debut with the 85C in 1985, Toyota has fielded 61 cars across 26 races, securing five wins, 18 podiums and eight poles. From the Supra’s brief Le Mans stint in the mid-‘90s to a dominant hybrid era led by the TS050 and now the GR010, Toyota’s endurance journey has been one of perseverance, innovation and passion.

Photos © Toyota