I’m pleased to introduce Toyota’s new WRC Yaris, which will debut in next year’s WRC series. It’s been 17 long years since we competed in WRC, so I guess you could say we’re well rested!But now we’re back and we’ve been busy training up in Finland, under the leadership of the 4-time WRC champion, Tommi Makinen!

Akio:

Hi Tommi, thanks for joining us and thanks for being Team Toyota this time around!You look good in Toyota red by the way. So how are you feeling about our prospects for WRC?

Tommi:

We’re ready Akio. I wouldn’t underestimate our chances.

Akio:

So in other words, you’re “sort of” confident?

Tommi:

Something like that!

Akio:

Ok fair enough. I will see you back in Finland for more testing! Tommi Makinen,Ladies and Gentlemen!

Akio:

You know it’s wonderful to be here in Europe, the center of automotive racing, with a heritage and brands I’ve long admired.

As a racing fan myself, nothing gives me greater pleasure than test driving one of our vehicles like this new Yaris, built right here in France.

But as much as I want to win, and believe me, I do want to win by the way, just to be clear.

I also view racing as an opportunity for us to make ever better cars. To use racing as a real life laboratory to improve the performance, handling and durability of our cars.

Because to me, if a car’s not fun to drive, then what’s the point? But besides racing, there are other methods to improve cars to make them safer to make them more accessible.You might have been surprised by the Microsoft logo on our WRC entry here. Not what you might typically expect for a race car sponsor. But Microsoft, is a very important, long-standing partner for Toyota.

In fact, I asked Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, to share a few words with you himself. Let’s take a look.

(roll video of Satya Nadella)

Hi, I’m Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. Thank you Mr. Toyoda. It’s such an honor to have the opportunity to address all of you at the Paris Motor Show.

At Microsoft our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Pursuing this mission means forging strong partnerships with leading organizations like Toyota.Since 2011 we’ve had a strategic partnership with Toyota to create a global, cloud-based telematics system, and provide telecommunications, GPS and data to the Toyota customers.

Recently we extended that relationship through the collaboration in Toyota Connected.No longer is the car simply a vehicle to travel between two places. It’s a connected device that serves as an extension of the person’s digital lifestyle. And drivers expect their car’s computing power to match its horsepower.

That together Toyota and Microsoft can empower drivers with cars that are more intelligent and connected, while improving safety and reliability. On behalf of the Microsoft team, I want to thank you for your partnership, and I look forward to seeing what we can collectively accomplish together. Thank you so very much.Akio continues:Microsoft has been an investor in our new data analytics company, Toyota Connected making them more than just a software supplier.

We are indeed very happy to have Microsoft on our team in our quest to make ever better cars.With 100 million Toyotas on the road today, to me, the true benefit of selling all those cars is that we can study and learn from them, in order to one day totally eliminate automotive accidents and fatalities.

That is one of the primary goals of the newly formed Toyota Research institute. It’s mission? To reach the next frontier in mobility or put another way, to boldly go where no car has gone before!

Led by Dr. Gill Pratt, our hand-picked, dream team of engineers and scientists are already hard at work on projects in the areas of autonomous driving, robotics and materials science.

Gill and I bonded over our mutual desire to make car accidents a thing of the past…, but to also make sure the fun of driving remains.Though not widely known, Toyota has been working on the development of autonomous cars for many years. Gill and his team, will be building on this foundation, developing two kinds of autonomy chauffeur mode and guardian mode.

We believe chauffer mode, or total autonomy, will only be 100% accident free by testing a minimum of14.2 billion kilometers, which in practical terms, would take decades of real world driving.

Therefore, the only way to accomplish this goal safely, and in a timely manner, is through the use of multi-agent computer simulation which we have developed.

Perhaps the greatest reward that will come when chauffeur mode autonomy is achieved, is the freedom of mobility we will be able to provide to those who would not otherwise have it.

As the automotive sponsor of the Paralympics, I have heard from many of these individuals first-hand about how important this is to them, and personally, their stories are very motivating to me.

The other form of autonomy that we are currently focusing on, is guardian mode. In this mode, the car can take over or assist the driver as needed. Not only does guardian mode make the car drive more safely, it also allows our customers to more fully enjoy driving the car.

Guardian, or assisted autonomy is the natural evolution of our cars’ current safety features such as Toyota Safety Sense, and it is the mode of autonomy that you will see come from Toyota first.This WRC Yaris will play a role in our autonomous testing as well. In fact, we won’t just be racing, we will be actively collecting data on how the car handles the unique driving conditions during races here in Europe, and around the world.

This very valuable data will be applied to the development of our autonomous vehicles. The funding of the Toyota Research Institute is equal to what we spent developing the first Prius, so we are serious about what we intend to accomplish.We are also serious about our commitment to the European market, and hope that the new Toyota C-HR you see displayed here today is proof of that commitment.

From racing to robotics to real-world solutions to make cars more fun, more safe and more meaningful to our customers. We at Toyota, along with our partners, are committed to delivering future innovations in automotive technology.

Just as we invented hybrid technology, to help decrease emissions and improve the environment, we are also determined to create new innovations for the benefit of not just our customers but society as a whole.

We believe that that most important thing we can do as a company is not just improve how we build cars, but to dedicate ourselves to improving the lives of our customers, every day and in every way possible.

Thank you very much.

Conducting these activities under the umbrella of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing allows Toyota to develop its people and improve its products, thereby contributing to the creation of “ever-better cars”.

Under the leadership of Team Principal Tommi Mäkinen, Toyota is developing a rally vehicle scheduled to begin competing in 2017.

Using Microsoft technology, Toyota wants to maximize its competitiveness in WRC, whilst ensuring that learnings from the race course can be used to achieve the company’s vision of designing and manufacturing “ever-better cars”.Microsoft will support TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in three key areas:

• Development of a data analysis platform to gather, visualize and analyse various data related to driving which will be utilised in race activities.
• Creation of a team information-sharing system to allow team members to collaborate and share various materials such as images and videos efficiently and effectively using a cloud service.
• Enhancement of communication with fans utilizing the cloud and using Microsoft’s display devices to provide them with a front-row motorsports experience.

Today’s announcement builds on the existing partnership between Toyota and Microsoft.

Most recently, the two companies collaborated on the establishment of Toyota Connected, a new user experience and product-development company aimed at expanding, collecting and analysing large amounts of vehicle data to help further improve quality, safety and the driving and ownership experience for Toyota customers.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said: “I believe that, like Toyota, Microsoft aims to enrich society in meaningful ways.

Based on the on-going partnership, we aim to further develop our people and enhance our cars through the use of IT in motorsports to promote ‘ever-better cars’.”Toyota understands the important role that information technology must play in order to further accelerate the development of the automotive industry.

Gathering valuable data will help lay the foundation for the future of sustainable mobility. This, in turn, will help create a society in which everyone can live at ease, safely and freely. Another important contributor to a safer automotive future is the Toyota Research Institute¹ (TRI), which is focused on artificial intelligence for automobiles, robotics and scientific discovery.

TRI is bringing to life Toyota’s vision of autonomous driving, which follows a double approach. The first type of application is ‘Chauffeur Mode’, where the car is fully autonomous. It has the potential to offer mobility to those who would not otherwise have it, such as older people and those with special needs. In order to accomplish this safely, it is estimated that some 14.2 billion kilometres² of testing, including simulation, are required.

Microsoft is an important partner in the test-mile accumulation, since a lot of the work can be done through multi-agent simulation.

The second application of autonomous driving that Toyota is pursuing is the ‘Guardian Mode’ or high-level driver assist. This technology is a further evolution of current safety mechanisms such as Toyota Safety Sense, and is designed to support the driver as necessary, even taking over the car in certain circumstances. The knowledge that they have this safety net, will enable customers to enjoy their drive to the fullest.

The Toyota Research Institute, Toyota Connected and Microsoft are united in their efforts to use cutting edge technology to establish safer, cleaner and more convenient mobility.

Three more like-minded partners to support the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC teamThe Yaris WRC Test Car that was driven on the Paris Motor Show stage by 4-time WRC champion Tommi Mäkinen didn’t only reveal Microsoft as the technology partner for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC team. In addition to Michelin, who is the team tyre supplier, the car also carried the logos of the DMG MORI and Panasonic Corporation, two companies that relate to Toyota’s vision on motorsports, and that have partnered with Toyota for its 2017 WRC endeavour. 

¹ The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) was first announced in November 2015, and is a research and development enterprise focused on artificial intelligence for automobiles, robotics and scientific discovery. Funded by an initial commitment of1 billion USD over the next 5 years, TRI will help bridge the gap between fundamental research and product development.

² Figure based on the RAND Corporation study to establish the amount of testing required to demonstrate the failure rate of autonomous vehicles to a particular degree of precision.

Of those, “GAZOO Racing” in particular first entered the Nürburgring 24 Hours race in 2007 with two used Altezzas, supported by a team of mechanics that comprised employees selected from various departments within Toyota, under the belief that “the roads build the people, and the people build the cars”.

This was very much in line with the thinking of Toyota’s founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, who said already in 1952: “Motorsport is more than just entertainment. It is vital to the development of the car industry. Just as athletes test their capabilities by competing with all their strength in the Olympics, automakers use racing as an opportunity to push a vehicle’s performance to the limits and compete for supremacy, enabling them to discover new ways of advancing automotive technology.

”With this in mind, in April 2015, Toyota went back to the basis and united Toyota’s motorsports activities into “TOYOTA GAZOO Racing”, placing motorsports as a fundament in its commitment to make ever-better cars.Toyota’s technology has been further improved through participation in races, and has translated into improving its road cars. Between its first FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) race in 2012 and winning the championship in 2014, the experience with the highly performant powertrain featured in the TS030 and TS040 HYBRID LMP1 race cars significantly progressed the development of hybrid powertrain technology for its road-going models in areas such as downsizing and motor cooling.

By participating in motorsport activities Toyota has broadened its knowledge by stepping out of its comfort zone. Through these experiences it has been able to improve its skills, resulting in further development of human resources.

Last but not least, through motorsports, Toyota conveys the excitement of driving to its customers and fans, and shares its passion with them.

With Toyota’s return to the World Rally Championship in 2017, “TOYOTA GAZOO Racing” has singled out another highly demanding series where it will push its cars to the limit, in the pursuit of “Ever Better Cars”. 

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing activities in Europe 

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)The FIA World Endurance Championship includes endurance races of six hours or more in various locations throughout Europe, the US, and Asia. Most notable is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport and the most prominent event in endurance racing.TOYOTA has participated in Le Mans eighteen times since its first entry in 1985 and came extremely close to victory in the 2016 race. One of the TS050 HYBRID LMP1 race cars led convincingly until the final minutes of the 24-hour race before a heart-breaking retirement with victory in sight. The sister car finished in a consolatory second position.

Taking on Le Mans requires both exceptional speed and reliability, and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing continues to push ahead on this challenge by refining its hybrid system with ever-more sophisticated technologies. This hybrid system was developed in-house at Toyota, with members of the development team participating in the race as well. The team is made up of a diverse group of people - all of different ages and with different levels of experience - but everyone is on the same page when it comes to their common goal of “making ever-better cars”. 

Nürburgring 24 Hours Race

Every year, factory-backed and privateer teams across the globe take on “the world’s toughest race” at the Nürburgring. This year marked TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s tenth participation in the event as the team entered a Lexus RC, a Lexus RC F and the Toyota C-HR Racing.

Among a total race field of 158 cars, the Toyota C-HR Racing took 84th place in the overall standings and finished third in its class. In addition, the Lexus RC retired due to drivetrain issues, while the Lexus RC F took 24th place overall and finished first in its class.

The Nürburgring 24 Hours race plays an important role in helping Toyota to train ever-better personnel through the active involvement of mechanics, engineers and test drivers from Toyota’s road-car divisions.The goal of Toyota’s participation remains exactly the same as it was a decade ago: engage in demanding motorsports and incorporate the insights gained in its quest to “make ever-better cars”. 

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)

From smooth asphalt to rough, unpaved roads, the FIA World Rally Championship is a merciless and riveting high-speed chase through nearly every type of public road in the world. Drivers must instantly judge the road conditions in each country in this high-impact, full-throttle challenge.But building world rally cars is about far more than just theory. It’s about crafting a vehicle that can be driven to the limit on each and every type of road, based on thorough first-hand experience and knowledge. With this in mind, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has decided to take on the WRC in 2017.With Tommi Mäkinen spearheading the project, the Yaris WRC is nearing completion. The team is comprised of highly dedicated specialists who are passionate about rally racing. “The most important ingredient in creating a winning vehicle is to have a group of people with the same goal who all find joy in what they do,” says Mäkinen. “We want to show the world a team coming together under Toyota’s ‘I love cars!’ spirit as we work diligently towards our goals.” 

What is the purpose of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing?

Mr Saga: The purpose of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is quite straightforward, and goes back to the basic question of why we participate in motorsport.Our founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, left us a written text saying that “motorsports are vital to the evolution of car making and the entire auto industry”. Once you accept this principle, it is clear that motorsport is both very important, and always necessary. It is not something to pick up when times are good or drop when times are hard.That is why, last year, we decided to get back to this founding ideal and united Toyota’s motorsports activities under “TOYOTA GAZOO Racing”, clarifying the role of Toyota’s motor-sports to make ever-better cars. We also established the “TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Factory”, which includes motorsports-related marketing, vehicle development and technical support functions, previously all managed by individual divisions. By doing so, we are placing motorsports once again centrally, to develop better technology, to nurture our people and to reach out to our many fans around the world. 

What role has the Nürburgring 24 Hour race played in the evolution of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing?

Mr Tomoyama: The Nürburgring 24 Hours race was the starting point for GAZOO Racing. In 2007, we had our first race at Nürburgring as GAZOO Racing. It was not easy because the team was not well known in Europe and we had a very low budget. We started with two used Altezza (the Japanese version of Lexus IS). People participated voluntarily and all the modifications to the car were done by our staff. Even half of the drivers were made up of our own staff, including our President Mr. Akio Toyoda himself, who still provides his full support.Every year since then, we have taken promising young engineers and mechanics from our various R&D divisions and have placed them into our team for the Nürburgring 24 Hours. At the end of the year, they return to their original divisions with the new experience and knowledge that they gathered throughout the development of that year’s race car and during the race itself, which they then share with their colleagues, ultimately aiming to build better production cars. 

Can you explain what you mean by ever-better cars?

Mr Saga: Personally, I am confident that, at Toyota, we already make good cars. But our objective and purpose is to continually make our cars better. That means better technology, better functionality, and cars that are ultimately more user-friendly, more fun to drive and more secure. At the same time, we have many strict regulations worldwide when it comes to the environment, which we strive to meet.For example, we’re already on track with our hybrid systems, but they must also be capable of delivering a sporty driving experience. It’s a kind of dream for me personally, to have everyday hybrid road cars that provide comfort but are equally engaging to drive on a track. 

You both also have other roles within Toyota Motor Corporation, with Mr Saga as Chairman of the Power Train Company and Mr Tomoyama as President of the Connected Company. How do they relate to your motorsport roles?

Mr Saga: I used to be an engine designer, and the last engine I designed was the Century V12. I am a firm believer that our activities in the WEC are beneficial for our company. WEC wants to have hybrid cars participating in its series, and we are the leader of hybrid cars in the market, so there is a natural fit. When we think of the future, we have to get even better in this field, so what better platform than the WEC to create ever-better hybrid cars. 

Mr Tomoyama: Race cars are already connected through detailed telematics systems, but IT, IoT (Internet of Things) and connectivity are very important technologies that have to be implemented in our future cars.Cars need to be secure and user-friendly, particularly with an ageing population; however, we don’t want to produce boring cars with all this IT stuff. “Fun to drive” is a key promise we want to deliver to all our customers. We are looking at how technology can help make cars both fun to drive as well as secure and user-friendly - and our learning from motorsport can help us in this regard. 

What does success look like for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing?

Mr Saga: We have a number of short-term goals, such as winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans and becoming champions in the WRC once again. But just as importantly, we want to convey the GAZOO spirit in all that we do. We want to take things step by step and achieve small successes, but there is no ultimate goal because it’s a never-ending challenge. 

The meaning of GAZOO 

Today, “GAZOO” refers to the word “Garage”, a very intimate place where people work together to improve the smallest details, with the aim of delivering ever-better cars and services for each customer, in each garage. As such, the name embodies the spirit that drives TOYOTA GAZOO Racing.

But the origin of the name goes back nearly twenty years to the creation of GAZOO.com, a website gathering images of the vehicles on stock at each of the dealerships.. Its name, “GAZOO”, was derived from the Japanese word “gaz?” which means image or photo. Although the use of imagery on website is commonplace today, it was revolutionary for the automotive industry in Japan in the mid-1990s when internet technology was at its infancy. GAZOO.com offered consumers a wide choice of products, allowing them to find the best deal available, and this is where the philosophy of providing ever-better cars to the Toyota customer originates.

The TOYOTA FCV PLUS is another vehicle that makes its European debut. With this concept, Toyota examines how future hydrogen cars can contribute to society.

Furthermore, a large section of the stand will be reserved for a full Toyota C-HR display. This C-segment crossover makes its full public debut at Paris, after the exterior design was revealed at this year’s Geneva motor show.

And finally, the Toyota booth will celebrate the launch of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, the entity that now unites all Toyota motorsports activities under one umbrella, with the aim of placing motorsports central in Toyota’s pursuit to build ever-better cars.

The Toyota booth is located in Hall 4, and will also be the scene for the Toyota Press Conference, scheduled to take place at 13:15 on September 29th.