WEBWIRE – Friday, June 9, 2023
At a press conference of the Automobile Club de lOuest (ACO) at Circuit de la Sarthe in western France on June 9, Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda revealed for the first time the hydrogen engine vehicle prototype GR H2 Racing Concept.
Developed with future competition in its sights, the prototypes unveiling was spurred by a recent announcement by the ACO, the organizer of Le Mans 24 Hours, that it would allow hydrogen-engine vehicles to compete―in addition to fuel cell electric vehicles―in the races hydrogen category.
Speaking at the press conference, Toyoda congratulated the ACO on the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours (Le Mans) endurance race and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to hone cars through the race.
Toyota has been competing using a hydrogen-engine Corolla in the Super Taikyu Series since Round 3 of the 2021 season and raced the same car in the IDEMITSU 1500 SUPER ENDURANCE 2022 at Thailands Chang International Circuit in December 2022. By doing so, it has been honing its technologies in the harsh environment of motorsports and, with like-minded partners in and outside the automotive industry, accelerating its efforts for producing, transporting, and using hydrogen toward the realization of a carbon-neutral society. Toyota intends to further advance such efforts for making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and realizing a carbon-neutral society and it looks forward to taking on the challenge of a new generation of Le Mans 24 races.
The GR H2 Racing Concept will be on display at ACOs H2 Village at the venue of Le Mans during the race. (Exhibition period: Friday, June 9, from 9:30 a.m. local time to Sunday, June 11)
Comments by Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda
My congratulations to the ACO, and all involved, on the 100th anniversary of Le Mans. Le Mans is a place where we not only compete in one of the worlds most celebrated races but a place where we can push the boundaries of technology – a place where we can realize the future. We are grateful to the ACO and Le Mans for providing this unique opportunity to share our efforts with the world.
My goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in motorsports without sacrificing anything in terms of performance or excitement.
We look forward to our new GR H2 race car in view of the new Le Mans H2 class in the future.
The sound, the torque, the dynamics, its all there. Not only are we re-imagining the race car, were doing it with zero emissions. Heres to the next 100 years of checkered flags!
Comments by ACO President Pierre Fillon
This June 9, 2023 will be a milestone in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship: a manufacturer, and which manufacturer, the n゚1 in the world, has just presented its Hydrogen Endurance project. 100 years ago, the ACO created the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a real technological laboratory for a car in full development. Today, mobility is undergoing a revolution, that of the energy transition and the 24 hours of Le Mans participate in the search for sustainable technologies. Since 2018, the ACO, with MissionH24 and GreenGT, has been promoting hydrogen, a safe and efficient energy carrier. This day is a new crucial step for the creation of the Hydrogen category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Once again, Endurance demonstrates its commitment to sustainable mobility, in line with automotive players. I would like to salute this challenge from Toyota, the vision of these men and women. Toyoda San, by officially presenting this Hydrogen project today, you have left your mark on the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
GR H2 Racing Concept vehicle outline
Powertrain
Hydrogen engine + Hybrid system
Dimensions
Length (mm) 5,100 mm
Width (mm) 2,050 mm
VIDEO: GR H2 Racing Concept – World Premiere at Le Mans 24 Hours
May 7, 2023 | Business
– Starting May 15, 960 pairs of sneakers will be sold exclusively via nft.renault.com
– Renaults first virtual shop, it will offer an immersive shopping journey in 3D
– Each physical pair of one-of-a-kind individually-numbered sneakers will be manufactured once their NFT version has been purchased. They come with a digital passport, in NFT format, which certifies ownership and authenticates the origin of the material used to make them
WEBWIRE – Friday, May 5, 2023
RACING SHOE5 is a clear sign that being a part of the R3NLT program means being part of a unique relationship with the Renault brand! All it takes to live the RACING SHOE5 experience is to push open the doors of our first online shop dedicated to our collectors edition sneakers.
Arnaud Belloni, Global Marketing Director of Renault
Following the success of the first drop of genR5, Renault is launching a limited edition of 960 pairs of sneakers inspired by the R5 Turbo.
The collection can be seen at nft.renault.com Renaults first 3D virtual shop, the online showroom boasts a brand-new audio-visual experience. Having first chosen an avatar, visitors can then discover the collectors edition RACING SHOE5 in R5 Turbo colours.
The collection comes in six custom-made models: five inspired by the flagship R5 Turbo models, and a sixth design developed with the web3 R3NLT community as a tribute to the R5 TURBO 3E show-car.
Renault has taken key features of the iconic R5 Turbo to the collectors sneakers: the shoes rear inclination represents the chassis of the car, the inside was inspired by the upholstery, and the laces are a nod to the seat belts.
One final tribute, each model has been made into 160 unique pairs, inspired by the R5 Turbos 160 horsepower.
Renault has pushed innovation even further by integrating an NFC chip into the shoe. Scanning the chip gives access to shoes certificate of authenticity in NFT form. It contains the shoes key information: composition, materials, manufacturing traceability. This data is written on a blockchain1.
All 960 pairs of sneakers are made using LWG (Leather Working Group) certified leather. Each pair of one-of-a-kind individually-numbered sneakers will be made following the purchase of the NFT version for 265.
Members of the R3NLT community will have exclusive access to the online store on May 15. The following day, the site will be opened to anyone who signed up for early access. Lastly, general public access to nft.renault.com will begin on May 17.
Renaults second NFT drop is a unique opportunity for fans of the brand to purchase an exclusive pair of sneakers, enjoy an immersive 3D experience, and have an exclusive meeting with the Renault designers at the Renault Research and Development Center. Sneakers owners will also be given access to an exclusive and customizable range of merchandising.
1 Blockchain technology is a fast and secure database used to store and send information.
About Renault
Renault, a historic mobility brand and pioneer of electric vehicles in Europe, has always developed innovative vehicles. With the Renaulution strategic plan, Renault has embarked on an ambitious, value-generating transformation moving towards a more competitive, balanced and electrified range. Its ambition is to embody modernity and innovation in technology, energy and mobility services in the automotive industry and beyond.