Toyota Outlines 2015 Motorsports Activities, Announces
Return to World Rally Championship

Toyota City, Japan, January 30, 2015―Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) today announces its Toyota Racing, Lexus Racing and GAZOO Racing motorsports activities for 2015.

Toyota also announces that it will return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2017, to compete in the series for the first time since 1999. The rally vehicle will be based on the "Yaris" hatchback and will be developed and tested by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG).

Toyota views motorsports as an ideal medium for conveying the anticipation and excitement that driving can produce, and will strive to expand the reach of motorsports to attract a wide range of car enthusiasts.

Toyota hopes to use these activities to hone its people, automobiles and technologies, and use the experience and expertise gained to develop ever-better cars.

Toyota Racing will continue to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and play a supporting role for teams competing in U.S. NASCAR, Japanese Super Formula and the Dakar Rally.

Lexus Racing will compete in Japan's top-level Super GT and provide the Lexus "RC F GT3" globally for use in grass-roots motorsports.

This year GAZOO Racing will again take part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race, as it has with a team of employees since 2007 with the aim of personnel development. It will now increase these activities by entering a staff team in the All Japan Rally Championship and having Toyota mechanics participate in Japan's Super Taikyu series. In addition to providing a full range of grass-roots motorsports events such as the GAZOO Racing 86/BRZ Race and GAZOO Racing "Waku-Doki" driving, it has also established a support program to nurture professional rally drivers.

Going forward, Toyota will continue to work together with its affiliates to promote activities for consumers to see, learn about and experience motorsports, thereby contributing to the creation of ever-better cars, satisfying the passion of car lovers and bringing the joy of cars to an even wider audience.

1. FIA World Rally Championship (starting in 2017)

• Toyota has started preparations for its return in 2017, judging this event to be a leading stage to promote its ever-better-cars activities.
• Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is developing and testing the engine and vehicle, which is based on the Yaris.
• Between 1973 and 1999 (with a temporary suspension between 1996 and 1997), Toyota won 43 WRC rallies and won the championship three times.

2. FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)

• Toyota will compete in the eight FIA-sanctioned world endurance championship races continued from 2012.
• Highlights of the series include: Le Mans 24-hour race (June 13-14), the third race of the series; and the 6 Hours of Fuji race (October 10-11), the sixth race of the series.
• Toyota Racing plans to race further improved TS040 Hybrid vehicles from TMG. Toyota is currently applying to field two vehicles in all eight races.
• The THS-R powertrain, developed at Toyota's Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Japan, incorporates last year's V8 engine and front and rear motors/generators to better power all wheels. Toyota plans to utilize the advanced hybrid technologies obtained from these activities in its mass-production hybrid vehicles.
• All vehicles will be equipped with Michelin tires.
• Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi, who won the drivers' championship last season, join Kazuki Nakajima in car No. 1, while Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway will race in car No. 2.
• Kazuki Nakajima, who was unable to compete in all WEC races last season due to other racing commitments, is scheduled to compete in all eight WEC races.

4. Dakar Rally

• Toyota supported Toyota Auto Body, Co., Ltd.'s Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body (TLC), which races with Toyota "Land Cruiser 200" vehicles.
• At the Dakar Rally 2015, the team's two vehicles finished in first and second place in the production vehicle division, for the second consecutive year.

5. Japanese Championship Super Formula

• For the top category of Japanese formula car races, Toyota has developed a two-liter four-cylinder RI4A direct-injection gasoline turbo engine, which it is supplying for 10 vehicles in six teams.
• All vehicles will be equipped with Bridgestone tires.
• In 2015, Kamui Kobayashi, a graduate of the Toyota Young Drivers Program, will return.

6. Super GT GT300 Class

Toyota Racing will compete in the GT300 class with a Toyota "Prius" hybrid.

7. Driver Development in Japan

1. Toyota Young Drivers Program

This program is aimed at cultivating young drivers who hope to compete in top racing categories throughout the world. It is dedicated to identifying new talent and helping participants improve their driving and racing skills.

2. Formula Toyota Racing School in Japan (August 10–13, 2015)

Formula Toyota Racing School provides a way for Toyota to conduct driving education and expand its motorsports foundation through the discovery and cultivation of Japanese racing drivers able to compete in top racing categories around the world. Support for race participation will be provided in 2016 and onward to the participants deemed to have the greatest driving potential.

3. Japanese FIA-F4

From this year, Toyota Racing will support young drivers competing in the Japanese FIA-F4 entry class formula category, with seven events and 14 races.

2. Developing Vehicles for Private Team Racing

Lexus Racing will develop an RC F GT3 based on the Lexus RC F for the global stage, to promote grass-roots motorsports and convey Lexus' sporting image. This first year, a total of three vehicles will be built for Japan and Europe. In Japan, the LM Corsa team is scheduled to race in the Super GT GT300 class, which will compete with the RC F GT3.

3. New Lexus Racing logo

Lexus Racing's logo has been redesigned to globally promote Lexus' sports image and the brand's "F" and "F Sport" vehicles.

3. GAZOO Racing

1. Aiming to create ever-better cars

GAZOO Racing places importance on developing both people and vehicles through the feedback of technology and expertise to produce ever-better production vehicles, and is promoting the development of personnel in the fields of racing and rallies that are able to add flavor and spice to vehicles, known as "automotive seasoning". The development of such talent will lead to the continued commercialization of GRMN, G's and other models that bring even greater driving enjoyment to car enthusiasts.

1. Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race

• GAZOO Racing will enter two vehicles―a Lexus "LFA Code X" and a newly added Lexus "RC"―in the 43rd Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race, to be held in Germany from May 14 to May 17.
• The GAZOO Racing team has been competing in the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race since 2007. By providing its own engineers and technicians for the whole process from vehicle development to race team support, Toyota aims for the race to serve as an opportunity to cultivate personnel able to develop ever-better vehicles.

2. Super Taikyu series

Since 2012, GAZOO Racing has sponsored Tom's Spirit, a team competing with the "86", and will compete again this year with the GAZOO Racing Spirit 86. Furthermore, Toyota will dispatch engineers and mechanics to learn vehicle development skills and be trained as automotive seasoning personnel. GAZOO Racing driversTakuto Iguchi, Naoya Gamou, and Takamitsu Matsui will compete in all six races, with Masahiko Kageyama as director.

Super Taikyu Organization website (Japanese language): www.supertaikyu.com

3. All-Japan Rally Championship

GAZOO Racing will compete as Team GAZOO Racing in the rally championship, which is the pinnacle of Japanese rallying. Participation will take a comprehensive form, with staff acting as mechanics and involvement ranging from vehicle development to racing aimed at handing down expertise for educational and vehicle development purposes. GAZOO Racing aims to commence participation around mid-2015.

2. Creating more car fans

Throughout the year, GAZOO Racing will link regions and circuits around Japan to provide venues and a full range of driving experiences for people to enjoy getting close to and driving cars. This year, GAZOO Racing will boost support for people who aim to compete in participatory motorsports such as one-make racing.

2. TRD Rally Challenge

Toyota employees will participate as drivers, co-drivers and mechanics to improve their rally knowledge and skills. Toyota also aims to promote rallies and contribute to the local community through participating and disseminating information on the event.

3. GAZOO Racing Challenge Program

GAZOO Racing will carry out programs in the circuit racing and rally fields.

• Circuit racing: GAZOO Racing plans to introduce the S Endurance Challenge program, which will give drivers who place highly in a GAZOO Racing 86/BRZ Race an opportunity to compete in the Super Taikyu Series.
• Rally: Working together with Tommi Mäkinen1, GAZOO Racing is implementing a program to develop young Japanese rally drivers for the global stage.

4. GAZOO Racing "Waku Doki" circuit events and sports driving lessons

In addition to providing the public with a deeper understanding of basic vehicle operations, GAZOO Racing is delivering programs designed for beginners to easily and safely enjoy cars and get a taste of circuit racing. In total, 13 Regular Circuit Racing Programs will be held around Japan in 2015.

In addition, GAZOO Racing will conduct a program of activities at Mega Web in Tokyo and other venues, enabling people to experience full braking and slalom driving. GAZOO Racing will also offer sports driving lessons in eight different sessions at circuits around Japan for drivers wanting to improve their sports driving proficiency or to take the next step and compete in events such as the 86/BRZ Race.

1. "Waku Doki" circuit event (full braking and slalom experience)²
2. "Waku Doki" regular circuit racing program
3. Sports driving lessons

5. Providing venues for car enthusiasts

Toyota will promote initiatives to increase venues and opportunities for car enthusiasts to get together around vehicles.

• Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival
  The festival attracts a large number of car enthusiasts of everything from racing cars to well-cared-for personal cars. Toyota again plans to hold the festival at Fuji Speedway in November.
• GAZOO Racing exhibits at custom car shows in Japan
  By organizing GAZOO Racing displays at custom car shows such as the Tokyo Auto Salon held in Japan every year, Toyota interacts with car enthusiasts looking at the latest GRMN, G's and concept cars, and obtains feedback for product planning.