TOKYO, Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Racing won both the Manufacturers and the Drivers categories of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), a series of eight endurance races, including the renowned Le Mans 24 Hours event, held on international road racing circuits.

Toyota Racing expresses sincere gratitude to our fans for their encouragement and our partners for their support.

Images from Round 8 in Sao Paulo on Nov. 30, and Round 7 in Bahrain on Nov. 15 of FIA WEC 2014 are available for free on the following site (Editorial use only).

http://www.image.net/toyota_wec2014

The WEC is one of the five major classes of automotive competition sanctioned by the Federation International de l'Automobile (FIA).

After winning several WRC titles Toyota first entered the re-established WEC series in 2012, where the strong competition included Audi and, this year, Porsche. Having won five of the eight races in 2014 Toyota Racing secured the WEC Manufacturers and Drivers titles.

Toyota launched its first hybrid car, the Prius, in 1997, a pioneering venture that surprised the automobile industry with its unrivalled combination of exceptional fuel economy and high performance. Since the launch Toyota's Hybrid System has continued to evolve as a state-of-the-art, energy efficient yet powerful source of automotive propulsion.

Toyota's Hybrid System consists of a gasoline engine and an electric motor seamlessly mated together to provide energy efficiency and high performance in a reliable package. Uniquely, Toyota's environmentally-friendly production car features performance capabilities that make it enjoyable to drive.

To prepare for its entry in the WEC the Toyota Hybrid System Racing (THS-R) was mounted in the various cars and developed further in Japanese races. The decision to improve the technology through racing was in keeping with Toyota's philosophy of pursuing perfection through competition. Expectations and confidence were high but still had to pass the supreme test.

Toyota's crowning achievement in 2014 took place at the final race in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Since the championships were won using the same hybrid technology available in its production vehicles, the chief beneficiaries of the sporting success in the WEC are those who choose Toyotas for their personal transport.

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SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales & Marketing Corporation