Toyota pins hopes of Le Mans win on DSM’s lightweight materials

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is hoping to win the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race for the first time in 2018 thanks to lightweight materials from DSM.

The 86th edition of the automobile endurance event will take place this weekend, 16-17 June 2018, at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France.

Toyota has been trying to win this race since 1985, and, following a near-win in 2016, says it is “committed to winning” the upcoming edition by integrating the latest cutting-edge motorsport technologies developed by Royal DSM – including carbon with Dyneema.

Dyneema is DSM’s premium brand for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre, UD and fabric. It combines maximum strength with minimum weight and is 15 times stronger than steel and 40 per cent stronger than aramid fiber, both on weight-for-weight basis.

Creating a winning formula? 

In 2017, TMG entered a unique technology partnership with DSM. The agreement involves working closely together in applying DSM materials and technology relevant to the automotive sector, such as engineering plastics, 3D Printing and other cutting-edge technologies such Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF).

DSM says carbon with Dyneema is a key material of interest for the automotive industry as, compared to pure carbon composites, this hybrid increases impact resistance by 100 per cent – while also becoming shatterproof.

For Toyota’s latest model, carbon with Dyneema was applied to various bodywork components.

“Particularly in those vulnerable areas around the front and behind the wheels, Dyneema can play an important role – by stopping the carbon from breaking,” explained Hans Plug, New Business Development Manager at DSM Dyneema.

Another advantage of carbon with Dyneema is that it is relatively lighter than traditional carbon composites.

“Lightness is everything for us: the lighter the car, the faster it goes. We even pay attention to how many stickers we use, just to save a few grams,” said Peter Hesse, General Manager Supply Chain Management at TMG.

“We are determined to win Le Mans and we will give everything to do so.”

In the short documentary ‘Conquering Le Mans’, you can hear more about TMG’s commitment to winning the upcoming edition by integrating the latest cutting-edge motorsport technologies developed by Royal DSM.