By: IOL Motoring Staff
Le Mans, France - There are actually two works Toyotas making their endurance-racing debut at this weekend's 24-hour classic. Out on the track the 740kW TS040 Hybrid will be contesting 'Les 24 Heures du Mans' - to give it its official title - for the first time.
Meanwhile, parked in the paddock, the PR040, a special camper conversion based on a Proace van, is being tested as a media centre and 'crash pad' for a team of journalists.
The one-off PR040 is unmistakeable - it's finished in the in the same Toyota Motorsport racing livery as its sports-car sister model.
But this one is built for comfort, not for speed.
Based on a long-wheelbase Proace (which superceded the Hi-Ace in EU markets) the PR040 has a 94kW, two-litre turbodiesel.
It's been transformed by Staffordshire-based specialist G&P into a four-berth hotel on wheels, complete with its own water supply, gas hob, fridge-freezer, microwave oven, TV, work surfaces and power-points for charging cameras, phones, tablets and laptops.
The PRO40 was built to Toyota motorsport specifications, but G&P can build you a similar home away from home for about £12 000 (R216 000) - not including the price of the van!
SPECIFICATIONS
Fold away double bed
Roof bed for two
Twin-burner hob
Sink unit and on-board water supply
39 litre fridge with 5.3 litre freezer compartment
Driver and front passenger seats with full swivel function
Dining table and courtesy table
Television with Freeview reception
Microwave oven
220-volt power hook-up with 220-volt and 12-volt sockets
LED lighting
Diesel-powered heating system
Fire extinguisher