The following news article appeared on the WWW this morning
TOYOTA TESTS F1 CAR INDOORS
Top Gear stunt makes a racket
Mind the cones....Toyota decided to wake up the venue for next week's British Motor Show at ExCel by blasting through it with its F1 car, with Top Gear's Stig at the wheel.
The vast exhibition hall in London’s Docklands was the arena for the UK’s first indoor F1 trial on Monday, with the Panasonic Toyota Racing TF105 demonstrating its straight-line acceleration and braking power for the BBC's Top Gear programme.
It's intended as a high-octane curtain-raiser for the company's contribution to this year’s motor show. Piloted by The Stig, the V8-powered TF105 was tweaked to cope with the exceptional conditions, not least the ultra-smooth surface. Slick Bridgestone tyres were fitted, gear ratios were adjusted, brakes were pre-warmed, maximum revs were reduced from around 19,000 to 16,000 and the car’s traction control system was working at full capacity.
Just how the race car performed, compared to Top Gear’s more modest "reasonably priced car", will be revealed in the programme that goes out this Sunday on BBC2 at 20.00. The same day, in the real world of Grand Prix competition, Panasonic Toyota Racing will be looking to build on its showing at Indianapolis, where Jarno Trulli claimed fourth, and challenge for a podium at the French Grand Prix.
Last weekend, the Toyota TF105 thrilled the crowds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with official test driver Ricardo Zonta at the wheel. The F1 car ran a total of six times on the famous hill climb, with the last run reserved for the customary tyre tread laying ‘burnout’.
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