In January, sports car racing in general and the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship was dealt what seemed a devastating blow by Peugeot canning its Le Mans program with immediate effect. Thanks in large part to the Toyota team filling at least part of its large footsteps, the effect of the momentous decision was not as big as many feared.
Audi did remain loyal to the sport and introduced not one but two new cars. The most interesting, and our favourite sports racer of the year was the R18 e-tron quattro. This innovative machine combined a now conventional diesel engine with a hybrid system consisting of two electric motors connected to the front wheels and a Williams flywheel to store the energy. It dominated at the all-important 24 Hours of Le Mans and made history by scoring the first outright victory with a hybrid car. The Le Mans-winning squad also ended the year as the first FIA World Endurance Champions. To mark the occasion, we have created a 48-shot gallery of the revolutionary Audi.
For their valiant efforts at Le Mans and their three victories late in the year, the Toyota team and their TS030 Hybrid can not go unmentioned. Using a naturally aspirated V8 and a supercapacitor hybrid system, it was a fundamentally different design than the Audi but it proved to be as quick and even quicker. Despite a short and troublesome preparation, the TS030 excelled in the opening stages of Le Mans, ensuring the race was not the fait accompli many feared. The team was rewarded with three victories, including a win at 'home' on the Fuji Speedway. To complement the Audi gallery, we have dug our 36 best shots of the striking TS030.

Enjoy the links:

2012 Audi R18 e-tron quattro - Images, Specifications and Information

2012 Toyota TS030 Hybrid - Images, Specifications and Information