Lexus Returns to Targa Newfoundland with Hybrid Power

Having proved that its hybrid technology is up to extreme road rallying with an eye-opening performance in the 2,200-kilometre Targa Newfoundland 2007, Team Lexus is back with high hopes of improving on that performance. In 2007, against an international field of competitors, the Team placed 18th overall, 6th in the modern division, and won praise from other teams and motorsports enthusiasts at every stage of the week-long event. This year, Team Lexus returns to The Rock to take on the competition in the Sirius Satellite Radio President’s Challenge for Manufacturers, which runs September 13th to 20th.
The performance-oriented Lexus GS 450h, powered by the fuel-efficient and environmentally-aware Lexus Hybrid Drive, is once again the only hybrid vehicle that dares take the Targa challenge. Prepped for Targa with performance exhaust, shock absorbers, full racing gear and safety cage, the GS 450h is raring to bust any pre-conceived notions that hybrids are not rally-worthy.
Marc Lachapelle returns to the driver’s seat for a second year. Marc is a seasoned automotive journalist who contributes to Autonet, Le Guide de l’auto, MSN Autos US, and more. An avid motor sports enthusiast, he has raced cars for many years. Marc’s co-driver, 26-year-old Alan Ockwell, won his first navigational rally at age nine and has notched five overall victories and 20 podium finishes, including placing 2nd overall in the Grand Touring division at Targa Newfoundland 2006. The two are backstopped by the seasoned Lexus technical team.
The Targa Newfoundland 2008 starts and ends in St. John’s. In between, drivers and vehicles face a six-day competition over 2,200 kilometres of challenging roads through the central and eastern portion of the island. The course consists of a mix of public road stages on which all rules of the road apply, and several closed-road Targa speed sections (representing approximately 20 per cent of the course), over which drivers can push their vehicles to the limits. In the evenings, the Lexus GS 450h will join the other entries on display for local rally fans.
You can follow our Team Lexus entry and the Lexus GS 450h’s day-by-day progress by visiting our daily blog for exciting updates on the Targa Experience.