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Despite the intense frequency of fatality-free dynamic validation testing being done by manufacturers at the Nürburgring, it remains a dangerous job and accidents do happen.
In a tragic state of affairs, Toyota’s chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse (67), was killed when his LFA Nürburgring Edition collided head-on with a BMW whilst en route from Toyota’s workshop to the circuit on highway 410 Wednesday afternoon.
The BMW, a standard production car, was also being driven by a test driver who was seriously injured along with his passenger.
Occupants in both vehicles were wearing full track regalia which included helmets, underlying the severity of the impact.
Naruse was piloting a two-tone yellow and black LFA Nürburgring Edition at the time, which was undergoing the high speed endurance testing phase of its homologation.
According to preliminary reports Naruse allegedly veered into the oncoming lane, colliding with the BMW. Police are investigating the incident and the consequences of a tyre failure have not been ruled out.
A master car craftsman
Naruse had a near-legendary standing in the top gun world of professional test driving. He was probably the most respected Japanese driver at the Nurburgring.
After joining Toyota in 1963 as a mechanic he was nearly assigned to the accounting division due to his mastery of the abacus. Fortunately Naruse ended up in vehicle evaluation and engineering, where he spent a career fettling cars which were almost at odds with Toyota’s conservative image.
It was Naruse’s move to Switzerland in 1970, where he fulfilled a crucial role in the formative years of Toyota’s motorsport division, which saw his him hone the driving skills that would gain him renown at various European circuits. Naruse was a driving force behind Toyota’s debut participation in the fabled Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps endurance races.
Naruse’s influence on rear-wheel drive Toyota performance cars was all encompassing. From the seminal 2000GT to the contemporary LFA (not discounting all those MR2s and Supras in between) final production approval was only given if the car in question possessed performance and dynamic finesse meeting Naruse’s exacting standards. Naruse always referred to this process of dynamic validation as "automotive seasoning".
Beyond his key role as chief test driver, Naruse was also company CEO Akio Toyoda's personal on-track driver and head of the Gazoo racing team – which runs the Lexus LFA cars that won their class at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours.
In a tragic state of affairs, Toyota’s chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse (67), was killed when his LFA Nürburgring Edition collided head-on with a BMW whilst en route from Toyota’s workshop to the circuit on highway 410 Wednesday afternoon.
The BMW, a standard production car, was also being driven by a test driver who was seriously injured along with his passenger.
Occupants in both vehicles were wearing full track regalia which included helmets, underlying the severity of the impact.
Naruse was piloting a two-tone yellow and black LFA Nürburgring Edition at the time, which was undergoing the high speed endurance testing phase of its homologation.
According to preliminary reports Naruse allegedly veered into the oncoming lane, colliding with the BMW. Police are investigating the incident and the consequences of a tyre failure have not been ruled out.
A master car craftsman
Naruse had a near-legendary standing in the top gun world of professional test driving. He was probably the most respected Japanese driver at the Nurburgring.
After joining Toyota in 1963 as a mechanic he was nearly assigned to the accounting division due to his mastery of the abacus. Fortunately Naruse ended up in vehicle evaluation and engineering, where he spent a career fettling cars which were almost at odds with Toyota’s conservative image.
It was Naruse’s move to Switzerland in 1970, where he fulfilled a crucial role in the formative years of Toyota’s motorsport division, which saw his him hone the driving skills that would gain him renown at various European circuits. Naruse was a driving force behind Toyota’s debut participation in the fabled Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps endurance races.
Naruse’s influence on rear-wheel drive Toyota performance cars was all encompassing. From the seminal 2000GT to the contemporary LFA (not discounting all those MR2s and Supras in between) final production approval was only given if the car in question possessed performance and dynamic finesse meeting Naruse’s exacting standards. Naruse always referred to this process of dynamic validation as "automotive seasoning".
Beyond his key role as chief test driver, Naruse was also company CEO Akio Toyoda's personal on-track driver and head of the Gazoo racing team – which runs the Lexus LFA cars that won their class at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours.
