Hiromu Naruse, Toyota's chief test driver, dies behind wheel of LFA in Germany

**EKaru** · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 06:56:48 PM

Quote:

We don't have much in the way of details yet, but according to a report out of Germany, Toyota's chief test driver has died in a crash on highway 410 near the Nurburgring after veering into the oncoming lane and colliding with two others test drivers driving a BMW.

While the two BMW test drivers survived the crash, the yet-unnamed Toyota driver died behind the wheel of the recently spied LFA Nurburgring Edition he was driving.

The report says that the driver of the LF-A was 67 years old and Toyota's chief test driver, which leads us to believe that he is Hiromu Naruse, In addition to being the company's chief test driver, Naruse is also Akio Toyoda's personal driver and the Godfather of the LFA.

More information should be forthcoming.

UPDATE: The two drivers in the BMW sustained lift-threatening injuries and one is in critical condition.
UPDATE 2: Video of the scene added after the jump.
UPDATE 3: Spiegel is confirming that Naruse was the driver.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/23/b...-germany-ring/

**EKaru** · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 06:59:28 PM

Here are the cars he was involved with developing:
http://gazoo.com/racing/english/vol_01/page04.asp

King Luis · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 06:59:49 PM

just read that....pretty nuts. wonder what speeds were done.

M3_Dust · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:01:55 PM

that is horrible

samosa · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:02:24 PM

That's so sad.

Serious · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:07:04 PM

If you watch the video it actually looks like the LFA has a harness installed (which makes sense if its the nurburgring edition)... and the airbag went off. The LFA is carbon as well, which from F1 we know to be amazing as energy dissappation in an accident.

I'm very suprised the BMW drivers lived and the LFA driver did not. Props to BMW's engineering, RIP to the LFA driver.

**EKaru** · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:07:47 PM

Can anyone translate the Vid in my first post?

**EKaru** · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:11:58 PM

Please sheath any brand preferences in this thread...

RSRlover4life · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:14:21 PM

Wasn't this guy a legend or something in Japanese racing?

I recall he was also the man who tested the GT-R's?

Rest in Peace

Sarajevo · Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:32:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EKaru

Can anyone translate the Vid in my first post?

short version

All he said is that he acknowledges the accident and that the Toyota driver is dead while the BMW test drivers are in the hospital. No official comment on what exactly happened as the investigators are trying to re-construct the events of the accident.

aka

didn't tell us nything

Wed, Jun-23-2010, 06:59:28 PM	#2
EKaru Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Age: 38 Posts: 32,310 Reputation: 766 Location: PA & MD	Here are the cars he was involved with developing: http://gazoo.com/racing/english/vol_01/page04.asp Last edited by EKaru; Wed, Jun-23-2010 at 07:03:55 PM.

Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:07:04 PM	#6
Serious Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 4,571 In the garage: '12 BMW S1000rr '07 AUDI RS4 QUATTRO '86 BMW 635CSI Reputation: 0 Location: Seattle	If you watch the video it actually looks like the LFA has a harness installed (which makes sense if its the nurburgring edition)... and the airbag went off. The LFA is carbon as well, which from F1 we know to be amazing as energy dissappation in an accident. I'm very suprised the BMW drivers lived and the LFA driver did not. Props to BMW's engineering, RIP to the LFA driver. __________________

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Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:07:47 PM	#7
EKaru Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Age: 38 Posts: 32,310 Reputation: 766 Location: PA & MD	Can anyone translate the Vid in my first post?

Wed, Jun-23-2010, 07:11:58 PM	#8
EKaru Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Age: 38 Posts: 32,310 Reputation: 766 Location: PA & MD	Please sheath any brand preferences in this thread...