The Corporation Toyota Motor 's chief test pilot, Hiromu Naruse, died in a car accident yesterday in Germany, the largest automaker in the world said.
Naruse, 67, killed in a crash near the test track, the New York Times reported yesterday, citing a German newspaper Rhein-Zeitung. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG vehicle moves another test pilot, was involved in an accident, the cause of which still unclear, the report said.
"We are surprised by the sudden sad news," Mieko Iwasaki, Tokyo spokesman for Toyota, said by phone today. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to the people who have been in an accident." Iwasaki declined to comment on details of the accident until the investigation is completed.
Naruse joined Toyota City, Japan-based automaker in 1963 and participated in the development of sports cars, including the 2000GT and the Lexus LFA, according to the report of the Times.
