The Toyota Gazoo Racing division has been rolled out great cars since its inception in 2007. From the revived Supra to the rally-ready GR Yaris, the GR models have turned Toyota into a surprise go-to brand for performance vehicles. Even the GR Sport trucks and SUVs have been a hit for the brand.
But Gazoo Racing has another car in store for us. It will be presented during this year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Toyota has even provided a teaser photo of the concept. The brand isn’t saying what exact model it is just yet, but there’s a possibility of it being a Prius.
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Before you start sending angry letters to Toyota Gazoo Racing, you have to remember that the all-new Prius has all the potential to be a performance car. After all, it rides on the TNGA-C platform that’s also used in the GR Corolla. Not only that, the standard version of the Prius is quick. We’re not talking quick for a Prius, but rather, fast by any standard. The new Prius packs 196hp and the plug-in hybrid version (Prius Prime) makes 220hp. Heck, the Prius Prime can do the 0 to 100kph sprint in the six-second range.
So, why do we reckon Toyota will show a GR-fied Prius concept at this year’s Le Mans 24 hour race? According to the brand, the car will introduce “efforts to realize a Carbon Neutral society in Japan”. The concept will also feature “technologies that have been developed through numerous challenges in motorsports participation will be exhibited.”
Buzzwords aside, Toyota Gazoo Racing hints at a green performance concept, and the Prius ticks all the right boxes to push the brand’s green initiative forward. If anything, the concept might be a hotter version of the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid.
Toyota is no stranger to making racing hybrids. Its winning Le Mans racers have been hybrid-powered for over a decade. If Toyota presents a Prius with Le Mans-winning tech, we'd totally be on board with that.
