Akio Toyoda believes that Toyota can be much sportier. Beyond the 86 and Supra, the automaker from Japan looks forward to 2020 for the introduction of the GR Super Sport. The mid-engine hybrid hypercar will also take on the World Endurance Championship, competing against the likes of the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Shot in Japan at the Fuji Speedway, the prototype of the GR Super Sport has been driven by none other than Akio Toyoda. The replacement for the TS050 Hybrid looks more like a racing car than a road-going model, but fret not because Toyota will manufacture at least 100 examples of the breed.
The prototype is RHD, and as far as the exterior design is concerned, Toyota appears to have been inspired by Group C racing cars. Developed to replace two classes in the World Endurance Championship, Group C went out without a bang after the 1994 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Porsche won that race with the Dauer 962, and Toyota finished second overall with the 94C-V that was adapted from Group C2 to LMP1 regulations.
Toyota expects the GR Super Sport to develop in the ballpark of 1,000 PS (986 horsepower), coming courtesy of an internal combustion engine and an unspecified number of electric motors. The TS050 Hybrid, for reference, utilizes a twin-turbo V6 with 2.4 liters of displacement and two electric motors for a grand total of 1,000 PS (986 horsepower).
The FIA published the provisional technical regulations for the 2020 – 2021 season in December 2018. Both the road-going car and racing car have to share the engine and ERS system, and the racing car is limited to 708 kW (962 PS or 950 horsepower) combined.
The ACO followed up in June 2019 with further regulations, including a weight limit of 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds) and a combined output of 550 kW (estimated to 750 horsepower by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest). In other words, the hypercar class will be heavier, larger, and less powerful than the LMP1 Hybrid class.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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