Anticipation mounts as Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division prepares to unveil a new GR-badged concept car at this year’s 24 Hour of Le Mans. While speculation runs rampant, one intriguing possibility emerges: the next concept car could very well be a race-ready Prius, blending performance and sustainability.
Toyota’s presence at the 24 Hour of Le Mans event will feature several exhibitions showcased in the Manufacturer’s Village and ACO fan zone. Among these exhibitions, one stands out—a concept car that Toyota plans to leverage the introduction of groundbreaking technological innovations, furthering the company’s commitment to carbon-neutral aspirations. It’s a bold conjecture, but there are compelling reasons to believe that this concept car might indeed be a Prius, donning the exhilarating mantle of Gazoo Racing.
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Analyzing the teaser image with enhanced exposure settings, intriguing details emerge. The car exhibits the same tow hook design and placement as the current road-going Prius, while the grille appears strikingly similar, echoing the distinctive headlight array segmentation seen in the aforementioned four-door hybrid.
In addition, Toyota Gazoo Racing has revealed that this concept car will be equipped with cutting-edge vehicle technologies developed through rigorous motorsports challenges. Notably, the ongoing participation of a liquid hydrogen-powered Corolla concept car in the Fuji 24 Hours endurance race—the GR Corolla H2 Concept—places it at the forefront of Toyota’s alternative powertrain motorsports endeavours. Serving as an embodiment of the brand’s Beyond Zero campaign, this Corolla concept may offer valuable insights into the underlying foundation of Gazoo Racing’s forthcoming concept car.
While we approach this speculation with caution, it is worth noting that the most performance-focused iteration of the Prius already boasts an impressive power output of 164 kW, achieving a standstill sprint to 100 km/h in a mere 6,7 seconds. This variant derives its motivation from a potent 2,0-litre Plug-in Hybrid power plant, featuring a high-capacity drive battery and a high-output drive motor—a powertrain that could potentially find its way into Gazoo Racing’s next concept car.
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With the 24 Hours of Le Mans scheduled to commence on June 10th, only time will reveal the truth. Until then, the automotive world is invited to indulge in speculation and eagerly await the unveiling of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s latest masterpiece.
