Toyota Confirms Plans For A New “Super Sports Car”, Likely Based On The GR Super Sport

Toyota Gazoo Racing has used the 24 Hours of Le Mans of announce plans to build a next-generation super sports car.

The company was tight-lipped on specifics but seemed to suggest the car was previewed by the GR Super Sport concept. While Toyota wasn’t ready to go into details, the automaker said the production model is already under development and will use “cutting-edge hybrid electric systems and fuel efficiency technologies” that the World Endurance Championship team has tested and refined over the past six years.

In a statement, Toyota Gazoo Racing President Shigeki Tomoyama said “Competing in the World Endurance Championship – one of the most demanding motorsport series – and racing at Le Mans helps us to advance the development of our world-leading hybrid electric technology and enables us to transfer the knowledge we gain to our production cars.” He went on to say the automotive industry is “approaching an era of big changes” and Toyota still has a “passion for making cars that are truly exciting.”

There’s no word on when the production model will be unveiled but Tomoyama said “At some point in the near future, customers will have a chance to get behind the wheel of this incredible machine and experience its astonishing power and driving performance.”

The GR Super Sport concept was originally unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year and it will be on display at the Toyota Gazoo Racing Fan Village during this weekend’s race. The car features a twin-turbo 2.4-liter V6 engine and a Toyota Hybrid System – Racing (THS-R) which has multiple electric motors. The company hasn’t released detailed specifications but it previously confirmed the model has 1,000 PS (735 kW / 986 hp).