Le Mans, France - Toyota has given the clearest indication yet that it will build a supercar to challenge the likes of the LaFerrari and Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Having first revealed the GR (Gazoo Racing) Super Sport concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January, Toyota displayed the car again at last weekend’s Le Mans 24-Hour race, in which the Japanese automaker claimed first and second places.
The potent GR Super Sport concept is based on the Le Mans-winning TS050 Hybrid LMP1 car and is powered by a combination of a 2.4-litre V6 petrol engine and an electric motor for a whopping total output of 735kW.
That puts it into a very rare league of cars that produce more than 700kW, among others including the 708kW LaFerrari, the 843kW Valkyrie co-developed by Aston Martin and Red Bull, the 865kW Koenigsegg Agera RS, and the 1103kW Bugatti Chiron.
Toyota wasn't specific about when its supercar might reach showrooms, but at Le Mans Gazoo Racing Company president Shigeki 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."
It’s an exciting time for the usually conservative Toyota, which is also getting ready to launch its new-generation Supra sports coupe developed in conjunction with BMW, which is expected to deliver around 250kW.
But the GR Super Sport (we don’t know what the production version will be called) is in a totally different league, with a power output that could potentially see it capable of a top speed around 400km/h.
Toyota was very stingy with details, but the photos of the GR concept car reveal a low-slung car with LMP1 design elements including a cockpit-style cabin and extreme aerodynamics.
No doubt inspired by its long-awaited Le Mans victory on the 20th attempt, Toyota says that despite the move towards autonomous and electrified transportation, it has embarked on a journey to “make cars fun for the next 100 years”.
"Competing in the World Endurance Championship – one of the most demanding motorsports series – and racing at Le Mans – one of the most iconic races – helps us to advance the development of our world-leading hybrid electric technology and enables us to transfer the knowledge we gain into our production cars," explained Tomoyama.