Gazoo, Toyota’s racing division, is pledged to “make ‘ever-better’ cars.” The company’s motorsport arm is poised to become a performance brand all its own. The new GR Super Sports Concept sets out to prove both points.
Unveiled at the 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon, the 986-hp twin-turbo, direct injection, 2.4-liter V6 hybrid concept, was developed from the ground up as a next-generation “super sports car” that incorporates technology honed through Toyota’s participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The new GR Super Sport Concept is composed of mostly the same main parts as the TS050 Hybrid race car that competes in the WEC.
Gazoo Racing President Shigeki Tomoyama says, “Rather than developing production cars into sports cars, we aim to work out how to incorporate the know-how developed through races and rallies into production cars amid various restrictions, and this is how competing contributes to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s efforts. . .this is the starting point for Toyota’s completely new challenge to develop sports cars from active race cars.”
The annual Tokyo Auto Salon 2018, organized by NAPAC (Nippon Auto Parts Aftermarket Committee), is the biggest exhibition of custom cars in Japan.