Toyota Gazoo Racing have confirmed what we have been begging for, for ages. They are officially building a hypercar.
Toyota and Gazoo Racing have really been on it of late – with securing a stunning 1-2 victory at yesterday’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the upcoming new Supra, as well as a handful of hybridized concept sports cars being shown in recent times.
Gazoo Racing say the 1000 horsepower (735kw) hypercar, will be based on the Concept Super Sport GR prototype originally shown at this past January's Tokyo Auto Salon.
The four-wheel drive hypercar will receive a carbon body and will be equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System-Racing (THS-R), allied with a twin-turbo 2.4-litre six-cylinder petrol engine - much like the one used in yesterday's Le Mans-winning Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1 car. Just like the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, this will feature a genuine race-derived engine for the road.
Shigeki Tomoyama, Toyota Gazoo Racing president, 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 onto say, “We started this project because we believe that creating a super sports car that delivers the same appeal as the TS050 Hybrid greatly adds to Toyota’s involvement in the WEC. And 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 is expected to compete at the 2020 24 Heures du Mans - when the WEC rules change to be more road-car focussed - so an unveil of the road-going version will likely happen towards the end of 2019.
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FAQ
Q: What does the Toyota Gazoo Racing Super Sport cost in South Africa?
Toyota hasn't released official South African pricing for the GR Super Sport yet, but expect it to cost well over R10 million when it arrives, putting it in hypercar territory alongside the likes of McLaren and Ferrari supercars.
Q: How much power does the Toyota GR Super Sport have?
The Toyota GR Super Sport produces 735kW (1000 horsepower) from its hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbo 2.4-litre six-cylinder petrol engine with Toyota's Hybrid System-Racing technology.
Q: When will the Toyota GR Super Sport be available in South Africa?
The road-going GR Super Sport is expected to be unveiled towards the end of 2019, but South African availability will likely come much later, and only in very limited numbers given its hypercar status.
Q: Is the Toyota GR Super Sport based on a race car?
Yes, the GR Super Sport uses the same hybrid powertrain as Toyota's Le Mans-winning TS050 Hybrid LMP1 race car, making it a genuine race-to-road hypercar similar to the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE.
Q: Is the Toyota GR Super Sport worth buying?
If you've got R10 million-plus lying around and want a piece of Le Mans-winning technology for the road, absolutely, but for most South Africans, the upcoming new Supra will offer plenty of Toyota performance thrills for a fraction of the price.
Should You Buy It?
The Toyota GR Super Sport is an absolute masterpiece of engineering that brings genuine Le Mans-winning technology to the road, but at an expected price of over R10 million, it's strictly for the ultra-wealthy hypercar collector. For 99% of South African buyers, wait for the new Supra which will deliver Toyota performance thrills for under R1 million. If you're one of the lucky few with serious cash and want to own a piece of motorsport history, then yes, the GR Super Sport is worth every rand.
