Currently, no GR models use a hybrid powertrain, but the performance division is extensively testing the technology. Speaking to Autocar last year, Hiroyuki Yamada, a GR engineer working on the project, said: “We can use hybrid for future cars. We will use it in our motorsport activities in the future, because of emissions.
“We will apply [this technology] to both motorsport and passenger [car] engines. In the future, we want a more fuel-efficient engine [for GR cars].”
The plan to fit GR models with hybrid power has been long mooted by Toyota. In 2023, chief technology officer Hiroki Nakajima told Autocar: “Hybrid systems are always a good solution for environmental cars, not just for passenger cars but for sporty cars as well.”
No specifications of the road car have been released yet but the race car will produce around 500-600bhp and weigh no more than 1300kg, in line with GT3 regulations. With the addition of a hybrid system, the road car is expected to produce closer to 700bhp as it vies with with the recently revealed 671bhp Aston Martin Vantage S.
Gazoo Racing boss Masahito Watanabe recently told Autocar that Toyota is pursuing a “multi-pathway” approach for sports cars, rather than investing in all-out electrification. He said: “We still think the internal combustion engine has some potential and, as we do so, we will of course be trying to comply with all the applicable rules according to the regions in each country.
“But we don’t want to give up. It’s not over just yet, because if you look at the internal combustion engine, there’s still hydrogen combustion that can be a part of that zero-emission line-up. So I think that’s going to continue.”
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