By far the most powerful, hardcore Toyota Prius ever has been revealed, specifically a racing car version designed by APR Racing.
The racing team has picked a Prius in order to convert it into a model capable of competing in the Japanese GT300 championship.
The racing credentials of the Prius
The idea of racing a Prius is actually nothing new to APR Racing. In 2015, the team competed in GT300 with two race cars, one based on the GT-R and the other based on the previous-generation Prius. For the 2016 season, starting this April, regulations changes for the GT300 mean a new car is needed.
Whereas other teams tend to convert sports cars from the likes of Nissan, Mercedes, Audi or Ferrari for this championship, the APR team is sticking with Toyota’s more humble family car.
That doesn’t mean the latest Prius racer will be more subdued than other cars on the grid. APR Racing have taken the bodywork of a new Toyota Prius and enlarged significantly thanks to the large number of new aerodynamic parts installed. This ultimately gives the Prius a more coupe-esque profile than before.
The body is largely made out of carbon fibre and there’s a full roll-cage found within the stripped-out cabin.
New racing engine
The Super GT Toyota Prius also does away with the 1.8-litre petrol engine found in the standard family car and instead boasts a naturally-aspirated 3.5-litre V6. Due to new regulations, the engine is under the bonnet like it is in a regular Prius.
Also like a standard Prius, this racing version is still a hybrid, with the electric motors onboard boosting not just efficiency but also the overall speed of the race car.
Exact performance figures have not been revealed yet for this latest Prius racer, but GT300 cars tend to produce about 300bhp and cover the 0-62mph sprint in less than six seconds. Though motorists can’t buy or drive this Toyota, it does at least show that it’s possible to turn something even as seemingly innocuous as a Prius and turn it into a menacing racing monster.
