Toyota to take on Subaru BRZ GT300 with… a Prius?
When Subaru confirmed its all-new BRZ sports coupe would be competing in the Japanese Super GT race series, many assumed it was only a matter of time before Toyota responded with its own entrant. And here it is…
Not quite what you were expecting, is it? According to Japanese publication Auto Sport Magazine, Toyota has overlooked the BRZ’s sister car – the 86 – and is instead preparing a GT300 version of its tree-hugging Prius hybrid. The Prius GT300 will reportedly begin shakedown testing early next year.
The Prius GT300 is expected to go head-to-head with another hybrid, with Honda also understood to be developing a racing version of its CR-Z.
Toyota is yet to confirm the Prius’s involvement in the series, although all will be revealed by January when the Super GT series confirms the competing teams.
The Prius will need to undergo a number of modifications to get it up to GT300 standard, which allows competing vehicles to produce up to 300hp (224kW). The standard road-going Prius teams a 1.8-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a maximum combined power output of 100kW.
As Auto Sport Magazine's rendering shows, the Prius’s body is also set undergo a significant rework, with a selection of the production car’s characteristic styling elements splashed across a sleek two-door coupe body.
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