Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept: 300kW Le Mans-inspired hatch

Said to be a marker of Toyota's "past achievements and future plans" for hybrid technology, the Yaris Hybrid-R concept teams a low-capacity 1.6-litre Global Race Engine (GRE) developed by Toyota Motorsport with electric motors.

Claimed to generate a combined power output of more than 400hp (298kW), Toyota says the three-door Yaris-based Hybrid-R concept was created to showcase possible future hybrid development ideas.

Featuring technology borrowed from the 3.4-litre V8-powered Toyota TS030 Hybrid Le Mans race car, the concept comes with a brake energy recovery system and a dual mode control function allowing it to be “suitable for both road and track”.

The Japanese manufacturer says since the introduction of the original Prius in Japan in 1997, it has sold more than 5.5 million hybrid vehicles globally, and by the end of 2015 will have introduced a further 16 new or revised hybrid models.

Joining the Yaris Hybrid-R concept at Toyota’s Frankfurt stand will be the latest iteration of its Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) – first seen as a concept car at the 2011 Tokyo motor show – that is planned to launch in production form by 2015.

The 2013 Frankfurt motor show opens its doors on September 10.