Prius to compete in Super GT300
Tim Esterdahl | Dec 16, 2011 | Comments 5
“Super” and “Prius” are two words not usually used together, at least when it comes to describing speed or sporty performance, but that hasn’t stopped Toyota from unveiling a Prius Super GT300 car to compete in next year’s Super GT300.
Toyota will beef up its conservative Prius to compete in the Super GT300.
The Prius GT300 will replace Toyota’s Corolla Axio racer and race against traditional coupes such as the Subaru BRZ as well as a hybrid Honda CR-Z racer.
Although Toyota will not be publishing specs for the racing Prius until January, the Prius is expected to undergo significant modifications to its drivetrain in order to approach the 300 horsepower limit allowed in the Super GT300 class.
Currently the Prius uses a 1.8 L gas engine combined with an electric motor to achieve 134 horsepower. Regenerative braking and a kinetic energy recovery system should give the Prius competitive range on the track. Expect to see it slimmed down to a svelte 2700 lbs and riding on 18” wheels.
Team APR, the builders and racers of Toyota’s current Axio racers will be preparing the Prius racer for its Super GT300 debut.
It will be up to the Prius and CR-Z hybrids to show the world whether hybrid cars can compete with traditional gasoline powered racers.
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Filed Under: Auto News
TAKE THAT Prius haters!! 🙂
Way cool!!
Agree DEZ. That Prius maybe worth looking into.
I hear that.
THIS, I gotta see. I do have to wonder though, how long before these strange ideas take hold everywhere. I mean, we already have KERS in F1, how long before the grand prix becomes the gran prius?
The GT300 class of the Super GT series is for models with under 300 hp, therefore we should expect the Prius GT300 to pump out far closer to this figure.