Toyota redesigned the Prius for the 2023 model year, delivering a sportier, sharper looking hybrid than any of the previous four generations.
This ethos has now been encapsulated and amplified in the Toyota Prius 24h Le Mans Centennial GR Edition concept rolled out by Toyota Gazoo Racing in celebration of this weekend's 100th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The wild concept is based on the standard Prius, which delivers 194 hp in front-wheel-drive form and 196 hp when all-wheel drive is fitted. Toyota didn't say which version is the basis of the concept.
There isn't any increase in power, Toyota has confirmed. Instead, the engineers at the Gazoo Racing motorsports and performance division added a range of aerodynamic parts to improve traction at the limit, swapped in a carbon-fiber hood to help save weight, and revised the suspension with a wider track which is said to shore up the handling.
The concept also features unique 18-inch wheels featuring an aerodynamic design and wearing wide—for a Prius—235/50-size tires. The final detail is a set of additional driving lights in the front fascia, whose design is inspired by the lights on Toyota's GR010 Hybrid LMH that will compete this weekend at Le Mans. The GR010 is Toyota's entry in the Hypercar class of the 2023 World Endurance Championship.
Toyota hasn't said whether the concept, or a vehicle like it, is bound for production, though it's possible some elements may be adopted if Toyota gets around to launching a hardcore GR Prius model in the vein of the GR Corolla and other GR-badged offerings from the automaker.
