Toyota GR Super Sport Concept 2018 and excerpt of Akio Toyoda Conference on 2018 Motorsport season

Toyota Gazoo Racing unveiled the GR Super Sport Concept, a concept that incorporates hybrid technology honed through participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), along with its test car, to the world at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2018 dedicated to motorsport and tuning.

See related review : TOYOTA GAZOO RACING - TS050 Hybrid LMP1 2017

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing aims to refine its cars and people toward the goal of making ever-better cars through participation in motorsport activities, including global and national races and rallies. The technologies and know-how acquired through such activities are subsequently fed back into new production vehicles. In Japan, orders for the Vitz GRMN, a limited edition model that stands at the pinnacle of the GR sports car series, are scheduled to be taken starting in April. It was developed by incorporating learnings from the Vitz as it underwent road testing at Nürburgring, which is said to be the world's most grueling course, and through its tackling of the Japanese Rally Championship.

Toyota Vitz GRMN Prototype

Furthermore, Toyota's continued participation in the WEC is seen as a highly beneficial and necessary project in terms of developing cutting-edge hybrid systems and electrified vehicle (EV) systems. Fuel economy-enhancing technologies and other developments gained through such tough technological competitions are already being fed back into production vehicles. The newly revealed GR Super Sport Concept is composed of mostly the same main parts as the TS050 Hybrid race car that competes in the WEC. Beneath the beautifully flowing and original form are a V6 twin turbocharger and a Toyota Hybrid System-Racing (THS-R) powertrain, which have been honed through actual racing. With its high-efficiency EV system and lean-burn engine, this next-generation super sports car is set to deliver both ultimate power and environmental performance.

GR Super Sport Concept Specifications
Powertrain	Engine type	twin-turbo direct injection V6 engine
	Engine capacity	2,400cc
	Power	Combined power735kW/1000ps (Engine + Hybrid Motors)
	Hybrid system	Toyota Hybrid System - Racing (THS-R)
Rims	Size F	18×13J
	Size R	18×13J
Tyres	Size F	330/710R18
	Size R	330/710R18

"Rather than developing production cars into sports cars, we aim to work out how to incorporate the know-how developed through races and rallies into production cars amid various restrictions, and this is how competing contributes to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's efforts toward making ever-better cars. Thus, this is the starting point for Toyota's completely new challenge to develop sports cars from active race cars. Although it will be some time before you all have the opportunity to get behind the wheel, I hope that the GR Super Sport Concept will give you a taste of what we aim to achieve with our next-generation sports cars.

At the end of last year, following the announcement that Toyota would continue competing in the WEC, President Akio Toyoda commented that 'more than 100 years have passed since the birth of the automobile. As the industry approaches times of tremendous change, I am strongly determined to make sure that cars will be fun for the next 100 years.' At CES 2018, held in the United States at the beginning of the year, the e-Palette Concept was revealed as a new shared mobility model for communities. If the e-Palette Concept is the next generation of the horse-drawn carriage, the GR Super Sport Concept would be the polar opposite as the next-generation racehorse. Its appeal is more personal, like that of a much-loved horse to its owner. Despite the differences between the two concept models, both are electrified vehicles equipped with the latest IT technologies and are set to become safe and environmentally friendly connected cars.

Even as electrification and IT techonologies accelerate, the availability of different types of cars, including polar opposite models like the GR Super Sport Concept and the e-Palette Concept, means that they will never become a commodity. Furthermore, it is an unchanging fact that people want to travel freely, access distant places, and to get there quicker than everyone else in attractive vehicles. The feelings that one has for a car that can do all this are rich and heart-pounding.

Although our challenge to make 'cars that will be fun' for the next 100 years has just begun, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing aims to continue making exciting cars to bring smiles to our customers' faces and to contribute to the future of the automobile industry. We look forward to your continued support in achieving this aim."

Excerpt Press Conference by Akio Toyoda, President, TOYOTA Motor Corporation concerning 2018 2019 endurance  motorsport season

"More than 100 years have passed since the birth of the automobile. As we approach times of tremendous change represented by electrification, automation and other developments, I am strongly determined to make sure that cars will be fun for the next 100 years.

Since 2012, we have taken up the challenge of the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, with race cars equipped with hybrid technologies.

Of course, we have always approached this challenge with a desire to drive faster than any other car and to win. Yet our cars carried our desire for more than just that.

Not only did we want to heighten environmental performance in terms of fuel efficiency and such, we also had a very strong desire to create hybrid cars that made drivers feel that driving is fun, and that made them want to keep at it and want to let the cars keep on going.

This year, I went to Le Mans for the first time and heard people cheering for Toyota. I also heard many people saying that they would like to see Toyota come out with a hybrid sports car like our cars in the race.

I, too, would like us to produce just such a car, and I think it would be one that would help make cars fun for the next 100 years.

This year, our cars were extremely fast on the roads of Le Mans. But they were not able to combine speed with the strength needed to keep at it for 24 hours. While wanting to provide cars that our customers will want to ride in and drive, I keenly realized that we have a long way to go.

It is highly regrettable that our rival in honing technologies on the roads of Le Mans has left. Yet the World Endurance Championship, in which cars of different categories race at the same time, and particularly Le Mans, where the battle goes on for 24 hours, including on public roads, still represent the optimal proving ground for achieving the goal of making cars fun for the next 100 years.

The ever-better cars that Toyota pursues are honed and created via the extreme environment of motorsport. That is exactly why we will persistently engage in motorsport, without being swayed by the good and bad of economic times.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will continue to race in this competition again next season. And, from here on as well, so that we will be able to provide our customers with cars that are fun to drive and cars that they want to let keep on going, we will continue to build on our skills and technology gained thus far. We would be happy to receive everyone's continued support. Thank you very much."

Toyota Launches New "GR" Sports Car Series in Japanese Market

GR Series (From left, Noah GR SPORT, Voxy GR SPORT, Harrier GR SPORT, Mark X GR SPORT, Prius PHV GR SPORT, Vitz GR SPORT, Vitz GR)

Toyota GR Super Sport Concept 2018 Wallpapers

				Toyota GR Serie