When the fifth-generation Toyota Prius was unveiled last year, it was quick to receive rave reviews.
And rightly so – the Japanase automaker did a great job of giving it a far more aggressive-design than its predecessors.
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Well, it’s now been given a new look courtesy of Gazoo Racing which has totally transformed the humble Prius.
The problem is, though, it’s a concept and its drivetrain is unchanged – but more on the latter later.
Typically, only the most powerful members of the Toyota range receive the Gazoo Racing (GR) emblem.
The Supra, GR86, GR Corolla, and GR Yaris sold overseas all fall under the sub-brand’s umbrella.
Wind the clock back five years, seeing the Prius join the ranks of GR-branded models would have been unthinkable.
It just goes to show how far the hybrid segment’s poster child has come in terms of design.
Clearly, this isn’t your average Toyota Prius.
For starters, it’s actually called the ‘Toyota Prius 24h Le Mans Centennial GR Edition’, which is a bit of a mouthful.
Name aside, the bulk of the modifications have been done to the exterior, where it receives a carbon fiber hood to save weight, redesigned headlights, and a full body kit.
That body kit includes canards on the front bumper, side skirts, a sizable rear wing, and a rear diffuser.
The 18-inch wheels the Toyota Prius sits on sit further out thanks in part to a wider suspension system.
Rumor has it, these updates make the Prius more aerodynamic while improving traction.
Toyota hasn’t released interior pictures, nor has it revealed technical specifications, which suggests that it’s a standard Prius underneath.
That would mean under the hood is an upgraded version of that used by the previous Prius plug-in.
The old 1.8-liter gas engine made way for a new 2.0-liter inline-4, which is still paired to twin electric motors, but they have also been beefed up.
Combined output is now 193hp rather than the 121bhp it was previously.
Obviously, there’s the Prius Prime, which offers a 220bhp drivetrain thanks to a bigger electric motor.
According to Toyota, it developed the concept to celebrate 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Nothing has been revealed regarding bringing the model to production, so we’re not entirely sure what the future holds for it.
