Toyota’s Bringing a Mysterious Race Car Concept to the Tokyo Auto Salon
That’s a long hood.
Toyota has been acting a little funny lately, and I don't mean "haha" funny. Following years of what seemed like apathy towards electric vehicles, the Japanese automaker suddenly came out with a slew of concepts it claimed were all powered by nothing but electricity. Whether any tailpipes were deleted from these models or not is a matter of entertaining speculation, but what we can definitely say is Toyota has just previewed a new racing coupe, and that's not the kinda thing environmentalists always enjoy.
The only image of the concept was posted today in a Toyota press release, and it's shrouded in darkness. Brightening up the image doesn't reveal much, but its basic proportions point to a power plant in the front and the drive going to the rear wheels. Typical race car fare.
The automaker describes the vehicle as a "racing-dedicated concept car" that "incorporates the knowledge and refined technologies [Gazoo Racing] has gained in the field of motorsports." That scratches off the possibility, at least for now, that this car is going to be seen on public roads or available for sale to regular people. Interestingly, however, it's being shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon alongside a "fully tuned model of the GR Yaris," which is a racing homologation car available for purchase in markets outside the United States. Just the same, Toyota has shown us a concept that is reportedly intended for production with very similar proportions not too long ago.
Could this jusr be a one-off concept that Toyota built to go racing, or build some hype? Yes. That said, there are plenty of other tantalizing possibilities. Hydrogen power? Is it a hybrid? There's a lot that could be going on that won't get clarified until the Tokyo Auto Salon rolls around.
Let's hope it's something good.
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