Toyota GR Super Sport 2022: what we know about the road-going Le Mans car

Toyota has released a preview trailer showcasing its upcoming GR Super Sports - a road-going hypercar that will act as the base for the company’s next Le Mans racer.

The Japanese car firm saw off stiff competition at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans last weekend when its TS050 Hybrid prototype raced to victory in the last two runnings of the endurance race.

But the event’s rules will undergo a major revamp next year, which means Toyota will have to create a new challenger to defend its position.

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With the rules now allowing road-based hypercars to compete, Toyota looks set to transfer some of the hi-tech hybrid systems in its current TS050 prototype to its upcoming GR Super Sport. In addition to the racing car, the company will release a small number of road-going models.

Although details about both the race car and the road-going vehicle are scarce, the new preview trailer shows that development of the production-spec hypercar is well under way. Here’s what we know so far:

Price and release

Given that the GR Super Sport is positioned to rival the Aston Martin Valkyrie both on and off the track, the track-honed new model is likely to cost well over £1m.

The hypercar will appear in racing form at next year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which runs from 13 to 14 June, and is due to go on sale in 2022, says Auto Express.

Design and interior

Fans were given their first look at the car when Toyota released a concept version of the GR Super Sport during the Tokyo Auto Salon in January of last year.

The development vehicle, which is shown testing at the Fuji Speedway circuit in Japan in the recent trailer, is almost identical to last year’s concept car, albeit with a slightly tweaked nose design.

As expected, the GR Super Sport appears to be a racing car for the road. The hypercar features an ultra-low front splitter with carbon fibre winglets sprouting from the bumper to help generate downforce. The development car retains the concept model’s hexagonal headlights and the small fin in the centre of the engine cover.

The bodywork is minimalist to help channel air over the car and towards the rear wing in a bid to boost downforce. Below the rear wing sits a larger carbon fibre diffuser, which houses a pair of exhaust outlets.

The cabin, meanwhile, has enough room for two occupants, though there’s no sign of a touchscreen infotainment system or air conditioning. However, these could be added ahead of the car’s launch in 2022.

Engines and performance

The GR Super Sport will be powered by the same 2.4-litre twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 engine as the current TS050 racing car, says Evo.

The 493bhp combustion engine sends power to the rear wheels, while a pair of electric motors drives the front axle, says the motoring magazine. Combined, the hybrid system has a power output of 986bhp.

To meet technical regulations at Le Mans, the racing version of the GR Super Sport won’t be as powerful as the road car. The regulations state that the car must produce more than a total output of 750bhp (electric motors are capped at 270bhp) – nearly half that of the road model, Motor1 reports.