THE first few hints are starting to leak out ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show at the end of October. Amongst the first to sneak past security is the Toyota GR HV Sports concept.
The GR HV Sports concept supposedly represents a new way to enjoy cars “by integrating the thrill of a sports car with the environmental friendliness of an eco-car.” We don’t think the idea of a hybrid sports car is particularly new, but Toyota’s concept looks quite interesting.
The power comes from the THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System-Racing) technology refined by the TS050 Hybrid that competes in the World Endurance Championship. That is the car that finished second in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour so the technology clearly works.
We don’t know exactly how much of that power Toyota would transfer into a production model of the GR HV but let’s hope it’s not an insignificant amount. We do know the hybrid battery is mounted near the centre of vehicle so it could offer nicely balanced handling with it’s front engine and rear wheel drive.
Toyota says the performance of the THS-R will offer genuine sports car thrills. Looking at the images of the interior you can easily see what they mean. It’s quite a sparse, focussed interior that puts the emphasis on the driving experience. The push button automatic transmission is quite different to anything we would normally see, but the addition of the six-speed manual-style driving with H-pattern shifting is reassuring. It’s also a wonderful place to hide the start/stop button.
The Toyota GR HV Sports concept also features LED headlights, aluminium wheels, and a rear diffuser similar to the TS050 Hybrid. It certainly looks impressive, especially in matte black, but what really excites us is the inclusion of the targa top.
Not because we have some strange fixation with targa tops, but because it hints at something that has been rumoured for a number of years.
Toyota have incorporated a targa top into previous sports cars dating back to the Toyota Sports 800 of the early 1960’s. For many though, they are associated with one very popular and desirable car from a slightly later era.
What we may be looking at – and we’re not saying this is true – is a first glimpse at what could become a brand new Toyota Supra.
