The Toyota GR Prius Concept Has Dive Planes, a Wing, and Rays Wheels

With the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans just around the corner, five-time consecutive and defending champion Toyota just pulled the cover off of the world's coolest Prius. Meet the Toyota Prius 24h Le Mans Centennial GR Edition, which brings a suite of Gazoo Racing upgrades to the fifth-generation hybrid model.

The Toyota Prius isn't exactly the first thing we think of when the words "race" and "car" come to mind. That said, the Prius has plenty of motorsports experience overseas, specifically in its home country of Japan where it's a bit of a folk hero. Regardless, this particular concept isn't for a proper racing machine, but rather a hopped up version of the standard car with some Le Mans flare. The package starts with a current model Prius, which sees its stock suspension ripped out for hardware that brings a wider track. That makes room for the more aggressive wheel and tire combo, which are inspired by Toyota's upcoming GR010 Hybrid. That racer is set to debut later this year at the 6 Hours of Fuji during the WEC's sixth round, and will wear wheels similar to the examples shown here. The GR Prius concept also picks up some unique aero hardware, including side skirts, dive planes, a gigantic wing, and a new diffuser. A carbon hood rounds out the looks while additional lighting is installed for better nighttime visibility.

Toyota and Gazoo Racing enter Le Mans this year as the only Japanese automaker on the grid, which only adds to the pressure to chase yet another overall win. The race is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, helped along by all of the new sheetmetal taking to the grid. Perhaps one day we’ll get to see a proper Prius racing car take on the French countryside. Until then, this concept will have to do. Hopefully some of these parts find their way into the GR Parts catalog.

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