Before the Prius, Toyota Tried to Make a Hybrid Sports Car
Ever since the Prius came out in 1997, Toyota has been synonymous with hybrids built primarily for efficiency. But every now and then, its engineers spice up the formula by experimenting with sporty hybrids.
One of the earliest attempts at making a fun hybrid is a car most of us probably don’t even remember. I’ll admit, even I forgot entirely about the GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II until I began searching for a subject for my Concept We Forgot series.
Unveiled at the 2011 Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race, this strange-looking roadster had a complicated name: GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II. It was the successor to a namesake hybrid MR2 concept shown a year earlier.
Looking at the interior, you might think the sequel was also based on the MR2, which Toyota had already discontinued four years prior. However, only the interior carried over from the Mid-Ship Runabout 2-Seater, as the rest of it was completely different.
CONCEPT WE FORGOT
Welcome to Concept We Forgot, a series where we explore some of the wildest and most innovative concept cars throughout history—many of which you might not even remember.
At 171.2 inches long, it was much larger than the MR2. Toyota stretched the wheelbase to 101.3 inches to make room for a far bigger engine behind the seats. Gone was the 1.8-liter four-cylinder, replaced by a 3.5-liter V-6 borrowed from the Lexus RX450h, launched just a couple of years earlier.
The hybrid setup was adapted from the luxury SUV, giving the open-top sports car an all-wheel-drive layout with a front-mounted electric motor. Compared to the RX, the roadster shaved off about 1,322 pounds of fat. Even so, Toyota quoted a curb weight of around 3,306 pounds, still about 50 percent more than a rear-wheel-drive MR2.
The combustion engine sent 245 horsepower to the rear wheels, while an electric motor powered the front axle. Combined, Toyota rated the total system output at 295 horsepower, more than double the MR2’s figure. Engineers didn’t just transplant the RX’s hybrid setup for a midship application; they also developed a new multi-link rear suspension. The 19-inch GR-branded alloy wheels were also created specifically for the build.
Although officially billed as a concept, it was more of a fully functional prototype. Footage from the time even shows the GRMN Sports Hybrid on a race track. Still, it remained an engineering exercise, with no production version to follow.
That said, Toyota’s hybrid sports car ambitions didn’t end there.
2017 Toyota GR HV Sports
As its endurance racing program began to pay off, Toyota revisited the electrified performance formula a few years later with the GR HV Sports. Revealed at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, it was essentially a targa-topped 86 with a hybrid powertrain and a six-speed automatic.
The gearbox featured a quirky party trick: a button hidden beneath the gear knob’s cover enabled a simulated manual mode, allowing the driver to physically row through an H-pattern gate.
Toyota never shared technical details about the GR HV Sports but did confirm it used hardware derived from the hugely successful TS050 Hybrid. It too was left on the cutting room floor, but these efforts to make hybrids exciting give us hope that when a production model finally arrives, it won’t disappoint.
Toyota GR HV Sports concept
The upcoming 2.0-liter unit showcased in the mid-engine GR Yaris M hot hatch is reportedly being developed for hybrid applications, according to Autocar. Rumors suggest the electrified four-cylinder is produces around 400 hp in street-legal models and up to 600 hp in race cars. However, Toyota recently admitted it is currently encountering “difficulties” in the development phase, so the final product may take longer than expected.
Toyota has been dropping hints about broadening its sports car lineup beyond the Supra and 86. Talks have swirled around a new Celica and even a revived MR2, possibly powered by the upcoming four-cylinder engine. For markets with stricter emissions rules, electrification will be essential. A hybrid could be the only way to keep enthusiasts happy while also meeting tougher legislation, especially in Europe. We'll take what we can get.
Meanwhile, its luxury branch, Lexus, is widely believed to be adding some form of electrification to its upcoming supercar. The “LFR” is expected to feature a hybrid V-8 with serious power. While not a direct successor to the high-revving LFA and its mighty V-10, it signals that Toyota is unexpectedly emerging as a savior of gas-engine sports cars.
Toyota FT-Se Concept
Although Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda was recently quoted as saying he prefers “the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine” in a sports car, an EV is inevitable. If the sleek 2023 FT-Se concept is any indication, it’s a matter of when, not if. Hideaki Iida, the car’s design project manager, told our sister site InsideEVs that a production version will arrive after 2026.
