In America, the Prius is seen as an econobox. In Japan, it's a racing folk hero.

How the Toyota Prius Became an Unlikely Racing Hero

MorioWikimedia Commons

Picture yourself in the stands at a race track with a half-century of history, Mt. Fuji hidden in the clouds on an otherwise-sunny day Below, the brightly colored racing machines curl into the hairpin before the long straight. As they scream past the line, you rise to your feet – an underdog team, spun out in the early stages, is clawing its way back from 18th in the field. Another lap, and the car is within striking distance of the lead. Onward they come and, against all probability, you’re cheering for a Toyota Prius.

Ten years ago, at the 2013 running of the Fuji 500km, the most unlikely racing machine of them all made a most unlikely comeback. It was the first win for a hybrid vehicle in the history of Japan’s top-tier Super GT series, and it made an instant hero out of a car that has been an enthusiast punchline since it arrived in the early 2000s.

Not just any Prius, the Prius GT was a mid-engined V-8 monster, fitted with impressive aerodynamic addenda on a highly modified racing chassis, but still incorporating a near-factory hybrid drive system. Built and campaigned for Toyota by apr Racing – not to be confused with Audi/VW tuners APR – multiple generations of the Prius spent the last ten years winning podiums and hearts in Japan. In 2022, their run came to an end.

Yes, there is a new civilian Prius, and it’s more dynamically engaging than any of the preceding models. It’s sleek , the base 194 hp model is now about as quick to 60 mph as a Civic Si, and the chassis is stiffer and lighter. Nevertheless, Toyota won’t race the new Prius.

That it decided to do so in the first place was a daring move. That apr stuck with the Prius through multiple generations, layouts, and rule changes is somewhat incredible. As recently as 2019, the decision was made to run a new version of the Prius GT instead of a racing-derived variant of the more-obvious GR Supra.

How the Toyota Prius Became an Unlikely Racing Hero

Toyota

By this point, the Prius GT is a fan favorite with Super GT crowds. In Japan, a Prius is a family car, and seeing one use its hybrid power to get past a GT300-spec Lamborghini Huracan in a tight turn is certainly worth cheering about, and any owner might be forgiven for wishing, on the drive home, that their personal Prius came with an eight-cylinder soundtrack like the GT.

Even if you’ve never attended a Super GT race, nor seen video clips of one, you’ve likely heard this soundtrack. Toyota’s RV8 racing engine dates back to the mid-nineties, and was used in various displacements and applications from Le Mans to IndyCar. In the case of the Prius GT, the powertrain was meant to be the little brother of Toyota’s then-new TS030 LMP1 hybrid, the prototype racer about to take the fight to Audi in the World Endurance Championship.

Super GT, formerly the All Japan Grand Touring Championship (JGTC), is not well-known outside of its native Japan, though there have been crossover attempts with Germany’s DTM series. There are two levels in Super GT, the more strictly formulaic GT500, and the lower GT300, which has a little more flexibility.

GT300 used to be a real wild west of racing in the JGTC days, probably the only place you could see a Dodge Viper racing against a Toyota-badged Chevy Cavalier. Super GT rules streamlined things a little, but are still fairly open to interpretation. The three main categories are FIA GT3 specification cars; regulation carbon-fibre chassis “dressed up” to look like a production car; and modified Japanese Automobile Federation (JAF) regulated production vehicles, of which the Prius is one. This means that despite being partly built of tube-frame supports and carbon-fiber panels, and having a bespoke racing engine, the Prius GT is genuinely Prius-based. In the case of the first car, built around the second-generation Prius road car, little more than the bulkhead, some of the floorpan, and half of the roof remained.

How the Toyota Prius Became an Unlikely Racing Hero

Toyota

JAF rules at the time allowed for any engine from the same manufacturer to be used, so apr chose the 3.4-liter RV8K. As a seasoned constructor, the company had plenty of mid-engined experience, campaigning a GT300 version of the Toyota MR-S (effectively the third-generation MR2), so it plonked the 10,000-plus-rpm V-8 where a normal Prius would have rear seats.

Had that been the extent of the engineering, the Prius GT might have been pretty cynical—a racing car that looked like a road car, but was only tangentially related. Instead, apr reworked the factory hybrid system to pair with the 3.4-liter V-8, placing the battery where the passenger seat would be for better weight distribution. The components weren’t all Prius-sourced, but they were all road car-spec, with the electric motor from an Aqua (Yaris), a lithium-ion battery from the larger Prius Alpha, and the engine control module from a Camry.

With the hybrid components, the Prius GT was heavier than other GT rivals, but it also had an edge in torque. The first three seasons – 2012, 2013, and 2014 – were the most successful, with five podium finishes, two pole positions, and one win but, as to be expected with any new race car, reliability was a problem. 2015 saw two more victories, thanks partially to a switch to Bridgestone tires, and a second-place finish for the apr team behind a GT300 Nissan GT-R. The next year brought greater challenges.

How the Toyota Prius Became an Unlikely Racing Hero

The second Toyota Prius GT300, based on the third-generation Prius road car.

MclarensennaWikimedia Commons

For 2016, JAF rules closed the loophole on engine positioning, requiring modified racing machines to have the same drivetrain layout as their road-going versions. The new Prius GT, now based on the third-gen road car, was homologated just days ahead of the rule change, and kept its mid-engine layout. Two cars were now in play, one with the original lithium-ion battery, and the other with a supercapacitor system closer in spec to Toyota’s TS030/040 endurance prototypes. Over the next three years, the apr team would never win the championship outright, but racked up podium after podium and numerous pole positions.

The following year, 2019, was when everyone expected the plug would be pulled. Switching to front-engine layout surely meant an end to the Prius era, and the return of the Supra. But apr debuted a new Prius GT powered by a front-mounted 5.4-liter V8, as found in the GT3 version of the Lexus RC-F. Physically, it resembled the plug-in version of the Prius roadcar, but it thundered like a muscle car.

How the Toyota Prius Became an Unlikely Racing Hero

The final iteration of Toyota Prius GT.

Toyota

However, the magic was gone. The new front-engine Prius GT struggled to get into the top ten. Worse, of the two cars fielded, one was now non-hybrid and driven by an semi-amateur team, yet outperformed the professionally driven hybrid.

The final victory for the Prius GT came in 2021, setting pole position at the Autopolis circuit on Japan’s southern Kyushu island. The professionally driven #31 was able to make good on its qualifying pace, finishing ahead of the Supras (introduced for the GT300 category in 2020), GT-Rs, and the rest of a 26-car field.

The crowd roared their approval, but it was a farewell. The Prius GT was no longer just an oddity, but an outlier, the lone four-door hatchback in a field of two-door coupes and purpose-built GT3 cars. The 2022 season held few bright points, but that was the end of things for a Prius in Super GT. The replacement car, based on the Lexus LC500h, was recently revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon, and will carry the #31 for apr into the next seasons of Super GT’s GT300 class.

If you’ve been on the highways through Tokyo and Yokohama, the most aggressive drivers are always in Priuses. They come up quick in the passing lane and shoot off out of sight, seemingly knowing where every speed camera lurks. In a sea of dawdling little kei boxes, a Prius moves with an alacrity not seen on the other side of the Pacific.

Perhaps such is the case because, in Japan anyway, the Prius is not the fuel-sipping rolling roadblock enthusiasts have always scorned. Families went to the great racetracks of Japan, and they sat in the stands and ate their mozzarella corn dogs and waited for the race to begin, and when a Prius GT went roaring past, they cheered. The opposite of an exotic. An unlikely hero. The people’s choice.

Chris Perkins Senior Editor Chris Perkins is the Web Editor for Road & Track magazine.

Keyword: How the Toyota Prius Became an Unlikely Racing Hero

CAR'S NEWS RELATED

Here’s Everything You Get In The Base 2024 Toyota Tacoma

The steel wheels say “work truck,” but adaptive cruise and push-button start were the stuff of luxury cars only a few years ago.

View more: Here’s Everything You Get In The Base 2024 Toyota Tacoma

Toyota to sell massive $4.7B stake in top supplier as it looks to catch up in EV race

Toyota is securing substantial funding as it looks to catch up in the EV race. Sources close to the matter say Toyota and its affiliates will sell a stake of around $4.7B in Denso, the second-largest global auto supplier. Toyota plans to sell around 10% (roughly $4.7 billion) of ...

View more: Toyota to sell massive $4.7B stake in top supplier as it looks to catch up in EV race

The Crown Signia Is A Wagon Regardless Of What Toyota Says

Image: Toyota American car buyers, for the most part, are not fans of wagons. The long roof body style has almost disappeared from the U.S. car market with only a few models remaining. There is the ever-popular Subaru Outback, and some more expensive options from Audi, Mercedes, and Volvo. ...

View more: The Crown Signia Is A Wagon Regardless Of What Toyota Says

Five most affordable automatic cars in South Africa

Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL Auto – R188,900 Renault Kwid 1.0 Zen Auto – R212,999 Proton Saga 1.3 Standard Auto – R224,900 Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Auto – R225,900 Toyota Vitz 1.0 XR Auto – R239,900 When it comes to city driving, an automatic gearbox is one of the best ...

View more: Five most affordable automatic cars in South Africa

2024 Toyota Tacoma First Drive: A Sure Bet Remains So

•    Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma. Toronto, ON – This past May, Toyota unveiled the new generation of its Tacoma pickup truck. That happened in Hawaii, an exotic locale to be sure, but it happens to be where the model has been the best-selling ...

View more: 2024 Toyota Tacoma First Drive: A Sure Bet Remains So

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Starts At $32,995

It’s still one of the most affordable trucks in the segment.

View more: The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Starts At $32,995

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Adds Some Polish But Keeps The Fun

Thanks to a torquey, 270-hp four-cylinder and an available six-speed manual, the new Taco is a charmer.

View more: The 2024 Toyota Tacoma Adds Some Polish But Keeps The Fun

Toyota Selling Shorty Land Cruiser 70 For $46,000 But There’s A Catch

The Land Cruiser 70 Series will turn 40 next year but it's still going strong.

View more: Toyota Selling Shorty Land Cruiser 70 For $46,000 But There’s A Catch

Exclusive: Toyota group companies plan $4.7 billion sale of Denso stake

2024 Toyota Camry NASCAR Cup Series Contender Gets The Road Car's New Looks

The Only New Toyota Camry That Won't Be A Hybrid Is Racing In NASCAR

New Toyota Hilux Champ – Engines and interior revealed

You Can Buy Toyota's Tiny $13,000 Work Truck But Not In The US

Kia Sonet Vs Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Price, Engine Specs & Dimensions Comparison

The Toyota Corolla GR Sport - Unassuming, Uncompromising Thrills

Affordable hatchbacks with the best warranties in South Africa

Next-gen Ford Mustang – The competitors at R1.5 million

5 car brands South Africa’s middle class loves

Toyota and Solid-State Batteries for EVs: Patience Is In Order

Toyota is still greenwashing after change in leadership

OTHER CAR NEWS

; Top List in the World https://www.pinterest.com/newstopcar/pins/
Top Best Sushi Restaurants in SeoulTop Best Caribbean HoneymoonsTop Most Beautiful Islands in PeruTop Best Outdoor Grill BrandsTop Best Global Seafood RestaurantsTop Foods to Boost Your Immune SystemTop Best Foods to Fight HemorrhoidsTop Foods That Pack More Potassium Than a BananaTop Best Healthy Foods to Gain Weight FastTop Best Cosmetic Brands in the U.STop Best Destinations for Food Lovers in EuropeTop Best Foods High in Vitamin ATop Best Foods to Lower Your Blood SugarTop Best Things to Do in LouisianaTop Best Cities to Visit in New YorkTop Best Makeup Addresses In PennsylvaniaTop Reasons to Visit NorwayTop Most Beautiful Islands In The WorldTop Best Law Universities in the WorldTop Richest Sportsmen In The WorldTop Biggest Aquariums In The WorldTop Best Peruvian Restaurants In MiamiTop Best Road Trips From MiamiTop Best Places to Visit in MarylandTop Best Places to Visit in North CarolinaTop Best Electric Cars For KidsTop Best Swedish Brands in The USTop Best Skincare Brands in AmericaTop Best American Lipstick BrandsTop Michelin-starred Restaurants in MiamiTop Best Secluded Getaways From MiamiTop Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In MiamiTop Most Instagrammable Places In MiamiTop Interesting Facts about FlorenceTop Facts About The First Roman Emperor - AugustusTop Best Japanese FoodsTop Most Beautiful Historical Sites in IsraelTop Best Places To Visit In Holy SeeTop Best Hawaiian IslandsTop Reasons to Visit PortugalTop Best Hotels In L.A. With Free Wi-FiTop Best Scenic Drives in MiamiTop Best Vegan Restaurants in BerlinTop Most Interesting Attractions In WalesTop Health Benefits of a Vegan DietTop Best Thai Restaurant in Las VegasTop Most Beautiful Forests in SwitzerlandTop Best Global Universities in GermanyTop Most Beautiful Lakes in GuyanaTop Best Things To Do in IdahoTop Things to Know Before Traveling to North MacedoniaTop Best German Sunglasses BrandsTop Highest Mountains In FranceTop Biggest Hydroelectric Plants in AmericaTop Best Spa Hotels in NYCTop The World's Scariest BridgeTop Largest Hotels In AmericaTop Most Famous Festivals in JordanTop Best European Restaurants in MunichTop Best Japanese Hiking Boot BrandsTop Best Universities in PolandTop Best Tips for Surfing the Web Safely and AnonymouslyTop Most Valuable Football Clubs in EuropeTop Highest Mountains In ColombiaTop Real-Life Characters of Texas RisingTop Best Beaches in GuatelamaTop Things About DR Congo You Should KnowTop Best Korean Reality & Variety ShowsTop Best RockstarsTop Most Beautiful Waterfalls in GermanyTop Best Fountain Pen Ink BrandsTop Best European Restaurants in ChicagoTop Best Fighter Jets in the WorldTop Best Three-Wheel MotorcyclesTop Most Beautiful Lakes in ManitobaTop Best Dive Sites in VenezuelaTop Best Websites For Art StudentsTop Best Japanese Instant Noodle BrandsTop Best Comedy Manhwa (Webtoons)Top Best Japanese Sunglasses BrandsTop Most Expensive Air Jordan SneakersTop Health Benefits of CucumberTop Famous Universities in SwedenTop Most Popular Films Starring Jo Jung-sukTop Interesting Facts about CougarsTop Best Hospitals for Hip Replacement in the USATop Most Expensive DefendersTop Health Benefits of GooseberriesTop Health Benefits of ParsnipsTop Best Foods and Drinks in LondonTop Health Benefits of Rosehip TeaTop Best Air Fryers for Low-fat CookingTop Most Asked Teacher Interview Questions with AnswersTop Best Shopping Malls in ZurichTop The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens In L.A.Top Best Mexican Restaurants in Miami for Carb-loading rightTop Best Energy Companies in GermanyTop Best Garage HeatersTop Largest Banks in IrelandTop Leading Provider - Audit and Assurance In The USTop Best Jewelry Brands in IndiaTop Prettiest Streets in the UKTop Best Lakes to Visit in TunisiaTop Highest Mountains in Israel