For the record, we didn’t expect to see the Toyota GR Prius enter production. That hasn’t stopped pretty much the entire internet from theorizing about such machines, and Motor1.com the crew is sure to love performance across all automotive genres. So we turned to our digital artist and said what if Toyota actually did it? This is what we come up with.
The idea of the Prius GR emerged shortly after the debut of the next-generation 2023 model in early November. That’s because it looks very sporty – an attribute not usually associated with Toyota’s long-lasting hybrids. It’s not slow either, with the new Prius Prime PHEV capable of reaching 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. It sits alongside the automatic-equipped GR86 sports car, and isn’t far behind the manual version. Toyota is also lighting the fire with the legitimate GR appearance upgrade TRD already previewed. It seems that a hotter Prius is on everyone’s minds right now.
That brings us to our interpretation of what the GR Prius will look like. We start at the front with a very aggressive lower fascia, exposed for better engine breathing and brake cooling. Inspiration came from the GR Corolla, including a small heat extractor in the hood and additional fender vents behind the front wheels. The wheel arches are also slightly wider, although they are more noticeable at the rear. Anyway, a pretty aggressive spoiler crowns the decklid, and of course, all the trim is black. Add in bigger wheels with bigger brakes behind them, and suddenly you have a GR Prius hybrid.
Such an engine must be all-wheel drive. And while the turbocharged three-pot of the GR Corolla would be nice, pumping more power out of the existing hybrid powertrain makes more sense here. Then again, we’re talking about the high-performance Prius, which doesn’t deliver every kind of sense. Hence why it almost certainly will never happen.
With that rendering in mind, we talked to Toyota about such an idea. Officially, the automaker has no comments on the potential of the future product. Also, Toyota’s chief engineer for the GR86 says no new GR model is in the works, so don’t get your hopes up. Still, this is one of those times where we’d be more than happy to be wrong.
Looking for more about the new Prius? Look Rambling About Cars podcast, available below.
