The upcoming sports cars from Toyota will not only consume less gasoline, they will also be much more powerful
Talking about Toyota is talking about hybrid engines. The Japanese have been evolving a technology for almost 30 years that will now be received by their sports cars. The GR division is preparing to be electrified to enhance its performance.
In 1997, the first Toyota Prius in history was launched to the market. Beneath its bland bodywork lay a technology that promised to change, and ultimately did, the world. The first hybrid in history emerged then, and today they are selling more than ever thanks to constant evolution. Toyota leads the global market with its hybrids. Now, finally, the craziest division of the house believes they have improved enough to integrate into one of their sports cars.
It is no secret or humiliation to say that the first hybrids from Toyota consumed very little. As little as they ran. The performance was, to put it mildly, scarce. All performance was sacrificed in favor of a generation of extremely efficient cars that anticipated the arrival of extensive electric systems. If we take a look at the cars on the market that consume the least today, the new Toyota Aygo X Cross stands out as the most efficient of all with a real consumption of just 3.8 liters per 100 kilometers.
Lexus will be the first to take the step with a hybrid supercar
Under the leadership of Akio Toyoda, the Toyota corporation has not only embraced efficiency but also performance. Toyota has implemented the largest competition program in its history and has structured it around a sports range that has gained many followers to the cause. The Toyota GRs like the Yaris or the GR86 are among the best sports cars of the moment. Cars that ignite as much passion among enthusiasts as among gasoline sellers. They run a lot, almost as much as they consume. The next generation of them will be much more efficient.
The GR division will start using hybrid systems to reduce their consumption and, in the process, increase their performance. The Japanese, as sources claim, are already working on a new generation of products with more performance and less consumption. Europe deprives us of some of these interesting models, like the Corolla GR. Sean Hanley, head of sales and marketing at Toyota Australia, assures that hybrid engines could be used "at 100%" in a GR model.
Hanley specifically mentioned the case of the Tundra pickup. Its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine generates 389 horsepower by itself, but thanks to an additional 48-volt electric system, it raises the output to 437 horsepower, less consumption, and more power than a Chevrolet Silverado with a V8 engine. Another good practical example closer to home is the new Toyota Land Cruiser, the first and only Toyota in Europe to enjoy a 48-volt MHEV (Mild Hybrid) structure with an ECO label from the DGT.
If finally, as more and more rumors suggest, Europe gets rid of its 2035 regulation, the arrival of these hybrid GR units is closer. Throughout its history, Toyota has produced some of the most famous and beloved sports cars, like the Supra or the Celica. Its Lexus siblings have also demonstrated this through such important and impressive figures as the LFA. A model that, by the way, will be relaunched to the market next year with a next-generation hybrid system. It will be named Lexus LFR.
Fuente: Drive