No person will have imagined that the primary persona of the automobile global this week will be the 2023 Toyota Prius. As soon as the bugbear of the fanatic neighborhood, its position as an eco-icon was once taken through electrical cars, which relegated the Prius to the position of a distinct segment financial system automotive. However now that the brand new Prius is a looker, and the Prius High plug-in hybrid is faster than some late-model sports activities automobiles, the time is ripe for Toyota to construct a GR Prius High. And if you’re taking a detailed glance, you can understand Toyota has carried out many of the paintings already.
I do know that were given a scoff from a few of you, however pay attention me out. What we will be able to all agree a GR Prius High would wish comprises: A good chassis, a potent powertrain, and the appearance to tie all of it in combination. The article is, Toyota’s already about 80 p.c there in all 3 spaces, beginning with the chassis.
The 2023 Prius is in line with Toyota’s GA-C platform, which you will acknowledge as the only used within the GR Corolla. (Parts are used within the GR Yaris too.) Toyota would not let us know what form of suspension the brand new Prius makes use of, but when its geometry is as much as scratch, then it can be a spring and surprise music clear of uproariously excellent dealing with. That is almost definitely the case if the chassis were given any consideration from Satoshi Ogiso, the Hino president recognized for his 800-horsepower Supra, pastime for autocross, and position in creating a Prius a luck. That is going for the outgoing mannequin, too, which he made certain were given higher suspension geometry than someone requested for.
Whether or not or now not he was once concerned, we have already got proof that Toyota nonetheless cares concerning the Prius’s dealing with—it emphasised that weight distribution is optimized through cramming the brand new Prius High’s enlarged lithium-ion battery underneath the rear seats.
Subsequent on Toyota’s time table will be the powertrain, and there are two techniques it will pass about correctly GR-ing the Prius. The primary, and extra fanciful manner could be the usage of the 1.6-liter turbo three-banger of the GR Corolla, which would not be the trickiest adaption seeing as the 2 percentage a platform. It is not a hybrid drivetrain, although, so it does not have compatibility the Prius’ ethos.
An altogether much more likely (and more straightforward) answer could be to music up the Prius High’s present powertrain, which mixes a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter with electrical motors to generate 220 horsepower. Toyota does not say what the gas-electric energy cut up is, however with displacement leaping from 1.8 to two.0 liters within the new mannequin, serviette math suggests an ICE energy leap from just below 100 hp to round 110. That is nowhere close to the potential for a Prius’ ICE, as we realized from a man hot-rodding a Prius C’s 1.5-liter to just about double its energy output, all with out even opening up its exhaust.
And up to we might like Toyota to head that a long way and construct a 9,000-rpm Prius, that isn’t even important for a GR Prius High. Even switching the engine from the thrifty Atkinson to the better, extra robust Otto cycle would pick out up quite a lot of energy. Upload sizzling cams, beef up the pinnacle, extract extra out of the hybrid machine, and overall energy may simply get into the mid-upper 200s. That does not sound like a lot, however the 220-hp 2023 Prius High can already do zero-to-60 in 6.6 seconds. That is as fast because the outdated 86/BRZ, and in the similar community as the present, 271-hp Subaru WRX. I might wager actual cash {that a} GR Prius High may pip the Subie’s 6.1-second zero-to-60 time, as measured through Motortrend.
Granted, the WRX is not the very best bar to transparent at the present time, however a GR Prius High with identical functionality could be a a lot more interesting automotive. It might have higher torque, higher gasoline mileage, higher reliability, and would not make folks suppose you vape. It might glance higher, too, and Toyota may beef up the Prius nonetheless with GR aero portions that it has already designed. That image of a GR Prius up most sensible? That is an legitimate Toyota idea with a GR splitter, spoiler, wind deflectors, and possibly extra—Toyota did not element what all it modified.
All this almost definitely seems like wishful pondering, as it is exhausting to consider Toyota development a GR Prius. Smartly, bet what: It is already promoting them in Japan, the place it gives a GR Game Prius V and High, with added chassis bracing and engine or suspension tuning. They are simplest GR Game, now not complete GR automobiles, however they turn out Toyota sees some hobby in functionality Prii. With the 2023 lengthy bottoming and emphasizing functionality like by no means earlier than, now could be time for Toyota to alchemize the Prius’ symbol with an actual GR mannequin.
There is one giant flaw with this concept, although, and that is the reason that the Toyota GR86’s leader engineer says there are not more GR fashions within the pipeline. That about places the kibosh on any hope of a GR Prius High, by no means thoughts standalone sports activities automobiles like a brand new MR2. In all probability, probably the most thrilling factor Toyota will do with the brand new Prius is a GR Game trim. Whilst welcome, it would simplest be a shadow of what we all know Toyota may do with the Prius—and a disappointing overlook of the GR logo that Toyota has labored so exhausting to construct.
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