Toyota Is Testing An EV GR Sports Car

During the recent 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda confirmed that the company's Gazoo Racing (GR) division has begun testing on an all-electric sport car. The good news for enthusiasts is that the bar is set quite high. 

Per Mr. Toyoda, who's nickname is "Master Driver," the new battery-powered sports car must perform at least on par with the company's current internal combustion engine GR models — which include the GR86, GR Corolla, and GR Supra for the U.S. market.

Comments from multiple sources note that, though electric, the new sports car is said to have many characteristics of ICE cars, including simulated engine noises and a multi-speed gearbox with clutch pedal. While details are scant, it's assumed that the manual transmission feature will be similar to what was previewed in the upcoming Lexus electric sports car last year.

To be clear, there's not actually a gearbox connected to the electric motor, but rather, the torque settings of the motor are adjusted by software to simulate shifting. In fact, prototype versions of this technology even have the ability to stall the vehicle if the clutch and accelerator pedals aren't feathered correctly, a penalty that all new stick shift drivers have experienced before. 

Right now, it's unclear whether the hot GR EV will take the form of a traditional sports car, a hatchback, or something else altogether. Chairman Toyoda implied that it would be visually distinctive from the company's current lineup, according to Road & Track.

"If you put that car in front of someone and say, test drive this, and then ask what powertrain this is, they probably won't be able to answer correctly," Toyoda said to the automotive press through a translator. "But if you look at the car from the outside, the appearance is [that of] a BEV."

In 2021, Toyota held a media event to preview 15 new all-electric concept vehicles, including a yellow targa-roofed sports car with GR branding (pictured). Although some of the prototypes from that event have progressed to production vehicles, the sports EV hasn't resurfaced as yet. However, it would certainly be exciting if this is the platform that Chairman Toyoda is hinting at.