Development head Satoki Oya said the Prius Prime’s power would have to rise even further to justify getting the subbrand’s black-and-red GR badge.
But by some measures, the plug-in Prius is already approaching GR territory.
The GR86 sporty coupe, for example, develops 173 kilowatts of power — not far off Prius Prime’s 164 — although the GR86 bolts 0-60 almost a second faster, at about 5.8 seconds.
Other tweaks for a GR Prius would likely include tightened-up suspensions and handling, Oya said. And don’t forget a special aero package and racing-inspired detailing, like funky seat stitching.
Despite their enthusiasm, both Ueda and Oya, as well as the rest of the Prius designers and engineers on hand at the circuit, insisted there are still no concrete plans for a GR Prius.
If one lands on dealer lots, however, it wouldn’t be the first.
Toyota floated a sporty-styled Prius G’s from 2011 to 2014 during the nameplate’s third generation. And from 2017 until last month, Toyota offered a Prius GR Sport in Japan.
But those special versions left the powertrain essentially untouched. The changes were mostly cosmetic. And detractors would undoubtedly argue that previous iterations of the bulbous Prius could never shed their frumpy aura, no matter how much lipstick you slather on.
But the new Prius? Well, that’s a different animal.
When and if it arrives, that GR Prius may just be the first Prius worthy of the name.
