Toyota's hypercar for WEC 2020/21 season breaks cover in first test

The video shows that the GR Super Sport Concept car will share its styling with the road car, and it is known that the powertrain is based upon Toyota's current TS050 HYBRID LMP1 car.

The hypercar machine will feed into the development of the road-going version that was first unveiled in Japan at Tokyo's Auto Salon in 2018, and displayed during that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda and Gazoo Racing president Shigeki Tomoyama both drove the concept car at Fuji, with Toyota LMP1 driver Kamui Kobayashi also present.

Footage of the test was shown at the Toyota press conference at Le Mans last Friday when it announced its hypercar commitment.

"Last year we exhibited the GR Super Sport concept here at Le Mans, and since then its development has been accelerated in Germany and Japan," said Tomoyama.

"Our president Akio Toyoda and our WEC driver Kamui Kobayashi are working directly on the development of this car.

"I can only say - wow! To drive this car is tremendously exciting, the same joy you feel when driving the TS050 HYBRID.

"The development of such a road car means everyone including the engineers in Cologne and Japan, and our drivers, are working incredibly hard, united by the slogan 'all for one, one for all'.

"We're very eager to present this car to you, and it will be very much worth the wait."

Tomoyama reiterated that the hypercar will go down the route of a pure prototype.

Aston Martin, the only other manufacturer to confirm its presence for the hypercar era, has opted for the choice of converting its road-going Valkyrie.

"We aim to launch the road-going car, based on the GR Super Sport, but the specification, number of [cars in] production and which markets is confidential," he added.

"We will announce this in the near future. We're confident that Le Mans is the best environment to improve our cars, including our high-class hybrids with ultimate performance and thermal efficiency.

"TMG's [Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne] main role is to develop GR Super Sport, the racing car, but in the future, we will study a lot from that base, and reflect the know-how in our road-going car in the future."