Toyota GR Super Sport hypercar's soundtrack previewed

A new sound clip of the state-of-the-art 500kW hybrid V6 revving in the Toyota GR Super Sport has been released to help build anticipation for the Le Mans racer's launch later this year.

Created to compete in the new Le Mans hypercar class when it returns to racing in the 2022 World Endurance Championship, the new Toyota GR Super Sport will compete alongside racers like the Peugeot HYBRID4 500KW.

Perhaps even more exciting for fans of the hypercar genre, Toyota will build a limited run of 25 cars that will feature the car-maker's advanced mid-mounted 2.4-litre V6 hybrid powertrain.

With total power capped to 500kW and a minimum weight of 1100kg, the Toyota will be one of the world's fastest street cars, especially following the revelation that without the mandated power limit, the GR Super Sport's trick hybrid powertrain can produce more than 735kW.

There's no word yet on how Toyota's hybrid powertrain works, but Peugeot has revealed that its Le Mans racer's slightly larger 2.6-litre V6 gets a single turbo and drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed sequential transmission.

Up front, a single electric motor drives the front axle, producing around 200kW and drawing energy from a 900-volt battery that sits in the centre of the car for optimum weight distribution.

Before the race, the battery has been designed to be charged via a plug-in source. But once up and racing it is self-charging, clawing back energy during braking with the driver capable of adjusting how much regenerative braking is occurring at any given time.

Total power for the French rival is 700kW, but in compliance with the new hypercar WEC rules, no more than 500kW can ever be deployed. The petrol powertrain is wound back to around 300kW until the battery is depleted, at which point it can return to the full 500kW.

To ensure there’s no cheating, sensors broadcast how much power is being transmitted to all four wheels to the FIA in real time during a race.

Other new rules for the class forbid the electric motor to be used at speeds less than 120km/h – regs welcomed by enthusiasts as it ensures that all-wheel drive race cars do not have a traction advantage over more traditional rear-drive hypercars.

Toyota is expected to drip feed more details of the Toyota GR Super Sport in the build up to its 2021 unveiling.