The idea of a performance-oriented Prius might seem counterintuitive but it's far from being a novelty. There have been multiple iterations of a race car built for the Super GT series in Japan, not to mention road-going models with Gazoo Racing branding for the domestic market. With the fifth-generation model out and about, it was only a matter of time before the eco-warrior would show its sporty side.

Meet the (takes a deep breath) Toyota Prius 24h Le Mans Centennial GR Edition. Its official debut took place today at the dawn of the 100^th anniversary of the endurance race held at the famous Circuit de la Sarthe. What does the Prius have in common with Le Mans? The eco-friendly pioneer has helped Gazoo Racing evolve its hybrid technology, which has been improved over the years in the TS030, TS040, TS050, and the more recent GR010 endurance race cars – all of which carry the "Hybrid" suffix.

The conceptual sporty Prius gets a comprehensive aerodynamic package with front canards and splitter, along with beefy side skirts, fender flares, a large rear wing, and a massive diffuser. Toyota through its performance division has also fitted with a carbon fiber hood and four-point LED lights influenced by the GR010 Hybrid.

The athletic hybrid rides on bespoke aero-optimized RAYS wheels measuring 18 inches and wrapped around in 235/50 R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. The revised lower front air intake now has a honeycomb structure and we're being told the GR Prius boasts a "wide-track suspension."

As to why the concept can be seen next to the Mazda MX-30 R-EV (yes, the one with the rotary engine), it's because the cars are part of an exhibit celebrating the triumph of Japanese race cars at Le Mans. The Zoom-Zoom company was the first brand from the Land of the Rising Sun to achieve success at Le Mans in 1991 with the rotary-powered 787B. Toyota scored five consecutive wins (2018-2022) and is hoping to win its sixth race in 2023.

It's too soon to say whether there will be a full-fat GR Prius with a license plate but Toyota's newly appointed CEO and President Koji Sato promised at the beginning of the month there will be more GR cars. Sadly, there's still no word about a production version of the GR Super Sport, which was supposed to be a road-going hypercar with over 1,000 horsepower.

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