Prius GT Debuts at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Gasoline-electric hybrids are generally perceived as environmentally-minded vehicles that hold little appeal for the custom car crowd. Proving that the eco-friendly Prius hybrid can be tweaked for performance just like its conventional counterparts, Toyota showcased a hot rod Prius GT variant at England's 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This article is reprinted just as it ran in Green Car Journal's Fall 2004 edition to share the news as it was reported at the time.

TOYOTA DEBUTS PRIUS GT
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FALL 2004 It's commonplace for automakers to develop high-performance iterations of their mainstream offerings, but logic would seem to exempt Toyota's highly efficient Prius from this pattern. In a bid to prove once and for all that the Prius has the same capacity for performance-enhancing tweaks as any of its conventional peers, Toyota has built the Prius GT and defied expectations again.

This paradox-in-motion debuted at the most unlikely of venues, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, becoming the first hybrid vehicle to have participated in the famed celebration of motorsports history. One of the GTs served as an official car for the event's organizers, while another was parked proudly beside some of Toyota's more conventional racers, such as its 2004 TF104 Formula One car, 1993 Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD rally championship winner, and Carroll Shelby-prepared SCCA championship Toyota 2000 GT.

Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain has been entirely reworked for the Prius GT. The Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine was swapped for the 1.5-liter 4-cylinder from the company's Echo, providing better response and 98 hp rather than the standard issue Prius' 76 hp. The High Voltage Power Circuit also got a bump to 550 volts, gaining 50 volts over stock to allow for a more powerful electric motor, resulting in a combined output of 145 hp. An upgraded generator and state-of-charge controller were additionally tuned for acceleration rather than range.

This hybrid's underpinnings also received attention in the interest of higher levels of performance. New shock absorbers, springs, and stabilizer bars - as well as a repositioning of the battery over the rear-axle for near-perfect weight distribution - promise much sharper handling. The interior was stripped of seats, carpet, power windows, and air conditioning, then fitted with two racing seats, harnesses, and a roll cage, reducing overall weight by over 400 pounds. A front spoiler, side skirts, and a snappy racing paint scheme complete the package.

The improved power-to-weight ratio results in a 0-62 mph time of 8.7 seconds, much quicker than stock. According to Toyota, the weight loss and more powerful electric circuit compensate for the more powerful gasoline engine so that, at normal speeds, fuel economy is virtually unchanged. So far, Toyota claims there are no plans to mass-produce or race the Prius GT.