New Toyota Prius Set for Race Debut in Thailand

Toyota has entered a new hybrid-powered car based on the latest Prius into this weekend’s Idemitsu Super Endurance 600 at Thailand’s Buriram Circuit.

The No. 264 Prius CNF-HEV GR Concept has been entered into Saturday’s 10-hour race by Toyota SUPER GT outfit Rookie Racing, alongside the hydrogen-powered GR Corolla H2 Concept and the GR86 CNF Concept that raced in Super Taikyu this season.

It marks the second year in a row that Rookie Racing has entered cars in the Idemitsu Super Endurance race, which was run over 25 hours last year.

Like the GR86 CNF concept, the new Prius runs on carbon-neutral fuel, complemented by a hybrid system. The entry is backed by CP Group, described by Toyota as a “partner working to achieve a carbon-neutral society in Thailand”.

Toyota has not announced any further plans for the car, but a Super Taikyu campaign in 2024 would appear likely.

The previous-generation Prius model was a mainstay of SUPER GT’s GT300 class from 2012 until 2022 with the apr team, but it was replaced by a new hybrid-powered Lexus LC500h for 2023.

Thailand’s Kachorn Chiaravanont, a member of CP Group’s executive committee, is one of the five drivers registered to drive the No. 264 Prius at Buriram this weekend alongside Tatsuya Kataoka, Hibiki Taira, Naoya Gamou and ‘Morizo’, the pseudonym for Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda.

Kataoka, Taira and Gamou are all regulars of SUPER GT’s GT300 class and also won this year’s Super Taikyu title in a Rookie-entered Mercedes AMG-GT3 Evo.

‘Morizo’ is also one of the registered drivers for the Corolla H2, which runs on liquid hydrogen, along with Masahiro Sasaki, Hiroaki Ishiura and Yasuhiro Ogura.

The lineup for the GR86 CNF Concept features Rookie SUPER GT duo Kazuya Oshima and Kenta Yamashita as well as Keizou Kato and Daisuke Toyoda, Akio’s son.

Another SUPER GT regular, Yuhi Sekiguchi, is also taking part in the event with Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand as a registered driver for both its Toyota FT86 entries.

The Idemitsu Super Endurance 600 is slated to start on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (Friday 10 p.m. EST).