Toyota’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that is currently under development has been designed with electrification in mind
- The Toyota GR division will use a hybrid version of the turbo 2.0-liter engine in future products.
- Electrification will allow sports cars to be more fuel efficient and have lower emissions.
- The engines being developed by Gazoo Racing will also be used in mainstream models.
Toyota has been a pioneer in hybrid powertrains since the debut of the original Prius back in 1997. However, the Japanese brand doesn’t plan on keeping electrification for mainstream products, but will also apply it on sports cars by the Toyota Gazoo Racing division.
The new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is currently under development will be used in electrified GR models. The mill was designed to be compatible with hybrid and plug-in hybrid setups, with its shorter piston stroke and lightweight construction making it beneficial for packaging.
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The mid-engined GR Yaris M prototype that debuted in Tokyo earlier this year and is believed to be a test bed for the next-gen MR2 is fitted with the new 2.0-liter powertrain in non-electrified form. However, Gazoo Racing engineer Hiroyuki Yamada who is responsible for the project confirmed plans of adding hybrid assistance in the future.
Speaking to Autocar, Yamada said: “We can use hybrid for future cars with this engine”. He added that this technology will be used in both motorsport activities and passenger cars, as Toyota needs a more fuel-efficient engine with lower emissions for future GR products.
Currently, the GR Yaris and GR Corolla are powered by a turbo 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, while the GR86 uses a Subaru-sourced naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter boxer engine. Replacing these with an electrified turbo 2.0-liter unit would allow Toyota to offer GR models in markets with stricter emission regulations such as Europe and the UK.
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The same 2.0-liter engine is expected to be used in future iterations of the Celica, MR2, and GR Supra, in various states of tune with and without hybrid assistance. Reports suggest that the mill can produce up to 395 hp (294 kW / 400 PS) in roadgoing flavor and 592 hp (441 kW / 600 PS) in racing form. However, it is not clear if these numbers include a potential boost by electric motors.
From The Toyota GR Lineup To Mainstream Models
Besides sports cars and racecars, the new 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines being developed by Gazoo Racing engineers will eventually be used in conventional Toyota models, such as the next-gen Yaris, Corolla and RAV4.
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This strategy has been confirmed by Bart Eelen, head of TGR and motorsports. Speaking to Car Magazine, Eelen said: “It goes back to Toyota’s idea of using motorsport as a test bed and as a way to develop new things. I think that’s something that Akio Toyoda introduced into the company. Toyota hadn’t thought that way before.”
The high-ranking official added: “New ICE engines are pretty rare these days, but we really wanted to do this. The block is super compact, and the center of gravity is super low – and the engine combines both efficiency and performance.”
Hopefully, Toyota will soon give us more details about the upcoming GR models, electrified or not.
