Toyota has filed patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for what appear to be canopy-style doors for the upcoming GR Super Sport hypercar.
First spotted by users on the GR86.org forum, the applications show the windshield, roof, and side glass of a car lifting up as one piece, with a hinge at the front. The driver enters and exits by swinging their legs over the body sides.
Toyota showed a concept version of the GR Super Sport at the 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon. The concept didn’t have any obvious cut lines for conventional doors, but it did have lines running parallel to the side glass that match the patent-application drawings. At the time, Toyota didn’t mention a canopy opening.
Toyota GR Super Sport concept
The GR Super Sport is being developed for the World Endurance Championship’s new Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class. Toyota is the last manufacturer standing in the current LMP1 class, and wants to transition to LMH when it replaces LMP1 in 2021. Unlike LMP1 cars, LMH cars must be based on road cars. Manufacturers must build at least 25 of those road cars for homologation in the first season, and 100 road cars in the second season.
Toyota GR Super Sport canopy patent image
Toyota hasn’t confirmed specs, but the GR Super Sport concept has a hybrid system based around a 2.4-liter twin-turbo V-6. The engine is mounted in the middle of the car and drives the rear wheels with help from an electric motor-generator. A second motor-generator powers the front axle, giving the car all-wheel drive. Toyota quoted total system output of 986 horsepower for the concept.
In addition to Toyota, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus has committed to the LMH class. Aston Martin initially discussed entering its Valkyrie, but has put those plans on hold to focus on Formula One. A companion class for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, called LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid), could see Porsche return to top-level endurance racing as well.