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Author: Olly

  • Toyota GR’s hypercar may have canopy-style roof and no doors

    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

    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 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.

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  • ST SUSPENSIONS HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE SPRINGS

    We don’t have to tell you that the humble lowering spring is a real bread and butter mod. But that doesn’t mean that, after over half a century on the streets, it can’t evolve. And here’s the proof: lowering springs 2.0 – bona fide, height-adjustable jobs. Flash McFlash or what?

    Basically, these are a kind of coilover conversion, but what’s even more important is that they’re bringing cost-effective height tweakability to a whole new range of cars. Most commonly the models that already have performance-tuned dampers from the factory, along with modern motors where the OEM shocks are still in great nick. And even the most up-to-date stuff where retaining the electronically-adjustable dampers is a key priority.

    As for the actual quality? Well, they’re from German legends ST Suspensions, so you just know these cold-wound chrome-silicon-steel puppies are engineered with handling performance in mind… the ultimate in altitude adjustment is actually something of a bonus.

    These are already available for a great selection of motors, and they tell us that there’s plenty more fitments on the way. So, no more guessing whether to go for the -50mm springs for the shows or the -20mm drop for fast road performance. Now you really can have it all.

    Priced from £474

    For more info see ST Suspensions

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  • There’s a $443,400 option on the Koenigsegg Jesko

    The Koenigsegg Jesko is already destined to be a one of the rarest cars in existence, with just 125 planned. But if you want your Jesko to stand out even from that exclusive crowd, it’s going to cost a lot. The Jesko is available with a naked carbon-fiber body, but that single option costs $443,400, Motor1 has discovered.

    The fact that Koenigsegg charges roughly as much as a Lamborghini Aventador S to not paint a car was first unearthed by Manny Khoshbin, one of the handful of customers selected to get a Jesko. Only confirmed buyers are allowed to play with the car’s online configurator, an experience Khoshbin documented on his YouTube channel.

    Koenigsegg also offers exposed carbon-fiber bodywork with a green, blue, red, or purple tint for $346,100, and a clear carbon option for $292,000. Paint options are less expensive, at $63,300 for Apple Red or Sweet Mandarin candy finishes, $24,800 for pearl finishes, or $13,900 for metallic finishes. There are also some standard paint colors.

    Koenigsegg Jesko Cherry Red edition

    Koenigsegg Jesko Cherry Red edition

    Exterior finish isn’t the only way to drive up the price of an already-expensive (base price is $3 million) hypercar. Carbon-fiber wheels with Michelin Cup 2R tires cost $110,700.

    After playing around with the configurator, Khoshbin wound up with a $3,419,000 price tag for the standard Jesko, and a $4,081,050 price for the Jesko Absolut. The latter was designed to beat the top-speed record currently held by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport+, and Koenigsegg has said it will never make a faster car.

    The Jesko is powered by a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that makes 1,600 horsepower on E85. It’s coupled to a 9-speed automatic that Koenigsegg dubbed the Light Speed Transmission, so-named as it’s incredibly quick. This is because if doesn’t need to shift through multiple gears when upshifting or downshifting. For example, if the transmission is in seventh, but decides fourth is needed, it can bypass fifth and sixth gears.

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