This past weekend’s 24-hour Super Taikyu endurance race gave local automakers a chance to show what they’ve been working on. Subaru teased three new production-bound cars with manual gearboxes, while Toyota unveiled a pair of wild Camry projects it certainly won’t sell. By far the more interesting of the two wears wide fenders and an aggressive aero kit, but the real surprise lies beneath the skin.
Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division pulled out the stock four-cylinder engine and replaced it with a smaller three-cylinder unit. While that might sound like a downgrade, the transplanted engine doesn’t come from an economy car. Instead, the “G16E-GTS” is borrowed from the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and the lesser-known Lexus LBX Morizo RR. It produces 300 horsepower and drives the front axle.
