Toyota GT86 KERS Edition

It’s been revealed that the Toyota GT86 is set to receive more power! The car’s chief engineer Tetsuya Tada has been quoted saying that they are “looking for a surprise” regarding boosting power from the GT86. He has also stated that going down the route of incorporating a turbocharger would not be the way to go.

So, What’s the Surprise?

Tada went on to state the following: “Something unique. For example, a hybrid motor…a next-generation hybrid. More like the TS030 Le Mans Prototype. We’re looking into that possibility.”

The aim of the GT86 was to be a high performance sports car with a high-revving engine. This is exactly why Toyota developed a special version of the direct-injection system that was capable of handling high rpm.

So, what’s so special about the aforementioned TS030? Well, it has a KERS system. KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) has been developed by the big brains of F1 and, much like a lot of F1 technology, it has trickled down into road cars.

Existing Examples of Energy Recovery

Many hybrid cars already make use of systems that store and recover energy, but these are normally applied to non-performance cars. The use of a KERS system on a performance car however would be quite unique. Recovering energy during braking and storing it in super-capacitors in order to give added oomph and torque would be an exciting concept for a road car. The added power generated by KERS would certainly have an impact on motor insurance, however, in comparison to turbocharged alternatives, quotes may actually be cheaper as a KERS system is seen as being more economical.

Mr Tada has also revealed that a prototype version of such a machine is already in existence.

So whilst shoving turbochargers under the bonnet is becoming more and more a craze of manufacturers, Toyota would favour the instant power boost of a KERS system rather than a laggy turbo (at least at low revs).

Will turbochargers be a thing of the past in 10 or 20 years’ time? If Toyota do develop this KERS powered GT86 and it works in relation to its rivals, then we will surely see more and more manufacturers turning to KERS for a performance boost.