Toyota's 'Super GT' is still a Prius hybrid despite its V8 engine and rear wing

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Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A Prius with a V8? Now, that's the craziest thing we've ever heard in awhile.

However, that's exactly what Toyota and the APR Racing team have cooked up for the GT300 class of the 2016 Super GT racing series.

Impressively, the Super GT Prius is a Prius in more than just name -- it packs a racing-spec version of the eco-friendly hatch's Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

However, for racing purposes, the electrical bits of the hybrid powertrain have been relocated to the passenger footwell area. And the stock 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine normally found under the hood has been replaced with a 3.4-liter V8 mounted where the back seats might be found -- if a race car needed back seats.

Of course, going along with that modified motif, the interior is stripped and replaced with only the racing essentials, including a snazzy steering wheel complete with a digital tachometer.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Now, to be frank, this isn't the first time Toyota has gone racing with a supped-up Prius. In fact, Toyota and APR Racing won twice in the 2015 Super GT season. With this new Super GT Prius, the company hopes to do it again.

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