The carmaker has used its Toyota Hybrid System-Racing (THS-R) for two Le Mans events. It uses a motor housed in the gearbox to recover and store energy during deceleration, which can be stored in a supercapacitor in the cabin and used to provide a power boost to the car’s petrol engine.

In the TS030, THS-R can generate up to 300bhp of boost automatically, while exiting corners for example, on top of the 530bhp produced by its 3.4-litre V8 petrol engine. Toyota has yet to reveal what sector the concept will be placed in, only saying it will be suitable for road and track use.

A production version would be likely to draw on knowledge gained through its partnership with BMW, which is aimed at co-developing sports cars, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technology. The carmaker has stuck rigidly to its preference for hybrid drivetrains over diesels, and a high performance petrol-electric sports car would allow it to compete with Honda’s forthcoming NSX, due for a 2015 launch.