Toyota Prius: The ultimate in endurance racer efficiency?

Toyota Prius hate in the enthusiast world is nothing new. Left lane hogging, environmental smugness and driver obliviousness have become comment section Prius clichés, and more than one coal roller has showed a confused Prius pilot who’s really boss by demonstrating the features of their (poorly tuned) diesel. 

In Lemons, it turns out there’s Prius hate, too, but for a different reason. With a $500 vehicle price cap, some react with hostility to a relatively modern, high-resale-value machine. Of course, like most Lemons entries, there’s a history behind the car, and the one belonging to Rattlesnake Electric Sport’s 2007 Prius isn’t exactly spotless. 

After cruising well into six-figure mileage in its first eight years on the road, the Prius (“Prius Touring Edition,” team captain Richard Hilleman clarifies) was totaled in a crash. Somehow, the wreck fried the car’s entire electrical network, including the complex computerized engine management system. “It was completely bricked,” Richard explains. 

The car then sat abandoned in a side yard for several years until the idea of endurance racing came along. A professional race car fabricator with plenty of experience in traditional V8 hardware, Richard saw the potential in a high-efficiency machine for Lemons. 

Applying his extensive knowledge of electronics to the project, Richard methodically diagnosed the issues with the dead Prius’ computer systems and was eventually able to coax it back to life. From there, a very basic Lemons build commenced, with the team adding the requisite safety equipment, eBay-sourced lowering springs, and 17x9-inch wheels. Everything else, including the “usually on fire” brakes, was left stock. 

For kicks, the team stuck the car on a chassis dyno before hitting the track, and it registered a fairly uninspiring 88 horsepower. That, combined with a 3100-pound curb weight, would make for less than blistering speed. 

But the efficiency benefits soon emerged in the car’s first Lemons race, with 3-plus-hour stints possible on the stock 12-gallon fuel tank. The driver roster didn’t hurt, either: With Richard’s connections in the serious racing world, several pro drivers, including Indy and American Le Mans veteran Memo Gidley (who, incidentally, drives a Prius on the street), were added to the lineup. 

It turns out that pro drivers can handle 88 horsepower reasonably well, and by running long stints, avoiding mechanical issues and staying out of on-track trouble (feats, it should be noted, also possible with many other low-output cars), the Prius soon found itself near the top of the leaderboard. The team’s best result to date was an 11th overall finish in a field of 120-plus entries. 

As a result of this success, Rattlesnake’s Prius has gained a lot of respect in the Lemons community, but there are still plenty of series followers that remain offended. Perhaps the real reason for that distaste isn’t smugness, price or anything else. Maybe they’re just afraid of losing to a Prius. –Nick Pon

Comments

Displaying 1-10 of 29 commentsView all comments on the GRM forums

You'll need to log in to post.