This week, Toyota took the wraps off its first-ever battery-electric SEMA concept build, the bZ Time Attack Concept. The concept promises to “push the limits” of EV performance as a purpose-built racer built for time attack circuits and hill climbs — and we’ve got the specs.
Internal combustion engines require oxygen to do their combusting, which is why they tend to lose power at higher altitudes. Less air means less oxygen means less power means less performance for them, but not for EVs. That little factoid has led to a number of manufacturers gunning for hill climb victories to adopt electric drivetrains, and it seems Toyota is planning to be the next in line to try to take a bite out of that apple.
To that end, Toyota took a 2026 AWD bZ, which already delivers 338 hp and a 0–60 mph time of just 4.9 seconds in showroom form, and tuned them up to 400 hp with a bespoke ECU calibration that unlocks some of the power hidden away behind the twin veils of respectability and long-term reliability.
The bodywork, finished in a custom PPG pearl/metallic white, metallic black, and red tri-color scheme, demonstrates what happens when additive manufacturing and traditional race-car craftsmanship intersect.
To set it apart visually, the bZ Time Attack gets a SEMA-standard widebody aero package, a 6″ wider track, and a positively SLAMMED stance courtesy of a set of TEIN-developed coilovers and springs. An Alcon braking system with Hawk pads adapted from Toyota’s 86 Cup and Corolla TC race programs stops the party when it starts to get too out of hand.
The end result looks … pretty good, actually!
Toyota bZ Time Attack gallery
Inside, the bZ Time Attack concept sports a full FIA-spec 4130 chromoly cage stiffens the chassis, while the interior is fitted with lightweight OMP HTE-R composite racing seats and race-spec OMP harnesses that will make any sanctioning body official smile.
The bZ’s sporty chassis rolls on 19×11″ BBS Unlimited wheels wrapped in ultra-aggressive 305/30ZR19 XL Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 high-performance tires, adding substantial mechanical grip to go along with, what Toyota’s press copy calls, “impressive” aerodynamic downforce.
Serious performance
“This year at SEMA, we wanted to push ourselves into unexplored territory,” says Marty Schwerter, lead builder and director of operations at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical R&D Center. “It’s a chance to explore, learn, and create something that shows just how much potential exists within Toyota’s BEV platforms.”
No word yet on when or even if we’ll see the bZ concept after this year’s SEMA show (which wraps up tomorrow), but I think the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK and Tsukuba Circuit in Japan would be great guesses.
Electrek’s Take
Radical electric takes on five-passenger crossovers are a tried-and-true formula for success at SEMA, and I have to commend Toyota on a well-executed build. That said, I liked the Mercedes concept I helped build at RENNtech in 2008 better. You can take a look at that concept, above, then let us know what you think in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Toyota; Mercedes images by the author.
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