Tag Archives: GR GT

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Toyota GR GT – The LFA’s Spirit Reborn, With Twin Turbos and a Jolt of Electric Fury

For more than a decade, enthusiasts have been waiting—hoping—for a true heir to the Lexus LFA. Its screaming V10, carbon-intensive construction, and unrepeatable charisma cemented it as one of the most iconic halo cars of the 21st century. Now, Toyota’s performance wing, Gazoo Racing, claims the wait is officially over. Meet the GR GT, a ground-up supercar engineered with one mission: to channel the LFA’s legacy into something even more ferocious.

A New Formula for a New Era

Rather than chase nostalgia, Gazoo Racing has built the GR GT around three uncompromising targets:
the lowest possible center of gravity, the lowest possible mass, and the highest possible chassis stiffness.
Those principles form the backbone of a brand-new aluminum architecture designed to extract every ounce of performance from an equally new powertrain.

At the front sits a freshly developed 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, while the rear hides an electric motor mounted just above the axle. Together, they summon a combined 650 horsepower and 850 Nm of torque—numbers Toyota openly hints may creep higher by the time production begins. Power flows exclusively to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

This hybrid layout isn’t about eco points; it’s about instant torque, chassis balance, and lap-time consistency. And it’s born directly from Gazoo Racing’s experience developing the GR GT3 race car, which is launching in parallel for FIA competition.

Carbon Everywhere, Mass Nowhere

Toyota set an ambitious weight target, and it shows. Every exterior panel is crafted from carbon fiber, while additional carbon elements are worked into the braking system. The supercar rolls on ultra-light 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, ensuring grip levels that suit its GT3-inspired hardware.

Toyota says the final car will tip the scales at under 1,700 kg, an impressive feat considering its hybrid system and sizable V8.

Low, Wide, and Ready to Strike

At 4.78 meters long and just 1.09 meters high, the GR GT sits lower than almost anything on today’s roads. Unsurprisingly, slipping inside feels like dropping into a race seat—because the seats are race seats. Recaro carbon buckets, bolstered aggressively and trimmed in premium materials, dominate the cockpit. Traditional Toyota branding steps aside in favor of bold Gazoo Racing badging, signaling that this machine belongs firmly in the performance sub-brand’s domain.

320 km/h, and That’s Just the Beginning

In road-legal form, the GR GT is targeting a top speed of 320 km/h. But the real story is its dual-purpose development path. Alongside the production car, Toyota has unveiled the GR GT3 racing version, a homologation-ready weapon set to compete worldwide. This isn’t a marketing gimmick—it’s proof that the road car was shaped with motorsports as its foundation.

A Proper Successor at Last

Toyota hasn’t tried to recreate the LFA’s magic; instead, it has evolved it. A hybrid V8 instead of a shrieking V10. Carbon construction refined by modern motorsports. A chassis sculpted by engineering priorities, not nostalgia.

If the numbers hold—and if Gazoo Racing’s GT3 work really bleeds through to the street version—the GR GT might not just be a successor to the LFA. It might become the supercar that defines Toyota’s performance future.

Source: Toyota

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Toyota Teases a Trio of New Performance Machines Ahead of December 4 Reveal

Toyota has dropped a shadowy teaser for not one, not two, but three all-new sports models set to share the spotlight on December 4. The dimly lit preview hints at a bold future for both Toyota and Lexus performance, with what appear to be a new Lexus sports coupe and two flavors of Toyota’s upcoming GR GT supercar—one street-legal, the other track-hungry.

A New Era for Lexus Performance

On the teaser’s left side, a clean, sweeping silhouette looks suspiciously like the production evolution of the Lexus Sport Concept first shown in August. The two-door shape and futuristic light signature match the concept almost line for line, suggesting Lexus hasn’t strayed far from its show-car styling.

That original concept already bordered on production-ready, so expect the showroom model to retain most of its proportions while dialing back some of the wilder interior touches. The teaser hints at a textured rear glass panel, though there’s no confirmation yet on whether the concept’s more dramatic features—like roof-mounted fans, an illuminated fin, or the central F1-style brake light—will survive the transition.

While many expected this model to be fully electric, recent reports point instead to a GR-derived hybrid V8, developed specifically for Lexus. With an estimated arrival in 2026, the unnamed coupe appears aimed at replacing the long-serving LC, not resurrecting the legendary LFA nameplate.

Toyota’s GR GT Supercar Steps Into the Light

Front and center in the tease is Toyota’s new GR GT supercar, confirmed through a Japanese TV spot to be debuting at the same event. Compared to the Lexus, the Toyota wears a longer hood, conventional rear glass, and crisp full-width LED taillights.

A cherry on top: we’ve already seen its interior. Earlier previews showed a driver-focused cabin with a large infotainment display, tactile physical switches, and lightweight carbon-fiber bucket seats.

Under the skin lives something even more serious. Toyota says the GR GT will pack a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 paired with a self-charging hybrid system. Word is the combustion engine alone could produce around 800 horsepower, making this the most powerful Toyota ever—and, in many ways, a spiritual successor to the V10-powered Lexus LFA.

A GT3 Monster Joins the Family

Completing the trio is an all-out racecar that clearly shares DNA with the GR GT but takes the aggression up several notches. Spy shots and the prototype that stormed the hill at Goodwood match what we see here: vented fenders, a fixed rear wing, side-exit exhausts, a beefier diffuser, and a stance that sits inches closer to the pavement.

This is almost certainly Toyota’s upcoming GT3 competition variant, a follow-up to the 2022 GR GT3 Concept and built to take on premier GT3 series worldwide.

The Big Unveil

All three models will make their global debut on December 4 during a live-streamed reveal hosted by Toyota President Akio Toyoda and Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries. If the teaser’s shadows are anything to go by, Toyota and Lexus are about to enter 2026 with a performance lineup that looks sharper—and meaner—than ever.

Source: Toyota

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Toyota’s GR GT: The Long-Awaited V8 Supercar That Refuses to Play Nice

It’s happening. Finally. Toyota is about to rip the covers off what might just be the most exciting thing to come out of Japan since the Lexus LFA screamed its way into the history books. Mark your calendars — 5 December is D-Day for the GR GT, the brand’s long-awaited, V8-powered flagship that aims squarely at Aston Martin’s DB12 and anyone else who dares call themselves a supercar.

Originally tipped to appear under the bright lights of the Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota has instead opted for a slow-burn tease. We’ve seen concept after concept, a couple of running prototypes at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, and even a cameo at Pebble Beach. But the real thing — the one you’ll actually be able to buy (eventually) — lands this December, before strutting its stuff publicly at Tokyo Auto Salon in January.

LFA Spirit, GR Muscle

Officially, the car’s full name is Toyota GR GT, and if that sounds like it’s been lifted straight out of a motorsport homologation form, that’s because it has. The road-going GR GT is a by-product of Toyota’s upcoming GT3 race car, a snarling, winged monster revealed in 2022 and already seen tearing up Goodwood’s hillclimb this summer.

FIA rules say that any GT3 racer must share its basic body shape with a road car. So, while Aston Martin, Porsche, and Lamborghini have their own track-bred twins, Toyota’s now stepping into the same gladiatorial pit — and doing so with proper Gazoo Racing attitude.

Toyota has been clear about its philosophy: “commercialising motorsports cars rather than adapting production vehicles for use in motorsports.” Translation? This isn’t a Supra with stickers. It’s a racer that’s been civilized. Slightly.

Power, Noise, and the Hybrid Twist

At Goodwood, the GT3 prototype made its intentions clear — that V8 soundtrack was less “eco hatchback” and more “angry thunderstorm in a carbon-fibre suit.” But Toyota isn’t ignoring the times we live in. Beneath the GR GT’s sleek bodywork, there’s talk of a hybrid system joining the fray. Not for silence — but for survival.

Toyota’s GR engineer, Hiroyuki Yamada, hinted that hybridisation is inevitable:

“We will use it in our motorsport activities in the future, because of emissions… In the future, we want a more fuel-efficient engine for GR cars.”

That means we can expect electric torque fill, clever battery assist, and all the emissions boxes neatly ticked — without sacrificing the howling internal combustion heart. The hybrid setup could push total output to around 700bhp, eclipsing the new 671bhp Aston Martin Vantage S and ensuring Toyota’s latest weapon doesn’t just sound exotic — it goes like it too.

The pure GT3 racer will weigh around 1300kg and churn out 500–600bhp, but with the hybrid boost, the road car should be something truly ballistic.

Old School Soul, New World Tech

What makes this project fascinating is Toyota’s open rebellion against the all-electric tide. GR boss Masahito Watanabe has been refreshingly defiant:

“We still think the internal combustion engine has some potential… It’s not over yet.”

That includes hydrogen combustion experiments, which could see the GR GT evolve into something both thrilling and guilt-free. In other words, Toyota’s looking to keep the V8 alive — and make it future-proof.

So, What to Expect?

Expect the GR GT to arrive at the end of 2026, wearing an aggressive, low-slung body that nods to the GT3 car’s wide hips and massive aero. Expect carbon, expect noise, expect something that doesn’t care for half measures.

If the LFA was a once-in-a-generation statement of intent — a car that proved Toyota could play with the big boys — the GR GT might be the follow-up that shows it can beat them at their own game.

So yes, the wait’s been long. Painfully long. But if the countdown clock is anything to go by, the V8 era at Toyota isn’t dead. It’s just getting started — with a Gazoo twist and 700 hybrid-assisted horses ready to run riot.

Source: Autocar