There is also a Lexus version, which will follow the LFA era.
Well, the highly anticipated supercar from Toyota is finally here. After years of rumors turned into teases, spy shots of testing mullions and executive confirmations, the Japanese automaker has unveiled its first dedicated high-performance coupe.
It’s called the GR GT and Toyota has pulled the sheets off its new flagship on its home turf in Tokyo. But the GR GT wasn’t the only big new car since its debut.
I don’t make boring cars anymore
In addition to the autonomous GR GT, Toyota also revealed the FIA GT3-spec race car for its motorsport teams, as well as what will eventually become the next-generation LFA.
The GR GT is Toyota’s first stand-alone supercar. – Credit: Toyota
Toyota has worked hard to shake off its old stigma of being the world’s most boring automaker. Just a few decades ago, Big T discontinued all of its sports cars and stopped making fun ones (four-wheeled crew trucks and SUVs aside).
The GR GT is undoubtedly the sum of former CEO Akio Toyoda’s passion for speed and performance. – Credit: Toyota
Once former CEO and chairman Akio Toyoda took the reins, he initiated a movement to make Toyota fun again. Toyoda himself is a known racing enthusiast and lover of speed and performance.
He was the driving force behind cars like the GR 86 and the Supra revival. GR GT is the sum of his efforts, despite stepping down in 2023.
The most powerful and advanced production Toyota ever
The GR GT cements the idea that Toyota is no longer the ultimate purveyor of boring cars. – Credit: Toyota
Given that the GR GT is the company’s first stand-alone supercar, complete with motorsport pedigree and engineering, it’s no surprise that the GR GT is getting some superlative headlines.
For example, the new 641-horsepower 4.0-liter twin-turbo hybrid powertrain based on a gas-electric V8 makes the GR GT the most powerful production Toyota to date. Backing up those horses is a total system torque of about 627 pound-feet.
The GR GT is essentially the FIA GT3 specification motorsport racing car adapted for the road. – Credit: Toyota
Its racing-derived aluminum spaceframe is also a company first, allowing the GR GT to weigh as much as a wedge. And because it was designed and engineered from the ground up in tandem with its motorsport variant, it’s essentially a racing car adapted for the road.
Its dimensions of 189.7 inches in overall length, 78.7 inches in width and 47 inches in height mean that it is actually much larger than the LFA. But her height is almost identical.
The GR GT3 has serious kit, including Toyota’s new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, complete with a rear gearbox. – Credit: Toyota
However, the increase in proportions does not refer to the increase in passenger or cargo capacity. Rather, it is intended to increase the car’s footprint for wider axle tracks and the ability to reduce the passenger cell location.
Toyota engineers highlight three key parameters for the GR GT: ultra-low center of gravity, low weight with high rigidity and top aerodynamics. – Credit: Toyota
This not only allowed the engineers to lower the center of gravity. It also allowed the car’s gas-electric hybrid system and transmission to be fitted. That is, the transmission is located behind the car for perfect weight distribution and better balance.
The Lexus version will be fully electric
The Japanese automaker took the spotlight to also confirm the return of the Lexus LFA. – Credit: Toyota
Toyota also took the opportunity to debut the Lexus version of the GR GT. Which, unsurprisingly, is essentially the Sports Coupe Concept that the company debuted in October.
The next LFA was already here, we just didn’t officially realize it. – Credit: Lexus
But now, the automaker has confirmed that it will be the direct successor to the LFA. To further drive the point home, Lexus even renamed the model the “Concept LFA.”
Also unsurprising is the new update that the production model will be all-electric. Despite Toyota’s reluctance to go all-in on electrification, they decided to go with the multi-energy approach instead.
The successor to the LFA unfortunately ditches the original car’s iconic V10. – Credit: Lexus
The strategy includes electric vehicles to some extent, as shown by the LFA Concept. But because it remains in prototype form, it is still under development and therefore details and specifications remain unknown.
Want to stay up to date with the latest news and product releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism reaches the top of your Google search results.
