Toyota Gazoo Racing and Lexus have finally given us the moment that we’ve all been waiting for. The successor to one of the greatest-sounding road cars ever built has a name: GR GT. Over in Toyota Woven City, Japan, the world’s largest automaker has showcased not one, but three high-performance flagships together: the GR GT, the GR GT3, and the Lexus LFA Concept.
But before we get to the GR-GT, some context first. Looking back at the original LFA, besides being the flagship, the highlight of that car was its high-revving 4.8-liter V10 that put out 552 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Tuned by Yamaha, the 1LR-GUE could hit 9,000 rpm and earned reverence through sensation and an evocative soundtrack, rather than outright power figures. It proved Japan could build a halo car that belonged in the same conversation, such as mid-engined exotics like the Carrera GT. With time passing, a successor wasn’t just inevitable but imminent.
Momentum about a potential LFA successor began building in 2021 when Chairman Akio Toyoda rolled out his mega lineup of 30 BEV concepts. Among them sat a low-slung coupe that was quickly labeled LFR. In 2022, the front-engined Rear Wheel Drive GR GT concept appeared. A year later, a short Fuji Speedway clip surfaced on Twitter (now X), and the tone was unmistakable. No V10 anymore, but something deeper like a V8. Since then, prototypes have been spotted at Nürburgring, California test loops, at Goodwood, and even at the Quail as the Lexus Sport Concept.
Then came the teaser at last month’s Japan Mobility Week, showing the 2000 GT, the LFA, and a blank space waiting to be filled. Now, Toyota is bringing something new to carry that torch forward, and the approach this time is all about capability and track consistency.
Toyota is calling the GR GT a road-legal version of its GT3 race car based on the same platform, and the spec sheet backs that up. Under the hood sits a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with dry sump lubrication, paired with a single-motor hybrid unit integrated into the rear transaxle. Power is transmitted through a carbon torque tube into a new 8-speed automatic with a wet-start clutch and a mechanical, limited-slip differential (LSD). Target output is 641 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Heavy components are mounted low down to drop the center of gravity, and the weight distribution is 45 percent front, 55 percent rear.
The chassis is Toyota’s first all-aluminum frame, with aluminum castings and extrusions forming the core structure, joined with advanced bonding methods normally associated with motorsport. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and aluminum panels keep mass in check.
Exterior dimensions confirm the larger footprint. The GR GT measures up 189.8 inches long, 78.7 inches wide, 47 inches tall, and sits on a longer 107.3-inch wheelbase. The original LFA was shorter at around 177 inches, narrower at 74.6, and carried a slightly taller roofline. Visually, each of the three cars carries its own distinctive character. While the GT GT3 features an aggressive swan-neck fixed wing, the LFA concept appears far more restrained, whereas the GR GT sits somewhere in between. Inside, everything prioritizes visibility and driver connection. With two screens, one for instrumentation and a larger central display, controls sit near the flat-bottom steering wheel, physical buttons for added tactility, and sporty Recaro seats. Here is a cabin that puts function front and center.
Development weight was set at 3,858 pounds or lower, which would make the GR GT heavier than the original LFA, but with far greater aero, footprint, and hybrid hardware. You get double wishbone suspension front and rear, wrapped in 265-section front and 325 rear tires on 20-inch wheels, braking handled by Brembo carbon ceramics, and you get Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s developed specifically for this car. These tires are not an off-the-shelf compound.
Simulator testing began early, with development at Shimoyama, Fuji Speedway, the aforementioned Nürburgring, and even on public roads to ensure balance between circuit performance and road usability. One of the biggest development differences from the old LFA is how Toyota built the car. The GR GT follows an aero-first philosophy, reversing the normal styling, then the aero workflow. Toyota locked the driving position first, then shaped the car around it. Steering angle, pedal reach, and visibility.
The test program followed a simple loop. Drive it hard, break something, fix it, and make it stronger, repeat. Engineering was not a checklist exercise. It was seat time with Morizo pushing for more pace, and development drivers Tatsuya Kataoka, Hiroaki Ishiura, Naoya Gamo, Daisuke Toyoda, along with internal test drivers helped refine feedback at every stage.
In the hybrid system, the motor-generator fills torque during acceleration and eliminates the response dip during shifts, delivering constant thrust rather than the typical turbo wait. Stability control is multi-stage adjustable, derived from Nürburgring 24-hour programs, allowing drivers to dial difficulty and slip based on skill and conditions. Cooling also played a major role. Vents carved into the bodywork feed radiators, brakes, and hybrid components. Air exits behind the doors to manage pressure and heat.
This reveal also features the GR GT3, a full FIA GT3-spec race car built to win, sharing its core engine architecture with the road-going GR GT. Same 4.0-liter twin turbo V8, same fundamental layout, but stripped, hardened, and tuned for competitive endurance. Toyota has engineered the platform to operate on grids around the world with factory-backed support for customer teams, simulator development, and a chassis built to handle wheel-to-wheel action. Also, starting in 2026, Haas will enter the grid as the TGR Haas F1 Team, marking Toyota Gazoo Racing’s official return to the top tier of motorsport.
And opposite that fuel-burning future sits the LFA BEV Concept, which Lexus has revealed as the electric evolution of the original LFA spirit. It shares the same development philosophy as the GR GT and GT3: low center of gravity, high rigidity, aero-first packaging, but applies it to electric architecture. Inside, a wrap-around cockpit around the driver, along with a yoke steering wheel. The brand is further building on its motorsport ambitions. Toyota expects ongoing development toward a 2027 launch timeframe, with further details released as testing continues. With no Nissan R36 GT-R in sight, the Gazoo Racing GT is Japan’s new halo performance car, period.
Images: Toyota / Lexus
