Toyota reveals new GR GT3

Toyota Motor Corporation has, at long last, presented the new GR GT3 to the public for the first time, ahead of a tentative launch in 2027.

The GR GT3 was one of three high-performance cars unveiled Friday by Toyota, accompanied by the road-going GR GT, and the Lexus LFA Concept, a battery-electric sports car. The GR GT will be the company’s new flagship front-engine supercar, following in the footsteps of Toyota’s halo cars of the past, the 2000GT and the original LFA.

In the case of the GR GT3, it will be the successor to the Lexus RC F GT3, which has had a long and successful racing life – particularly in Japan and North America, headlined by the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech GTD PRO Championship for Vasser Sullivan Racing. Most recently, the RC F GT3 began racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship's LMGT3 class.

The GR GT3 will be powered by the same four-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine featured in the road-going model, though it will not feature the GR GT’s transaxle hybrid unit. Built from scratch, both versions of the GR GT have been built around a trio of core design elements – a low center of gravity, a lightweight yet rigid chassis, and optimized aerodynamics where performance has influenced the overall design of the car.

GR GT3 (left) and GR GT

Longer and wider than the RC F, yet with a slightly shorter wheelbase, the GR GT3 has been developed with the influence of Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman and "Master Driver" Akio "Morizo" Toyoda, as well as his son, gentleman driver Daisuke, and accomplished Toyota factory drivers Hiroaki Ishiura, Tatsuya Kataoka and Naoya Gamou.

Toyota aims for its new car to be a pleasant driving experience for amateur and professional drivers alike, and plans to "establish an optimal support system for customers who race to help them fully enjoy motorsports."

Today's unveiling of the GR GT and GR GT3 is the culmination of a journey that began in January 2022 when Toyota first presented the GR GT3 Concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Camouflaged test cars of both the street and racing versions then began private testing at circuits across Japan, Europe, and North America beginning in 2023.

Still in camouflage, both the GR GT and GR GT3 ran up the famous Goodwood Hillclimb during this year’s Festival of Speed in July, and one month later, Lexus would reveal the prototype that would become the "new LFA" at The Quail during Monterey Car Week.