Toyota took to the stage – well, more precisely it was Toyota and two sub-brands, Lexus and GR or “Gazoo Racing” – in Japan to reveal not one, not two but three new cars: an electric supercar, a race car, and a street version of said race car that the brand is calling a “road-legal race car”. Whatever you want to call it, it’s a red-letter day when a company reveals three all-new cars. When it’s three performance models like this, well, you might say it’s a scarlet-letter day for enthusiasts.
Lexus LFA Concept
OK, so we were a little greedy in the intro; for now, the LFA is merely a concept car, but it does use a name that Lexus has used before to great success if not financially, then in the notoriety department.
You see, the original V10-powered 2010 LFA only really received its laurels in hindsight. When it debuted, it was too expensive, too wild and too non-Lexus and the brand was losing money on each one they sold. It seems time heals all wounds and the years (as well as one Jeremy Clarkson) have been very kind to the LFA: each of the 400 built are now valued at high six-figure levels.
You have to think the LFA’s entering into the world of supercar royalty is partially what persuaded Lexus to deliver this new LFA, a battery-electric concept (or “BEV”) built around parent company Toyota’s “Shikinen Sengu” philosophy. It’s a philosophy centered around passing down building techniques to a new, younger generation of sports car craftsmen.
Ideally, the LFA will get both the best of Toyota/Lexus’ design philosophy as well as their engineering philosophy and combine them to deliver a “halo” car that’s the embodiment of the Toyota/Lexus empire.
No power or performance figures (or weight, or body materials, or…) have been announced, but needless to say we’re watching this with a keen eye.
Toyota GR GT
While not a BEV, the GR GT does use some electrification as it is a hybrid-powered performance car with a dry sump twin-turbo V8 engine (with the turbo snails nestled within the engine’s vee in a “hot V” configuration) plus EV motor. Power is rated at 641 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, all sent to the rear wheels – and only the rear wheels – via a wet-clutch eight-speed automatic gearbox. It’s the first time we’ve seen this powertrain in a production car and the hybrid system is on-hand to help mitigate power interruption when changing gears. It’s no fluke that this car is being announced not long after the Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid entered the market, as it is also a vehicle that uses hybrid power mainly to provide the most responsive powertrain possible.
To keep all that power in check, the GR GT is fitted with Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber as standard.
Speaking of firsts: the GR GT marks the first time Toyota’s used an all-aluminium body frame, delivering greater rigidity and saving weight at the same time. The body panels, meanwhile, are crafted from both aluminium and carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP).
In keeping with the theme of stiff and light, many suspension components in the low-mounted double wishbone suspension system are fabricated in aluminum. Both the design of the suspension and the tires was completed with input from professional race drivers.
Power is one thing, but at this level aerodynamics also play a big part in terms of acceleration and top speed. The coupe body has been designed with aerodynamics and cooling in mind, helping the GR GT to a 320 km/h top speed. 0-100 km/h times have not been announced, but expect those to be in the high two-second, low three-second zone.
Even with its low-drag, ultra-aero body, the interior prioritizes the driver’s seating position, good outward visibility and allows for both track and everyday use. To help facilitate all this, there’s a flat-bottom wheel and the driver-centric controls are all placed as close to the wheel as possible.
2026 Toyota GR GT
2026 Toyota GR GT
2026 Toyota GR GT
Toyota GR GT3
The number “three” might not seem like much, but adding it here speaks volumes. That designates this particular version of the GR GT as meeting requirements classifying it as a FIA GT3-spec racing car. As of right now, Toyota/Lexus hasn’t announced a factory team, relying instead on customers that want to go racing with as much support from the manufacturer as possible. Currently, Toyota/Lexus is still running the Lexus RC F GT3 car in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship as well as the Japan Super GT series. That makes it one of the longest-serving race cars in operation today. Seems it may be time for a change…