Since the retirement of the Lexus LFA in 2012, the world has been waiting for a new halo car from Toyota. Now, after years of rumors, leaks, spy shots, and teasers, it’s finally here. The GR GT is an all-new, all-Toyota sports car, and feels like an especially worthy successor.
The GR GT uses the LFA’s same front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted at the rear for optimal weight balance. Under the hood is not another V10, but rather an all-new hybridized twin-turbo V8 (not as exciting, sure, but considering how many hypercars are EVs these days, I’ll take it).
Most importantly, the GR GT isn’t some heavyweight, ultra-complex hypercar. It’s a more pure, relatively lightweight sports car focused on thrills, not performance figures.
Let’s Get The Numbers Out Of The Way
I’d argue numbers are more insignificant than ever in the performance segment, seeing as how EVs can outrun anything in a straight line these days. But they’re still important for comparison’s sake. So let’s talk about them first. The V-8 is a 4.0-liter unit combined with a single electric motor, making a total of 641 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of torque. Mind-blowing figures? Absolutely not. But considering this car weighs 3,858 pounds, it should deliver excellent dynamics.
While that number isn’t nearly as light as, say, a Miata, it’s pretty damn good for a hybrid with an onboard battery. That weight figure is thanks to an all-aluminum chassis—Toyota’s first, ever. There are also carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body panels in place of metal. Power is routed to the rear wheels via a carbon-fiber torque tube to an eight-speed transaxle mounted out back, for better weight distribution.
Toyota makes a big deal about the GR GT’s low center of gravity. The engine uses a dry sump oiling system, so Toyota could get the whole drivetrain positioned lower within the car.
It Looks Absolutely Awesome
Design-wise, I think Toyota hit it out of the park. The classic front-engine, rear-drive proportions shine here, with a long nose and a compact passenger cell. The company managed to finesse its corporate grille fascia into this car elegantly. There are elements of Supra in the headlights, though the nose itself reminds me, weirdly, of the Daihatsu Copen GR Sport. There are some clever aero channels towards the rear that funnel air through the space behind the windows and out the back of the car:
The interior looks unlike any Toyota or Lexus I’ve seen, with a bulky steering wheel, a set of knobs for adjusting vehicle settings, some big paddle shifters, and lots of red leather. The shifter is, unfortunately, a very tiny rocker switch in the center console, though thankfully, I can see plenty of physical buttons for important features.
Weirdly, it looks as if there are zero actual Toyota badges anywhere on the car, inside or out. Toyota seems to want to emphasize this is a pure GR product, through and through.
The Big Questions: How Much, And When?
When the LFA debuted in 2009, it commanded a starting price of $375,000 (over $560,000 in today’s money). Paying that much for any Toyota product, Lexus badge or not, was a tough sell for most people, which is why it took a few years for Lexus to sell every example.
I don’t think the GR GT will cost that much, but it will definitely be the most expensive Toyota by a long shot. The company hasn’t released pricing details just yet, but says the car will launch in 2027. It’ll launch alongside a racing version called the GR GT3, which the company plans to field in the FIA GT3 category.
My judgment will, of course, be reserved for when I actually get behind the wheel. Toyota had plenty of opportunity to screw this up, but going by what I’ve seen tonight, it’s very much on the right track.
Top graphic image: Toyota
The front sort of looks like a super pissed Camry. It’s not really attractive to me,but it’s great that Toyota still bothers to build these sorts of cars.
From the center of the front wheels forward it looks awkward. The front marker light on the rim or the wheel arch? The general bulkiness up there with the thinner forward section of the wheel arch accentuating it isn’t pleasant. The headlights and big gasping for air grill are fugly. And why the hell is the front of the hood so high?
I get that there is some law against an attractive greenhouse, and they all look like WWII pillboxes now, but I finally realized what this reminds me of, and it’s the Tim Burton era Batmobile.
I like a bumper mounted marker light because they’re easy to cover/blank out. The ones integrated in light fixtures are impossible to fix and you’re left with ugly amber ruining the clean design.
Rest of world markets do not suffer stupid marker light regulations and have cleaner looking cars as a result.
Hood height is probably defined by pedestrian impact standards nowadays, sadly.
I’d rather see the pedestrians before I hit them,
A lion does not concern himself with those so poor they have to walk.
I really like this. One crazy thought that kept coming back to me is it already looks so much like an FD RX7, so why not share the platform with Mazda, let them shorten the wheelbase about 5″, shorten the nose another 5″, and then stuff their I6 from the CX90 into it, obviously with a turbo, and be given free reign to lighten and improve the handling like Mazda is very good at. The two companies already seem to be really good friends, so why not do Mazda a solid and let them collaborate on your race program in exchange.
Maybe it looks like the Veilside RX-7, but this has none of the RX-7’s simple beauty. I only see a shade of it in the greenhouse shape.
Looks like they forgot about an infotainment system and slapped on a tablet from JC Whitney.
I like that idea.
What’s the minimum infotainment that is legally required?
Would hoon.
[evergreen statement]
[applies to a lot of cars]
[but really applies to this]
I find it hard to believe this could cost more than a lightly used V8 dual cab 70 series.
1.75 tonnes is not particularly lightweight. It’s heavier than my luxo barge Crown, and I’ve complained about that car feeling a bit heavy in the corners.
They could have ditched all the hybrid stuff and just thrown in the lovely V8 from the ISF and I – and anyone else who doesn’t care about straight line performance or fuel consumption in a sportscar that’s unlikely to crack 5,000km per year – would have been happy.
I do like the look of this though, the long snout initially threw me a bit but I think it offers some real old-school charm, a throwback to the original 2000GT in proportion if not in detail.
My brain also has a hard time comprehending this as light, but time marches on sadly. My fun car is an S1 Elise, and this weighs about as much as 2.5 of those stacked on each other.
Since it’s aluminum I went and looked up what an old A8 weighs and it’s about the same haha.
I had to go look up the X350 gen Jag XJ, which I think was one of the first production alloy unibody/body construction cars, and that weighs 3500-3900 lbs. So. Big.
Initial thoughts: I love the proportions but some of the details make it seem a bit busy. I do like how the front fender/hood doesn’t rise up very far above the wheel, that was probably the area of the Supra that bothered me the most, made the entire front of that car look bulbus. I know it’s a hybrid and it just seems to be how cars are now, but 3800 lbs still feels heavy for a 2 seat coupe. Either way it seems to have similar specs to either a Corvette Z06 or E-Ray, I guess I’d expect it to end up priced similar to those.
Edit because I had to look it up.
E-Ray
$110,595
3774lbs (dry weight)
655hp
Z06
$116,995
3434lbs (dry weight)
670hp
The layout make’s this feel more like a Toyota version of an upper trim C7 Corvette that they put a hybrid system into. Same front engine/rear mounted transmission with a torque tube connecting them, aluminum frame with composite body panels, some unique aero elements.
At least the 7-speed transaxle from a C7 probably fits.
I’m not trying to be contrary, but I’d be surprised if this was priced anything like comparable Corvettes. This is supposed to be their halo car, not necessarily an “every man’s sports car”. Im going to peg this at rates nearly double the Vette. I’d be surprised if this thing came in at less than $200k and i d expect it to be more like 250k. But, hey, id love to be wrong. Either way, I can’t afford it.
Yeah, this is targeting folks who can’t get their Porsche dealership to put their name on the list for a GT3 RS.
I’m not so sure, I would think Toyota learned a bit from the LFA where they asked too much money for that car and as a result they sat at dealers for years. I do expect it to cost more than the corvettes but I think if it starts at or above 150k it will be a hard sell.
Does sitting matter if you make a limited run?
They might actually like that rather then having that limited run sell out quick and go straight to collector warehouses.
Remember the LFA was $375k in 2010 money. That’s probably over half a million today. I dont believe Toyota was even trying to “compete” with the LFA. I think they engineered the best car that they could and then just sold them at a loss. “Sold” is being nice, of course. They were glued to showroom floors.
I just read, at that other car website, that the car will be sold “at a price likely close to half a million dollars”. ????????
And maybe they will price it that high, but who would buy it at that price? I get Toyota probably isn’t looking for this to make them a ton of money but it’s not a great look to have your flagship performance car, a showcase of everything you can do, and have seemingly no one who actually wants to purchase it. This just doesn’t have the cache of something at that price level. It’s too heavy to be a proper gt3 competitor. I guess I could see it as a Turbo S competitor, but Toyota doesn’t command Porsche prices. I see the most competitive vehicles to this being the eRay, AMG GT, and 911 Turbo. It does seem to be lining up to repeat the mistakes of the LFA and I’d argue the Acura NSX as well. A compelling product that is priced too high.
I need to see it in a real color. This one isn’t doing it any favors.
I love it. I’ll take mine in white with the red interior. If this was priced like a C8 Z06 or something like that, I’d have my name on the wait list, but I’m guessing it’s going to be more like Carrera S money, in which case, I’m gonna just buy the 911.
This has the same power as my 13 year old Viper and weighs 500 lb more.
I’m not ready to say it’s a disappointment, but if the price is too high I could see this being a flop.
If you’re strictly comparing numbers and absolutely nothing else you may have a point but to say that this car and that car are different kinds of beastie is probably underselling it a bit
I don’t doubt you get out of the Viper with a bigger grin though
No doubt, and I want to hear more, but the runup to this car gave the impression of a supercar, with pricing to match, and if they try that with these specs I think it will be a failure.
Priced to compete with a C8 Eray or something (low $100,000s) would be a whole different deal. Hopefully that’s where they target.
I highly doubt this Toyota can be nearly as fun as a first gen viper. But then, first gen vipers were actively trying to kill the driver, which is the best part
That’s the sensibly rich vilains’ car.
I predict I will never see one of these in person moving under its own power. Much like the LFA, or a Ford GT, etc. Wrong end of the consumer spectrum for me to care.
You really don’t think the interior looks like both the Lexus LFA and the updated 2026 Lexus IS?
I’m pretty certain GR is going to be sold as a sub-brand exclusively at Lexus dealers—same as Century. Lexus dealerships will offer the two sub-brands.
This car will not be sold at Toyota dealerships.
The initial investment required by a dealership owner to add Century is too high for a car with a volume of 20 per month nationally. Making these huge facilities upgrades (separate showroom spaces) requires profitability and that’s going to come in from the GR sales at least on the dealer level. This is the only way this all makes sense economically. Toyota vocally loves its dealers and absolutely will not get into the direct sales model like what Volkswagen is doing to Scout.
Yeah, the interior screams Lexus to me.
Really? I’m interested…
Huh!? That’s as much as a 2000 Ford Explorer. Or that fat pig of a Mercedes 300 SDL I used to own. That’s what passes as “lightweight” these days? It’s morbidly obese. It needs to lose about 1,300 lbs. It deserves to be endlessly fat shamed.
Its also about 500 lbs heavier than a ’51 Nash Ambassador, and you could sleep in those. Or do other stuff in them
About the same as a current model M2, or 911 turbo. By current standards, it isn’t that porky.
It’s 2/3 of a Hummer H2. Regardless of “today’s standards”, no one is ever going to convince me that this is “lightweight”. Ever. “Today’s standards” can bite my ass. I don’t need or want 600+ lbs of unnecessary crap in the interior that doesn’t make the car go, nor for it to have the length and width of a giant SUV, for starters.
It’s funny about the sliding scale of weight. I have an older Audi wagon and the Facebook group is called the yacht club because when they came out they were a little heavy and the joke is they drive like yachts because of it. Sedans were 3825 and avants were 3923. By todays standards they are just normal if not light in some cases.
That said, my personal opinion (which doesn’t mean much) is that to be called a sports car it should be under 3500lbs, otherwise call it a grand tourer. Some 911’s still qualify and of course Miata and 86 twins pass. Probably some others I forget.
Eh, I dunno. The LFA was beautiful. This looks more like an appliance, a road-going race car. Awful lot of gaping intakes and outlets, and creases that do unflattering things with the light. Wheels are too tall. It’s functional and clinical — no grace, no haunch, no coiled-up energy.
Looks a bit like they tried to smush Tim Burton’s Batmobile and the Hoonigan Mustang together into a C7 Corvette mold.
Loving the long hood and lack of predator grill. Meh name and red leather.
Now the big question is whether it drives like an appliance or not.
I think it needs to be curvier to try to get away with that much forward length, but I guess it’s better than the ugly LFA. Maybe it looks better in person, but the styling seems almost as uninspired as the name.
All that effort and it still weighs 3800+ lbs. That’s heavy, I don’t care what overweight pigs it seems light in comparison to and neither does physics. I’ll stick with the 86.
I meant the original LFA, I posted this before the new show car was revealed.
Nice car but not a fan of the name they’re giving it.
But it could be worse… they could have called it the GT TRD…. The Grand Touring Turd.
I like it. Spec is kind of like a tamer Z06 so maybe similarly priced?
The hood is definitely… noticeable in its length, but I like it. Gives off a Ridge Racer vibe
Mazda did it better with the vision concept. … it’s perfect
https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/1395f28aa2f1b8fc174bf9afa0e80e9ac3575f7e/hub/2017/10/24/f50c67f3-e5fc-4291-8e49-0c6e9bd7e77d/mazda-vision-coupe-promo.jpg?auto=webp&width=1200
Way to go Toyota – I was never much of a fan of the LFA, but this looks great. Can’t wait to see it out on the track with some big Gazoo decals plastered down the sides!
Not feeling it, sorry. The hood is WAY too long especially if there is no transmission ahead of the cabin. I don’t see the point besides that they can but it doesn’t seem relevant to anything. And 600hp with 3800 lbs? Not overly exciting in either regard.
The long hood is probably what they need to keep the whole engine behind the front axle.
The cutaway image seems to show the engine on TOP of the front axle. But either way it doesn’t seem like a 4.0l V8 would need anywhere near that much space especially with the transmission in the rear of the car. Or as much front appendage ahead of the wheels.
Just basing it on this press image.
https://toyotagazooracing.com/-/media/TMC/tgr/global/contents/pressrelease/images/2025/1205-03/1205-03_11.jpg
Ah, thank you. The whole thing looks FAR better in that image than in any of the ones used in this post. What looks distorted in the above images looks very different in your link. Somebody should overlay that onto one of a Dodge Viper, I’m curious how it relates scale-wise.
This makes the front overhang look even more ridiculous.
Maybe there’s a spare tire in there!
It looks like there’s enough room for an entire transverse mounted engine driving the front wheels!
However I suspect that this is not in the plan.
Yeah the hood proportions are weird. Think about the viper, a vehicle known for a pretty large hood and yet somehow still looks shorter than this GR and Dodge managed to get an entire 8+ liter v10 entirely behind the front axle. So packaging for a “little” 4.0L v8 shouldn’t explain the need for that hood length.
8 speed transmission. When they could have infinite continuously variable ratios. Pathetic.
Didn’t f1 ban cvt transmissions for being too good?
(If ya can’t beat the sentient transmission, join it)