Spies snapped a road-legal variant of Toyota’s GR GT3 race car recently. This will likely debut in 2027 as a Lexus high-end sports car, and will pack V8 power.
Toyota previewed a GT3 race car at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Photographers took these spy shots during testing at some key racetracks, including Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps.
It is thought that the race car is being developed for series such as the IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Expect it to enter racing in 2026, with the road car launching around the same time as a MY27 variant.
Toyota insiders have already indicated a road-going version of the race car is on the cards. To compete in GT3 racing the car must derive from a road-going vehicle. Therefore, the race car was always going to spawn a street legal model.
It is not yet clear whether the road car will wear a Toyota or a Lexus badge. However, most see this new sports car as a successor to the Lexus RC F GT3 on the racetrack. Moreover, Lexus has a similarly sized electric supercar concept on the drawing board, suggesting the possibility of shared development.
The prototype spied on road appears to be early in the genesis of the car, closely resembling the racer and even sporting polycarbonate windows.
However, the tester does have a smaller wing and a conventional rear-mounted exhaust instead of side outlets. The front and rear fascias are also different from the race car’s, while the front splitter is much smaller. The road car also rolls on street rubber.
No powertrain details are available but those in the know suggest either a V8 or a hybrid of some description.
Even the name is unclear, though GR GT is already trademarked. Most think the race car take GR GT3 badging.
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